On April 25, the Improv Troupe held its final show, as the troupe is coming to an end due to graduating seniors and the leaving of moderator John Chadwell.
Improv, also known as improvisational acting, requires actors and actresses to leave behind all scripts, props, and costumes and rely on their own wit and lightening quick thinking to invent on-the-fly scenarios. Due to the sheer lack of planning that comes with improv, performances are meant to be comical and unconventional in nature.
“One of my favorite moments of improv was during the show last year when Ian Rose walked towards me with a salmon in his hand and he struck me with it,” senior Ben Bravard said. “We were just so in tune with one another and it looked as if I had been hit by a fish as we worked in tandem to create this moment.”
A basic scene of improv could consist of one word or phrase that inspires the whole scene. The actors and actresses must follow the “yes and” rule, meaning that they are forbidden from saying no to anything that presents itself in the scene. Any statements made in that scene are then considered true. Through Improv Troupe, students have made countless memories, as well as learned important aspects of what makes them who they are as individuals.
“I could go on and on about all the scenes I have amazing memories of, but my favorite scenes are whatever I’m currently in. I love working with my troupe members to solve the problems that we create,” senior Ian Rose said. Some members of the Improv Troupe have found their experiences formative in shaping who they have become throughout their high school career.
“I have been doing improv since my freshman year when I stumbled into Mr. Chadwell’s room, well out of my depth. Through the years, theater taught me how to play a character and be someone else but improv showed me how to be me,” Bravard said.
Some students have made some of their best memories through Improv Troupe. “I have many favorite memories from improv. Literally so many I cannot count nor pick out one favorite. I did really enjoy Hannah Marshall’s (Class of 2017) funny stories about her life or her cat,” senior Lauren Holaday said.
Improv Troupe moderator John Chadwell started the troupe seven years ago when some of his students discovered that he did improv in college. “I hope [the students] learned how listen, to work as a team, and to support each other; how to be funny without trying too hard. I hope they enjoyed themselves,” Chadwell said.
“I was not a confident person, and I certainly wasn’t comfortable being in my own skin,” Bravard said. “But through these years of work I can say with confidence that I am who I am.”
The McNicholas Milestone 