Lyons Township High School to fill in the blanks at improv show
January 16, 2012 10:58AM
Senior Marisa Tirado of Countryside and junior Charlie O'Connell of La Grange do an improv skit about taxes as they rest of their "team" watch during the rehearsal for the Lyons Township improv show. | Steve Johnston~for Sun-Times Media
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Updated: February 20, 2012 8:15AM
Aspiring comics and quick thinkers at Lyons Township High School will present “So____, You’ll ____3: Return of the _____,” an improv show Jan. 19-21 at the south campus in Western Springs.
Shows begin at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at the south end of the building at 4900 S. Willow Springs Road.
Improvisation is the fine art of creating a scene without rehearsal or a script, said director Mike Kuehl.
Students have been divided into two teams to compete in a series of games, similar to the format of the popular TV show, “Whose Line Is It, Anyway.” The actors practice the games’ format, but each run-through is different, with a new set of characters and circumstances.
Following an intermission, a third group of students will take the stage to perform the long form, considered the epitome of improvisational theater, Kuehl said. Six actors will construct a 20-minute play based entirely on a single suggestion from the audience. The ensemble will create characters, settings and situations to advance the suggestion.
“The long form is a horrifically difficult, amazingly challenging and mentally stupefying exercise for the brave souls on stage,” Kuehl said. “Remember, there’s a thin line between brave and stupid.”
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