Miles Nguyen

Jessica Li hints her character, Abraham Lincoln, to Ben Romanowsky as he attempts to guess in a game of charades in which actors could only speak gibberish. Improv Club’s final show of the year was formatted as a game show, with members participating in various games before a winning duo was ultimately determined by the audience.

Carlmont’s Improv Club showcased their creativity and storytelling skills through a series of acting games in their final performance of the year. 

Similarly to improv shows in years past, the last show of the year took on a game show style, promoting healthy competition between team members.

“I’ve gone to their shows before. They’re a really good experience to get some laughs out,” said Scarlett Buchanan, a sophomore who attended the show. 

While in previous years members had been eliminated periodically between games, the club’s presidents, Georgia Kelly and Elena Bilello, reworked the format after hearing feedback from members. Upon requests for more game participation, the show’s format was switched to be points-based, rather than based upon elimination. In addition, each team member paired up and dressed in festive duo costumes. For example, one pair dressed up as beach and Western renditions of Ken from the “Barbie” movie. 

“It was really fun to play a character, especially since you have someone else to play it with. I loved putting out all my energy into my character,” said Lily Sabey, an Improv Club member.

To prepare for the show, the team held weekly practices where they rehearsed the games being performed. During practice, team members were encouraged to suggest new games to test out. To improve their skills, the team held sessions where members critiqued and gave feedback to each other. According to Kelly, the team’s main goal is to be able to tell a good story, all while making it humorous.

“It’s really collaborative and helpful, so we can all grow as improvisers even if you’ve been on the team for years like me,” Kelly said. 

Serving as the hosts of the show, Kelly and Bilello introduced characters, announced which games were being played, and kept track of team points throughout the show using stickers.

The audience significantly impacted the performance as they actively participated through calling out themes and words went prompted by team members. They also determined winners through cheering for their favorite performances between rounds. Ultimately, Jessica Li and Jessie Rizvi, dressed as “Oppenheimer” characters, won the competition. 

The show concluded with a ceremony in which each team member won an award for their humorous team contributions, led by Kelly and Bilello.

“It was a great honor and pleasure to work with the team this year. It really feels like a family, and it’s always so much fun with them,” Kelly said.