{"id":4341,"date":"2024-07-11T16:25:22","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T20:25:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/?p=4341"},"modified":"2024-07-11T16:25:22","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T20:25:22","slug":"unscripted-and-undaunted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/2024\/unscripted-and-undaunted\/","title":{"rendered":"Unscripted and Undaunted"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Fifteen

The photo prompt was \u201cbe silly,\u201d and the 2023-24 IMPROVment troupe delivered. Members (left to right) on the floor: Ian Jacobs, Cam McAdam, Lisa O\u2019Brien 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<\/p><\/div>\n

The Case Western Reserve-style<\/span> Dating Game<\/span><\/i> skit demanded almost as much creativity from the audience as from its brave troupe of student improvisers.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019s three contestants should be\u2014two humans and an inanimate object\u2014as well as their backstory twists:<\/span><\/p>\n

Amelia Earhart swallowed by a whale. <\/span><\/p>\n

John Lennon as a rapper on a streaming service.<\/p>\n

A hammer made of cheese.<\/p>\n

After the bachelor<\/span> (Ethan Teel) <\/b>introduced himself as \u201cthe sexiest man in Alberta, Canada,\u201d the witty, irreverent game to pick his date began.<\/span><\/p>\n

Welcome to IMPROVment, CWRU\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alain Kouchica, <\/b>gobbling like a turkey during one skit, is an aerospace engineering major, for example. While <\/span>Lauren Iagnemma<\/b>, playing a drill sergeant in mid-life crisis, is majoring in psychology and Spanish and is an All-American athlete in cross-country.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Dating Game<\/span><\/i> skit left the audience loudly applauding after IMPROVment President <\/span>Lisa O\u2019Brien<\/b> as Lennon did her best mumbled beat- box rap and the bachelor guessed all three backstories correctly\u2014and then announced Lennon was his choice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To which O\u2019Brien seamlessly replied, \u201cImagine that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Read on to learn about some of the performers.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"A

Lisa O’Brien<\/p><\/div>\n

Lisa O\u2019Brien,<\/b> a senior majoring in theater and international studies and minoring in French, is in her third year with the troupe<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

What she loves about improv:<\/b> \u201cWe really are a family of people dedicated to being silly together and supporting each other through every dumb choice.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Funniest mishap: <\/b>\u201cIn a rehearsal, I stepped out of a scene to narrate and said, \u2018Then what I did next was really crazy.\u2019 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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Top comedic influence:<\/b> \u201cTina Fey and Amy Poehler. To see funny women dominating television as I grew up was inspiring. And it\u2019s no wonder they\u2019re so great; they started out in improv!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Key improv attribute: <\/b>\u201cTrust. 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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Most memorable character: <\/b>\u201cIn a parody of Chicago<\/em> [called] Cleveland<\/em>, I got to play one of the \u2018Cell Block Tango\u2019 girls.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Dream job after college:<\/b> \u201cWrite and act for film or television, especially Saturday Night Live<\/em>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"A

Malachi Levy<\/p><\/div>\n

Malachi Levy<\/b>, a junior majoring in English and minoring in social justice and theater, is in his second year with the troupe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Funniest mishap:<\/b> \u201cI 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!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What he loves about improv:<\/b> \u201cHow freeing it feels creatively. You get to combine your imagination with that of your other scene partners.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

No. 1 comedic influence:<\/b> \u201cJim Carrey. It really looks like he\u2019s having the time of his life when he\u2019s performing, and so I try to channel that every single time I get the opportunity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Key skill required:<\/b> \u201cPerhaps, 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\u2019m like, \u2018I suck at this.\u2019 But it\u2019s imperative to shake that off and keep going at it with good energy and love.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

How to describe performing for an audience:<\/b> \u201cEcstasy. Just so much fun.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"A

Cam McAdam<\/p><\/div>\n

Cam McAdam,<\/b> 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\u2019s \u201cCanon in D\u201d as improvising a \u201cjingle-y\u201d ditty for a game. Musical background: \u201cI started playing piano at age 5. I was classically trained. I also play guitar and bass.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

How does a classically trained pianist get into improv?:<\/b> \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What they love about improv<\/b>: \u201cThat it only exists in that one moment we share together. This is the most supportive and encouraging group I\u2019ve ever been part of. We give feedback to each other constantly. And any criticism is constructive.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

No. 1 comedic influence: <\/b>\u201cMike Birbiglia for his storytelling ability and his range, in particular the My Girlfriend\u2019s Boyfriend<\/em> film about his dysfunctional dating life.<\/span><\/p>\n

How a love of comedy has shaped their life:<\/b> \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Case Western Reserve-style Dating Game<\/i> skit demanded almost as much creativity from the audience as from its brave troupe of student improvisers.
\nOn a cold Saturday night earlier this year, a crowd of 95 packed into a campus theater. …Read more.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":481,"featured_media":4289,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/artscimedia.case.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/147\/2024\/06\/23124843\/P9_Improvment-photoshoot-04_Credit_Ian_Jacobs.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4341"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/481"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4341"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4341\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4498,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4341\/revisions\/4498"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/artsci.case.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}