Are theater shows not quite your thing? I guarantee that the Loudoun County Improv Team will exceed expectations with their hilariously unscripted show. The crew, cleverly named “Improvasaurus,” put on a one-time Valentine’s Day-themed comedy show on February 3, getting the audience in the mood for love in preparation for the upcoming holiday.
Thirteen talented students worked to take audience suggestions for multiple scenes, such as a dating show, a presidential debate, and even acting out a chosen show in 10 seconds.
Senior EJ Faal has been participating in Improvasaurus shows since his freshman year. “The community that we have, it’s really fun to do. It brightens up my day, just great people doing funny stuff,” Faal said.
The actors have rehearsal every Wednesday or Thursday from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., doing two to three show runs, as they lead up to the big show. During rehearsals, the cast typically does some type of warm-up, followed by running a few of their favorite games that they want to include in the final show.
Faal states that the audience was a lot larger than the cast had expected, not surprising, as the audience raved about the performance during and after the show. Sophomore Hazel Akinmurele was just one person who couldn’t get over the show. “I was cackling in my seat,” she said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience!”.
Another ecstatic audience member, senior Tyler Lusczek, expressed his admiration for the improv show. “The aura it was giving off was very positive,” he said. The actors brilliantly used real-life situations to reach the audience on a personal level. “My favorite skit was when they were presidents because they did asbestos,” said Lusczek, alluding to the recent discovery of asbestos in the boy’s bathroom.
As a member of the cast, Faal states that the “dating game” was his favorite skit to perform in with senior Michel Sierra. “Michel is something else, and in that game, he is just always doing something that no one can ever expect,” he said. “So unpredictable that it just trips me up.”
Faal, as does the rest of the cast, has a special relationship with the improv team. “When we have to miss a practice I feel like my whole week is ruined,” Faal said. “Improvasoraus, in the aspect of my high school career, it’s a part of my life now.”
