The Improvisators Bring Improv Performances to Highland November 12

As part of its Second Saturday @ 7 series, the Highland County Arts Council is bringing The Improvisators to Monterey Saturday night for a unique performance.

Lesley Larson works with the troupe and she is the Artistic Director at The Wayne Theatre in Waynesboro, Virginia.

“The Improvisators are the region’s only teen improv troupe and you are going to get a great show from them,” says Larson.  “They specialize in both short form improv, which is the kind of improv like you’ll see in that TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, but then they also specialize in something called long form improv.  And that’s a really unique, cool, kind of improv where they take a small suggestion from the audience and then they will build an entire one act play off of that, live, as they’re going, a totally improvised play that you will get, with different characters, different scenes.”

Larson says the audience is the most important part of the performance.

“For the audience, getting to experience an improv show is so special because the show will literally never exist again,” says Larson.  “In plays, even though those are ephemeral, that exact show doesn’t exist again.  The lines still exist, the characters still exist, but with improv the show that we’ll create in Highland on Saturday will never happen again.  It can’t, because of all of the wonderful factors of the audience interaction, the ideas that are coming to the actors’ brains in that moment.  All of those things make for a really exciting night, not to mention improv is just wicked funny and everyone is going to leave, I think, just having had a really great time.  These teens are absolutely phenomenal artists and it’s exciting, for especially other teens, to see the bravery that The Improvisators bring to the stage every show that they do.    So, I think just come to experience total bravery, and excitement, and really ridiculously silly comedy.  It’s going to be a great night.”

Brit Chambers is a member of the Highland County Arts Council.

“We are trying to incorporate more programming that will be inclusive to the whole family, but this one is specific for families,” says Chambers.  “It’s a great opportunity to bring kids of all ages out.  We really feel that art should be inclusive of everyone and this is a push to bring art programming to kids in Highland County in a way that’s really fun and interactive for them.”

The Improvisators perform Saturday, November 12, at 7pm at The Highland Center in Monterey.  Admission is by free will donation for adults and is free for students.