The Spring Improv and Sketch Comedy Show on May 14 and May 15 struck it big at Algonquin with plenty of acts and games that made the crowd roar with laughter.
The Improv Show, which is a long-standing spring tradition, engaged an ever-growing crowd. This year, dedicated senior Tylia Moran was the student director overseeing the entire production.
“I was really happy with the turnout and all the work [the members] did,” Moran said. “It was really good and a chance to just let loose and have a bit with all of my friends.”
Throughout the preparations and games, which are improv acts that involve the audience’s suggestions, Moran said the crew behind the show is truly what brought it all together.
“[The auditions and shows] were very intimidating but got easier and easier over time,” sophomore Colton Piontkowski said.
“The best part was seeing how everyone is so committed to making it a good show,” Moran said. “Everyone was committed and put in the work needed to make it all really good in the end.”
With this year’s crew consisting of new and returning members, the members’ warmth pulled the crowd in with the tight-knit group’s sense of community where everyone was able to feel more at home and comfortable.
The improv group became like a home to some of the members, and it allowed them to have a safe community group that they could trust on.
“Everyone builds a community between the auditions and the groups,” Piontkowski said. “It is just so welcoming to be around, you never really feel alone there. You get to see everyone’s vulnerability when you are just doing improv and not going off of a set script. Getting through it makes you stronger as a community.”
The improv show does not just contain games, but a skit written by the improv cast themselves. This year, they came up with a spin on the popular reality show “Love Island,” where each actor portrayed a different character looking for love. This created some minor roadblocks with the preparation for the show as the cast struggled to come up with an ending. The ending ended up consisting of two couples being chosen as the “best couples,” which was difficult for the group because they switched the two ending couples at the last minute to make the skit more inclusive and interesting to the audience.
With many members of their own special talents in the improv community, sophomore Sofia Benacchio enjoys the connections she makes through the show.
“The whole point is expressing yourself and always having fun doing it because we always bond over art,” Benacchio said.
With all of the improv members appearing to be confident and eccentric to the audience, fear can still be present among the actors.
“I was kinda nervous to join because I didn’t think I would do it as well as other people, but when I got there I realized it was super easy to make stuff up,” Benacchio said.
Trying new things can be scary, but with how open and welcoming the improv community is, dabbling into your artistic side can be fun and interesting to try.
“A lot [of people] are scared because they think that it’s scary to audition, but everyone that auditions thinks that way, including myself when I auditioned my freshman year,” Moran said. “I would say just go for it, it’s such a good experience that everyone can find a way to like.”
