Drama department’s Comedy Sportz team puts on last Xmas- themed improv show

December 9, 2019 — by Anjali Nuggehalli and Edwin Chen

With the holiday season nearing, the improv club works to put together the last show of the year.

Even as cast of the fall play “Sense and Sensibility” took their last bows on Nov. 23, the drama department is still bustling with activity. 

Comedy Sportz, a club based on improv games, performed their holiday-themed show on Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Thermond Drama Center.

The 10-member Comedy Sportz team has put on two shows this year, with each focused on a unique theme. The goal of the productions are to improvise comedy scenes based on a theme or audience suggestions. Each show is unique because of the different audience suggestions and the different games they play. 

Senior Ritika Kuppam has been an active participant in the club since freshman year and is grateful for the support. 

“I love how collaborative Comedy Sportz is,” Kuppam said. “A teammate could make a really bad joke, but it doesn’t matter because everything is based on trust and having each others’ backs.” 

Unlike other school clubs, Comedy Sportz has cuts, similar to some sports teams. Out of the 10 people who tried out this year, only two were brought onto the existing team. Although in previous years the team competed against other schools, the team is currently only doing productions at school. 

To prepare for upcoming shows, Comedy Sportz holds practices every Friday during lunch in the Thermond Drama Center. During the week of their show, the club practices every day. 

Junior Stephen Ludwig found that Comedy Sportz has greatly improved his acting skills, and has encouraged him to continue acting as a hobby in college.

“My favorite thing about Comedy Sportz is that I can think on my feet and it has done wonders for my creativity,” Ludwig said. “Through Comedy Sportz, I’ve learned how to open up to others, and that’s very valuable.”

Ludwig was introduced to Comedy Sportz through senior Maya Gonder in sophomore year and has enjoyed it ever since. 

“She thought I was funny and told me to try it so I joined,” Ludwig said. “It’s a really fun community grown out of the drama department, and it’s really fun to be a part of.”

According to Kuppam, the turnout was higher than previous shows, and the team members improvised well together. 

“We were a little nervous leading up to the performance but we really pulled through,” Kuppam said, “and that was a great moment.”

 

Team members: Elodie Torres, Trent Glen, Ritika Kuppam, Dasha Efimov, Elsa Ashraf, Eman Ahmad, Maya Gonder, LJ Trueba, Jubee Trueba, Sarah Tucker, Stephen Ludwig, Robin Castren

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