Filling the stage, eleven Improv Troupe members prepare the next three and a half hours after school to learn what they can from former student, Hunter Canedy. Canedy has traveled across the country, teaching Improv workshops, while also getting new ideas for the troupe he started at college, Oklahoma City University. The troupe members watch Canedy as he spreads his knowledge to the wanting audience in front of him.

“Using dark comedy is like hot sauce [in] cooking,” Canedy said. “A little bit is really good, but having a lot of it [becomes] inedible.”

The importance of creating a character in every scene was stressed the most. Canedy explained that they have to create their character and have to “live” it for those few minutes in the scene. He backs this up by stating that if the audience doesn’t believe that you are that character, they will not care.

“When you put something in the scene, you have to be able to carry it, [or] ‘cash your check,’ later on in the scene,” Canedy said.

Canedy started an exercise which would clear their mind and form a character each person would live. As it went on, he told them that several “life-changing” things would happen to their character. As the exercise ended, he asked several questions, two being, “what is your name?” and “tell me something about yourself.”

“I just asked you all questions that you didn’t [need to] know the answer to, [but in creating] that character, you formed those yourself,” Canedy said.

The troupe glares and studies his words as he explains a few warm up games to them, and beginning the conversation that being on the troupe means they are “body travelers,” meaning that each person on stage has the creative ability to move from “body” to “body,” creating a completely new character in every scene.

“That’s the cool thing about being on the troupe,” Canedy said. “We have the ability to take form of a completely new person in every scene.”

The auditions for the Improv troop: Mission IMPROVable were Tues. Sept. 6. Many auditioned, and 12 made the troop.

Returning Troop members are:
Mallorie Carney
Christina Cranshaw
Madison Fountain
Noor Portillo
Faby Sanchez
Travis St. John

New members:
Andy Heuer
Joe Kinler
Hannah Middleton
Zach Smith
Austin Weger
Wyatt Zalatoris

The hosts are Mallorie Carney and Noor Portillo. The first Improv show will take place in the Performing Arts Center tonight, Tues. Sept. 20 at 7 p.m.