Hebron Theatre to perform “Funny Side Up” improv show May 11
Juniors Jaxon Ryan (left) and Jacob Martin (right) perform an improv scene during an after school practice on May 9. The two of them have been on the improv team all three years and said they will continue in the varsity theater class next year.
Hebron Theatre will perform its improv show on May 11 on the freshman campus cafeteria stage at 7 p.m. The hour-long show consists of multiple games and scenes made up on the spot.
“The acting has been wonderful,” senior and improv team co-captain Kaamil Thobani said. “We can only ever take good notes during the practices, [and the team is] doing everything well. We’ve been comfortable with each other from the beginning, and we’ve seen so many of these young improvers grow.”
Originally, the show was supposed to take place in late February, but it was moved due to lack of rehearsals.
“We wanted the last improv show to be good, especially for the seniors who have been on the team all four years,” senior and improv team co-captain DaeJa Young said. “We needed extra time to practice if we wanted to bring everyone our best.”
During December, the team had one performance, which was the first time half of them had ever been in an improv show.
“Our last improv show was one of the best we’ve had in years,” Thobani said. “There was a lot of positive reinforcement and good feedback from it. It was really good to hear that we were able to [make] people laugh and that we were doing a good job.”
Head director Scott Crew was a new teacher this year and said there had been uncertainty about the improv club remaining at school. Crew said that because improv is done on the spot, there are risks involved.
“Every time I even hear the word ‘improv,’ there’s a little bit of hair on my neck that stands up,” Crew said. “One wrong move, one joke that goes too far, and I have to get up and stop it. If it gets political or [crosses the line], the audience could take it wrong. They’re teenagers making commentary on society and their [range] of knowledge is mainly slim. It’s fun, but it’s a dangerous game.”
Though there are no lines to memorize or technical aspects that make this a “real” show, it will be the last performance that Hebron Theatre puts on for the school year.
“I’m glad I’m ending [theater] with an improv show because I don’t really have to focus on the stress of playing a character or learning lines,” Young said. “It’s a fun last memory to have and I can’t wait to make people laugh again.”
Junior Krista Fleming is the managing editor and this is her third year on staff. She enjoys reading, teaching preschoolers and volunteering.
