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Home Arts & Culture Concordia IMPROVables Host 24-Hours of Non-Stop Improv

Photos by Kim Sleeper

by Aidan Moon

Each spring the IMPROVables, Concordia’s improv troupe, gathers in Janzow top to spend 24 hours creating all kinds of entertainment for fellow students to enjoy. The IMPROVables get to grow and share their skills in front of a variety of audiences in the process.

The Improvathon began on Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. with a competitive show between two teams. The teams, “Hot, Mild, and Wild” and “The 7 Deadly Sins,” competed in various games to win, intent on entertaining the judges, theology professors Dr. Charles Blanco, Dr. David Coe and Dr. Russ Sommerfeld, as well as IMPROVables alumnus Brandon Luetchens. “Hot, Mild, and Wild” came out on top with the higher score at the end of the two-hour performance.

Members of the troupe took shifts through the night and the next day, many getting some of their first exposure to performing in front of an audience.

“It gets to the point when nobody really wants to do anything anymore, but you have to keep going…That’s when you find the stuff that works, because you’re like ‘I can do whatever I want and no one can judge me because I’m so tired,’ and then it’s really funny and you realize you can really do this,” said senior Cadence Klemp, an active participant in improv since her freshman year.

The growth experienced by the participants is one of the primary reasons that the IMPROVables continue to put on the event each year. Lack of sleep and spending time working through hard scenes brings the troupe closer together.

“(The Improvathon) is a huge growing experience for our members,” senior Ben Leeper said. “Every single year after we do it, all of our improv-ers come out better on the other side. When you push yourself so hard for so long, eventually the inhibitions go away, and you start trusting your instincts and trusting your scene partner. What you end up with is a lot (of) better scenes, a lot (of) closer improv-ers, and a much closer troupe.”

Leeper is one of four members of the IMPROVables panel, a group that plans shows throughout the year and leads the Improvathon.

Leeper also said that the event is important for exposure. The central location allows people who might not otherwise see a show to stop by and watch. Those who are interested can even volunteer to participate in scenes, and most years several new people get involved.

“There are a lot of people who will stand and watch, even for just a few minutes, who would never even be aware of it… it really helps to get people thinking about improv,” Klemp said. “The awareness raised helps to keep the troupe alive and thriving.”

Charity is also a significant part of the Improvathon and is seen as a way of giving back to the community. A donation of some kind is taken each year, and this year, the performers asked for donations of clothing for People’s City Mission in Lincoln.

Many of the troupe members were showing the signs of exhaustion after 23 hours of straight improv, but energy began to build before the finale. The scenes of the last 24 hours were recapped as performers jumped in for each other, resurrecting inside jokes to laughter and applause.

The IMPROVables succeeded in both challenging themselves and in bringing fun and entertainment to the Concordia community.

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