Students at Coquitlam’s Gleneagle secondary have used some of their spare time this season to be part of the fast-paced world of improv comedy.
About a dozen teens in grades 10 to 12 have been studying with Graham Myers of Second Storey Theatre to not only think fast on their feet but build their confidence, too.
Their sessions will culminate April 8 for the first-ever School District 43 Improv Invitational, the brainchild of Gleneagle performing arts and musical theatre teacher Amy Clausen. Teams from five schools — including Riverside, Pinetree and Dr. Charles Best secondaries, which have also been working with Myers — will gather at Gleneagle to perform alongside professional comedians from Second Storey.
“This is a rare opportunity for the students to be on stage with people in the industry,” Clausen said. “It’s also a rare opportunity for the high schools to work together and that’s a shame because there’s so much talent and so much we can learn from each other.”
Clausen, who took over teaching duties this year from Ashley Freeborn, has known Myers for about two decades, having connected with him at Instant Theatre in Vancouver.
Last fall, she approached Myers to see if he’d be willing to co-produce the inaugural SD43 Improv Invitational. And since then, Myers has met with the improv clubs at least twice “to get an idea of who these kids are and how he can structure the games for the Invitational,” she said.
On show night, Clausen hopes the audience will be ready for some serious laughs.
“It’s not competitive. There’s no winner. What we hope is that the students will listen to each other and play it out in a fun way.”
• Tickets at $5 are available at the door at the school (1195 Lansdowne Dr., Coquitlam) on April 8. Showtime is 7 p.m.
