A1 News
The Prowler
November 2015
Central’s improv team steals spotlight By Brittany Zortman News Editor
Central students may have passed by the lower 600 wing during Flex and noticed the large crowd of people, the laughter and the applause spilling from room 130. Or perhaps students recall the CTV ads which made the word “Improvnia” a household name. So what exactly is going on in the depths of the theatre arts classroom? One word: improv. Every Friday during Flex, one of Central’s improv teams takes the stage in front of a maxed-out classroom and performs a whole show based off one word, suggested by a crowd participant. The word can be anything from giraffe to avocado and the teams have to come up with entertaining sketches on the spot. The result is a hilarious and memorable 40-minute stretch of pure improvisation. The idea for establishing an improv team at Central came from student Lyn Mendlowitz after discovering her love for both the TV show “Who’s Line is it Anyway?” and Benjamin Hodge’s Theatre Arts class. In 2013, Hodge made a curriculum change to his theater arts class and based some of his teachings on the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Theatre manual. The UCB Theatre is an improvisational theatre and training center founded by troupe members who have led successful careers in comedy, such as Matt
Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh. According to Hodge, the new curriculum really clicked with his students. Mendlowitz, being one of these students, had an idea and approached Hodge with her plan. “It was an idea that seemed to be a logical extension of the teaching of the improvisation unit,” said Hodge. After hours of discussion, Mendlowitz and Hodge compiled a list of theatre arts students with the kind of talent they were looking for. “I sent an email to these students, asking them if they wanted to do it. We had a meeting about what we were going to be doing. Those who wanted to stay did auditions to see who worked well together and then we formed teams and practiced; the rest is history,” said Mendlowitz. In both Hodge and Mendlowitz’s eyes, the improv team has been a surprising success. “The first Flex show, I
was incredibly nervous just because it was the first show and this was like my baby coming to life. But then about a 100 people showed up and I was so happy,” said Mendlowitz. In fact, so many people turned up to the Flex shows that some people have been turned away from the crowded classroom. In addition to the Friday Flex shows, the team does a show in the black box theatre called “Improvnia.” Last year’s Improvnia shows often sold out, with an average of 130 people attending. “What I was most happy about Improvnia was the fact that it wasn’t just students there, it was a lot of adults and families too. I had a lot of conversations with adults saying things like, ‘I didn’t think this was going to be funny because these are young people,’ but then they said ‘I was actually laughing a lot,’” said Hodge. One of the improv team’s biggest moments, however,
Photo by mackenzie Lukacs
Megan Conway (left) and Theresa Bova (right) practice their acting skills to prepare for improv shows.
was getting selected to go to the Del Close Marathon (DCM) in New York City. DCM is an improv festival that was started by the UCB Theatre founders. “Anybody who is anybody in comedy is there, so
Photo from @cyhsimprov
The CYHS improv team gathers around Benjamin Hodge (center) wearing their Del Close Marathon shirts.
the fact that we were just a part of that was really exciting,” said Hodge. At the end of the day though, it all comes down to the relationships among the team members. “[We have] a really loving and supportive environment,” said Mendlowitz. “We have all become a really close family of sorts.” Mendlowitz’s most cherished improv moments come from being with her team before shows. “I’m most proud of the ensemble that they have become,” said Hodge. The next Improvnia will be held Nov. 23, just before Thanksgiving break. “If you like laughing, watching people do funny things and just having a lot of fun… then Improvnia is the place for you,” said Mendlowitz.