Improv Club teaches students to think on their toes

While it might seem as though improv is just for laughs, in reality, as is the case at USD, it helps participants get comfortable in any situation they may come across.

“This group was started to help those involved to think on their toes in different situations,” Improv Club secretary Madeline Schmitt said.

Previously a fizzled-out group, the Improv Club has been restarted this year,  with much success.

“There was an Improv Club on campus my freshman year, but when the seniors left, they did not leave any information behind,” Schmitt, a junior, said. “My sophomore year, we struggled to understand how to be a club at the university. At the end of our sophomore year, we decided to buckle down, officially create the club and advertise for new members. At the beginning of the year we took off and grew to having 25 members.”

Improv Club president Troy Berg said the group was created to help get students comfortable in any situation in a fun way.

“The biggest benefit of the club is that it is to learn skills that are applicable to any and all facets of life,” Berg, a junior, said. “The group is not major specific, so anyone can join and learn how to be more socially outgoing, more comfortable in maybe uncomfortable situations, learning to think quickly and effective on your feet.”

Improv Club holds performances in the Muenster University Center pit lounge every month, along with a two-hour performance and a family and community performance every semester, Berg said. The group will possibly be doing a dinner theater next year.

The group holds practices twice a week, where they play games or practice for upcoming performances, Berg said.

Schmitt said the games played during practice were chosen for a purpose.

“Scenes from a hat is a game that we play,” Schmitt said. “We also play many other games: rotating scenes, freeze, sentences in a pocket, the dating game and segue, to only name a few. We do games that make people create characters on their own, change emotions quickly or think quickly to come up with a new idea.”

Berg said the most basic game is members’ favorite.

“One of our most basic games is called freeze, where two people start a scene and at any point someone outside that isn’t in the scene will say, ‘FREEZE!’ and the actors have to freeze in whatever position they’re in,” Berg said. “Then the person who shouted freeze has to take one of the spots of the actors, assume the position they were in and continue with a new scene.”

Schmitt said the best thing about being a part of this club is the relationships that are formed because of it.

“What I most enjoy about the group is that everyone is very close,” Schmitt said. “Everyone is comfortable with one another, which is necessary for improv.
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I thoroughly enjoy getting together with the improv family, playing games, laughing and having fun.”