There’s a whole lot to look forward to this weekend—convincing your visiting parents to buy you everything you can’t afford, kicking off the basketball season with Midnight Madness, and seeing Despicable Me in the ICC auditorium. But for those of you still looking to fill your planners, there’s the Georgetown Improv Association’s first show of the semester.
The entirely improvised comedy show will take place this Saturday in Bulldog Alley, and features scenes which heavily rely on audience participation. Anything the audience suggests, from broccoli to Britney Spears, could become the focal point of a scenario. Jed Feiman (COL ’12), one of the group’s directors, explains that spontaneity is at the heart of improv’s appeal.
“Improv is exciting because every scene has never been performed before and will never be performed again,” Feinman said.
So how can they rehearse for an event that is supposed to be totally improvised? According to Feinman, preparing for an improv event more closely resembles a sports practice than a play rehearsal. The actors perform exercises that emphasize staying in character and building off of each others’ actions. One activity involves an actor “building a room” through mime, while the other actors in the skit interact with the invisible room.
This Saturday kicks off the Georgetown Improv Association’s 2010-2011 season, which consists of three shows this semester and culminates with the spring’s annual Improv Festival—a two night event featuring both the Georgetown Improv Association and performers from other universities.
This year, the group is especially excited to be working with Washington Improv Theather programming director Murphy McHugh (COL ’03). McHugh has led the group in one workshop so far, and hopes to continue to share what he has learned since he first started improv while at Georgetown.
So this Saturday night, after you’ve nursed your post-Midnight Madness hangover and engorged on a nice, expensive dinner from your visiting parents, continue your weekend festivities with the Georgetown Improv Association, which is sure to add an unscripted, unpredictable night of hilarity to your weekend.
