Although the word “Sportz” is in the title of the upcoming winter production Comedy Sportz, athleticism is irrelevant since most practices consist of rhyming games and endless variations of the song “Da Do Run Run.” Drama teacher Julie Ann Robinson said these improvisational games are used to provoke quick thinking and clever rhyming.
Comedy Sportz is “an [improvisational] comedy show that is based off the short form improvisation of Comedy Sportz Inc. in downtown [Chicago,]” said Robinson. “It involves a lot of short, comedic games that you put together. You have two teams that are competing against each other and at the end of the show, one team is determined the winner and they get a trophy.”
Because Comedy Sportz is an improvisational performance, Robinson said it is different from the plays most people are used to seeing. For the actors, preparing for Comedy Sportz has also been a different experience from preparing for scripted plays.
“In a regular play you have a script, you memorize your lines and you have time to work on a character,” said freshman Garrett Shuman. “In Comedy Sportz, everything is straight out of your mouth and you have no time to think about it. Everything is made up on the spot, which is kinda cool.”
Comedy Sportz was last performed in the fall of 2010. That means that most current freshmen, sophomores and juniors have not had the chance to experience the “on the spot” improvisational acts. According to Robinson, the play only occurs every three or four years “to create a well-balanced educational theater program.”
Although Comedy Sportz only occurs every few years, Robinson said it is a wonderful aspect of the theater program and she would like if it could be produced more often.
“I think a lot of other schools view [improvisation] as the ugly stepchild of acting and it’s, in my opinion, the very thing we want students to be able to do,” said Robinson. “We want students to be able to think quickly on their feet, work together as a team, not be afraid to fail, be creative and problem solve. [Improvisation] really teaches kids how to be confident and ultimately, as a school, we want to build confidence in our kids.”
Since Comedy Sportz is a “rare” production for Glenbrook North, senior theatre performer Ellie Schnittman recommends that people take some time out of their day and watch one of the four shows. Comedy Sportz will be performed in the CPA until Dec. 14, 2013. Tickets will be sold during all lunch blocks and at the door for $8.