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Alex Schwarz

Improv rehearsals are not the same as other rehearsals. As sophomore Eleanor Wilhemi describes, "It is a very alternative rehersal. It includes lots of different games that build skills that make you work hard with out realizing it."

The theater department has two new additions, a new director and a new holiday tradition. Theater director Grif Sadow is new to this year and he has a new show coming at the beginning of Dec. Holiday Comedy Show.

Improvisation is not part of the theater department or it was not until Grif Sadow became the new theater coordinator. “Improv is incredibly important and good to learn whether or not you are in theater or not,” Sadow said.

Improvisation is creating or producing something spontaneously or without preparation. On Dec. 5, a handful of students will perform on stage in front of an audience doing improv and the audience will get to participate by giving the students topics to talk about.

Sadow describes what the show will be like, “There isn’t really a theme other than holiday because it is all made up from scratch. We will be doing short and long forms of improv and holiday-themed skits kinda like what you see on Saturday Night Live.”

All the students had to do was sign up. All the students are very eager to perform. Sadow described the students as accepting, nice, hard working and courageous. Students said the same thing about Sadow.

Sophomore Eleanor Wilhemi, a student in the show, described the new coordinator, “I like him a lot and he is the most professional director I’ve worked with. He is very sweet and he pushes us all to our limit.”

Sadow takes a very different alternative type of rehearsal three days a week for an hour and a half. Since they are doing improv, they can’t exactly rehearse what will happen at the show. Sadow gives the students games that help out with specific aspects of improvisation like character. In the future, Sadow said he would be having experts on improv come in and demonstrate skits and help teach the students as well.

Senior Melissa Jernigan, another student in the show describes Sadow and his rehearsals, “He has a lot of theater background and he is very committed to his job. He gives us games that don’t really feel like a normal rehearsal should, but make us work hard.”

With a new coordinator and a new event to learn, it can get a little much for the students, but that does not stop the students from working hard because for some of them they want to go into a theater field. All the students support each other and are very quick at thinking on their feet.

Jernigan describes what it is like to be part of this event with these other students. “I wanted to get more experience in improv because there isn’t an improv club. I am really excited to be part of this show because the kids are very accepting.”

The Holiday Comedy Show is Dec. 5 in the SAHS auditorium at 7 p.m. Sadow states about a future for the show, “I hope that this becomes a yearly show around the holiday season because improv is so important.”