Improv Club

If you read the daily announcements, you may have noticed a few clubs making their debut late last year, like Youth Alive Club, Boys Volleyball Club, or Improv Club. Although Improv Club isn’t new (it’s been around for around six years now), it’s returning from a break due to issues with space availability and COVID guidelines, especially the mask mandate.

So what is Improv Club? Aubrey Wachtel, the advisor to the club, says that Improv Club is a place where like-minded people can come together to practice improvisation and have fun. Improvisation is a form of theater where the performances are mostly unplanned, which is where its name comes from. Of course, improv doesn’t necessarily mean having to perform, and Improv Club doesn’t have any performances scheduled for the near future.

I was able to join one of the improv meetings to get a taste of what club meetings looked like. We started off with a warm-up to ease us into improv: name seven things in a category as quickly as possible. Then we practiced mimicking someone’s every word and movement in an exercise called “Crossing the Delaware”, which turned silly very quickly. After that, we did three-line improvs, switching partners every round. Overall, the club was lighthearted and fun, and it was a good distraction.

Sophomore Rylee Smalley enjoys Improv Club for its fluidness and how it’s a nonjudgmental environment. She also likes that “it’s a club for introverts and extroverts to converse.” Sophomore Sean Perrigin likes the creative part of improv. I personally liked exploring scenarios and trying out different types of comedy.

At the club meeting, I asked some of the current club members if they had advice for people new to improv. Perrigin told me, “Don’t overthink anything, it is what it is. Say what’s on your mind.” Sophomore Madison Steffen said, “There’s really nothing you can do that’s wrong, and so being worried about being wrong is the only thing that’s going to stop you.”

If you’re thinking about joining Improv Club, there aren’t any true requirements or pre-requisites; they’re open to anyone who has the right mindset. Wachtel says, “The only thing that is a requirement is that you’re willing to be open, have fun, say yes, but also respect the fact that what happens in improv stays in improv.” Improv Club’s next meeting will be on Thursday, February 16th.