Every year, LT Theater Board puts together an improv showcase in the Performing Arts Center at SC. This year’s show was held on Sept. 29, Sept. 30, and Oct. 1. 

The improv show included two teams that competed against each other for the audience’s laughs. The cast participated in different games that included various improv techniques. The games were put together by English teacher and improv director of the past 14 years, Michael Kuehl. 

This year, rehearsals started at the beginning of August, Sophie Imielski ‘24 said. Once school started, rehearsals were everyday after school. 

“We had a really short rehearsal time for this [show], so we ended up jumping right into the games and learning some of the basic rules of improv and how those rules apply to the different games we play,” Kuehl said. 

During each rehearsal, the cast learned two to three new games, Imielski said. 

“My favorite game was called ‘Madame Zelda,’” Greta Sandman ‘24 said. 

“Madame Zelda” uses five people: one person as a fortune teller or “Madame Zelda,” three people as the “muses,” and the last person who would have their fortune told to them, Sandman said. The three muses are told the fortune while the fortune teller is in the “zone of isolation” and can’t hear them. The three muses work together to act out the fortune for the fortune teller to guess. Once the fortune teller catches on to what the muses are trying to say, the final person gets told their fortune.

“This game helped build teamwork when trying to help the person figure out the fortune,” Sandman said. 

This year the cast consisted of 28 people, which is the largest the show has ever been, Sandman said.

“I enjoy being a part of the improv show because it’s low stress, there’s no memorization involved, and it’s a great way to meet new people,” Sandman said. 

Since there are no lines to memorize, during rehearsals, time is spent by practicing the games. Every day (including show days) the games involved new situations and characters so the cast was always doing something different. 

“It can be quite nerve racking because you don’t know what it’ll be like until it happens and there is no way to judge that in rehearsal,” Kuehl said. 

During the show, Kuehl called out the different games, how many people they needed for each game, and gave the characters and situations for the cast to go off of, Imielski said. 

The improv show is very different from other productions the LT Theater Board produces throughout the year. 

“In a regular play there are a lot of things to worry about [such as] sets and costumes,” Kuehl said. “Whereas [for] the improv show, we order T-shirts, the kids wear jeans and our set is however many folding chairs we need.” 

The LT Theater Board puts on various shows throughout the year. Some shows to look out for include: freshman/sophomore play: “The Good Doctor,” (Nov. 11-13) fall play: “Shop Around the Corner,” (Oct. 20-22) winter play: “She Kills Monsters,” (Dec. 16-18) and the musical: “Fiddler on the Roof” (Feb. 16-19.)