The photo prompt was “be silly,” and the 2023-24 IMPROVment troupe delivered. Members (left to right) on the floor: Ian Jacobs, Cam McAdam, Lisa O’Brien and Noah Henriques; seated: Lauren Iagnemma, Abigail Gilman, Jasmyn Zeigerson, Liv Carle and Noa Han; standing: Aaron Wang, Dominic Monczewski, Malachi Levy, Alain Kouchica, Gryffin Hauenstein and Ethan Teel. | Photo courtesy of IMPROVment/Ian Jacobs
The Case Western Reserve-style Dating Game skit demanded almost as much creativity from the audience as from its brave troupe of student improvisers.
On a cold Saturday night earlier this year, a crowd of 95 packed into a campus theater. They cheekily shouted out ideas for who the game’s three contestants should be—two humans and an inanimate object—as well as their backstory twists:
Amelia Earhart swallowed by a whale.
John Lennon as a rapper on a streaming service.
A hammer made of cheese.
After the bachelor (Ethan Teel) introduced himself as “the sexiest man in Alberta, Canada,” the witty, irreverent game to pick his date began.
Welcome to IMPROVment, CWRU’s musical improv comedy troupe, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and consisting of 15 quick-thinking, trusting cast members. They perform weekly and, not surprising for a campus known for interdisciplinary learning, boast diverse majors and minors.
Alain Kouchica, gobbling like a turkey during one skit, is an aerospace engineering major, for example. While Lauren Iagnemma, playing a drill sergeant in mid-life crisis, is majoring in psychology and Spanish and is an All-American athlete in cross-country.
The Dating Game skit left the audience loudly applauding after IMPROVment President Lisa O’Brien as Lennon did her best mumbled beat- box rap and the bachelor guessed all three backstories correctly—and then announced Lennon was his choice.
To which O’Brien seamlessly replied, “Imagine that.”
Read on to learn about some of the performers.
Lisa O’Brien
Lisa O’Brien, a senior majoring in theater and international studies and minoring in French, is in her third year with the troupe.
What she loves about improv: “We really are a family of people dedicated to being silly together and supporting each other through every dumb choice.”
Funniest mishap: “In a rehearsal, I stepped out of a scene to narrate and said, ‘Then what I did next was really crazy.’ I then stepped back into the scene to do a drop- kick only to completely flip myself onto the floor. Luckily, nothing was bruised but my ego.”
Top comedic influence: “Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. To see funny women dominating television as I grew up was inspiring. And it’s no wonder they’re so great; they started out in improv!”
Key improv attribute: “Trust. You have to trust yourself that whatever choice you make for your character is the right one. And you have to trust that your scene partners will support you.”
Most memorable character: “In a parody of Chicago [called] Cleveland, I got to play one of the ‘Cell Block Tango’ girls.”
Dream job after college: “Write and act for film or television, especially Saturday Night Live.”
Malachi Levy
Malachi Levy, a junior majoring in English and minoring in social justice and theater, is in his second year with the troupe.
Funniest mishap: “I accidentally ripped my pants on stage in the first show I hosted. I went for a squat in the middle of a scene, heard a loud rip and, needless to say, I was doing everything I could to distract the crowd from me for the rest of the night!”
What he loves about improv: “How freeing it feels creatively. You get to combine your imagination with that of your other scene partners.”
No. 1 comedic influence: “Jim Carrey. It really looks like he’s having the time of his life when he’s performing, and so I try to channel that every single time I get the opportunity.”
Key skill required: “Perhaps, unexpectedly, perseverance. Improv is like any sport in the sense that you really have to practice to get better. There are times after shows or even scenes in practice where I’m like, ‘I suck at this.’ But it’s imperative to shake that off and keep going at it with good energy and love.”
How to describe performing for an audience: “Ecstasy. Just so much fun.”
Cam McAdam
Cam McAdam, a senior majoring in psychology and minoring in math, has been a musician with the troupe for nearly three years and is as comfortable playing Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” as improvising a “jingle-y” ditty for a game. Musical background: “I started playing piano at age 5. I was classically trained. I also play guitar and bass.”
How does a classically trained pianist get into improv?: “I just wanted a creative outlet and a way to play piano as often as I can in college. IMPROVment was perfect for that. I get to decide in the moment how simply or complexly I play.”
What they love about improv: “That it only exists in that one moment we share together. This is the most supportive and encouraging group I’ve ever been part of. We give feedback to each other constantly. And any criticism is constructive.”
No. 1 comedic influence: “Mike Birbiglia for his storytelling ability and his range, in particular the My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend film about his dysfunctional dating life.
How a love of comedy has shaped their life: “I love watching comedy specials and TV shows. Mostly for enjoyment, but I definitely think my taste in comedy [witty, deadpan] shapes my style when I get to act in games.”