The Carlmont improv team took to the stage for their first performance of the school year on Saturday, Nov. 2.
Unlike a typical play, the improv show is entirely unscripted and relies on audience input to create each scene. This approach means that every performance is unique, offering a fresh and interactive show beyond rehearsed lines and structured narratives.
“All of our work is improvised,” said Lily Herrera, a member of the Carlmont Improv team. “There’s no script and there’s no starting point.”
The show consisted of various acting game scenes that involved audience input.
“We’ll give out a prompt, and the audience will throw in suggestions,” Herrera said. “We’ll pick one and roll with it for the rest of the scene.”
Considering it is the first improv show of the year, the team has had to overcome new obstacles and train new students.
“If I see one of my members struggling, I will immediately jump in,” Herrera said. “We never leave someone hanging. We’re here to help.”
In addition to any challenges faced before the show, the unscripted nature of the performance means that many awkward situations may arise in the middle of the production.
“It could be a little awkward when there’s a limited amount of suggestions thrown out by the audience,” Herrera said.
This year’s show featured the support of the Carlmont Technical Theater Association (CTTA), for the first time ever, who were responsible for all the lighting, sound, and recordings of the performance.
“We just set up the lights so that they worked and made sure that everything looked good so you’re not just staring at a big black abyss,” said Riley Leung, a CTTA member.
CTTA also set up and ran a free live stream for anyone to watch online.
“The show was recorded. We had cameras and people working those,” Leung said. “We also had a switchboard operator, which is the person that switches between two different camera angles.”
Setting up and running the show demands extensive coordination and effort, as the sound, camera operators, and actors work closely together to keep each performance seamless and engaging.
“It was really exciting to see how everybody working together could create this really crazy experience for everybody to see,” Leung said.
CTTA and the improv team hope this show will encourage new audience members to attend future performances.
“I think people should come to see one of our shows because it’s way different,” Herrera said. “Coming to see one of our shows is beneficial because it’s a good comedy show, and it’s something new that many people haven’t seen before.”
