Why I do Improv – My History with the Impromaniacs

Why did I join The Impromaniacs and why do I do Improv?

For selfish reasons, initially, I suppose. As a developing actor, I wanted more time in front of audiences to help myself be as comfortable as possible on stage. I wanted the opportunity to have fun playing a wide variety of characters. I wanted the challenge of being ingenious and imaginative on the spot – to better not just my acting ability but my conversational skills, my charisma. I wanted the chance to take part in the theatre community of Victoria, pushing beyond the walls of UVic. And I feel I’ve found these things. So there’s the selfish side out of the way.

But what I’ve found most enjoyable about performing improv is how we share a sense of fun, and a sense of power, not just with fellow scene partners, but with the audience as well. I know we haven’t had too many people in the crowd lately, but there is such a delight in making someone laugh, in making a person go “Awwww…”, in collaboratively creating characters on stage and between the stage and the audience.

That kind of communal creation is very difficult to achieve in a proscenium arch with a set script, set blocking, and an opaque fourth wall.