Grace Students Form Own Improv Troupe
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
The next show is at 10 p.m. Friday at the Wagon Wheel Theatre. It is open to the public, free and will last up to 1-1/2 hours.
Two years ago, about eight Grace College students did a comedy show in the Little Theatre in Philathea Hall on the Winona Lake campus, according to Grace senior Eric Totheroh. It was half scripted and half improvised. While it was supposed to be a one-off show, Totheroh said at the end of the school year everyone decided to get back together to do more improv.
There’s no script in comedy improv, and practicing it is basically playing games to get participants thinking freely on their feet.
Senior Madisson Heinl said that in fall 2012, the group decided to do monthly improv show at the theater. At that time, it was her, Totheroh and three other students who have since graduated. Freshmen Daniel Guyton, Samuel Cahill and Jordan May have since joined the comedy improv troupe.
The troupe, who go by the name Back In Five, are self taught. They’ve traveled to Chicago to watch Second City shows. They watch YouTube videos and shows like “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” Sometimes they just make it up as they go.
The five members practice at least once a week. If they feel they need more, or have an upcoming show, they’ll squeeze more rehearsal time in, Heinl said.
Guyton said they do have a list of games they play to practice. Some are from “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” while others they come up with on their own.
Back In Five took part in a college improv tournament recently, Totheroh said.
“It was all throughout the country through Chicago Improv Productions,” he said.
The Grace troupe traveled down to Indianapolis to compete Jan. 25. There were four rounds and they faced 16 teams. Back In Five placed second in its round to the eventual overall winners.
“My favorite thing about (improv) is that at some point in your life you have to grow up and be an adult. This gives you an opportunity to get up on stage and play,” Totheroh said.
Cahill stated, “I really like improv because you’re not confined to just a script. I’ve tried acting before and it’s not for me. It’s really fun to not memorize lines.”
“I like that I’m finally being commended for making stuff up,” Guyton said. For years in school, he said he would make speeches up in class on the spot because he forgot to prepare something the night before.
Heinl said, “I enjoy improv because I have done other theater in the past but improv allows me to work with other people like me. I get a huge kick out of making people laugh. Other people are enjoying themselves at the show, but I’m on the stage having fun, too.”
Normally, Totheroh said, the shows are at midnight Friday nights. They send out a campus-wide email and put notices up around campus on bulletin boards or the marquee. They’re having Friday’s show at 10 p.m. to draw more of the public in.
As for a show “rating,” they all agreed it never got worse than PG-13.
“We started this because there’s not a lot for students to do consistently through the year. It doesn’t conflict with anything else because it’s at midnight. And it’s fun,” Totheroh said.
“I just enjoy doing it,” Heinl said. “Back In Five has been my favorite part of my experience at Grace.”
They have a Facebook page at Facebook.com/backinfivecomedy
“We’re conquering the world through the power of improv,” Guyton joked.[[In-content Ad]]
The next show is at 10 p.m. Friday at the Wagon Wheel Theatre. It is open to the public, free and will last up to 1-1/2 hours.
Two years ago, about eight Grace College students did a comedy show in the Little Theatre in Philathea Hall on the Winona Lake campus, according to Grace senior Eric Totheroh. It was half scripted and half improvised. While it was supposed to be a one-off show, Totheroh said at the end of the school year everyone decided to get back together to do more improv.
There’s no script in comedy improv, and practicing it is basically playing games to get participants thinking freely on their feet.
Senior Madisson Heinl said that in fall 2012, the group decided to do monthly improv show at the theater. At that time, it was her, Totheroh and three other students who have since graduated. Freshmen Daniel Guyton, Samuel Cahill and Jordan May have since joined the comedy improv troupe.
The troupe, who go by the name Back In Five, are self taught. They’ve traveled to Chicago to watch Second City shows. They watch YouTube videos and shows like “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” Sometimes they just make it up as they go.
The five members practice at least once a week. If they feel they need more, or have an upcoming show, they’ll squeeze more rehearsal time in, Heinl said.
Guyton said they do have a list of games they play to practice. Some are from “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” while others they come up with on their own.
Back In Five took part in a college improv tournament recently, Totheroh said.
“It was all throughout the country through Chicago Improv Productions,” he said.
The Grace troupe traveled down to Indianapolis to compete Jan. 25. There were four rounds and they faced 16 teams. Back In Five placed second in its round to the eventual overall winners.
“My favorite thing about (improv) is that at some point in your life you have to grow up and be an adult. This gives you an opportunity to get up on stage and play,” Totheroh said.
Cahill stated, “I really like improv because you’re not confined to just a script. I’ve tried acting before and it’s not for me. It’s really fun to not memorize lines.”
“I like that I’m finally being commended for making stuff up,” Guyton said. For years in school, he said he would make speeches up in class on the spot because he forgot to prepare something the night before.
Heinl said, “I enjoy improv because I have done other theater in the past but improv allows me to work with other people like me. I get a huge kick out of making people laugh. Other people are enjoying themselves at the show, but I’m on the stage having fun, too.”
Normally, Totheroh said, the shows are at midnight Friday nights. They send out a campus-wide email and put notices up around campus on bulletin boards or the marquee. They’re having Friday’s show at 10 p.m. to draw more of the public in.
As for a show “rating,” they all agreed it never got worse than PG-13.
“We started this because there’s not a lot for students to do consistently through the year. It doesn’t conflict with anything else because it’s at midnight. And it’s fun,” Totheroh said.
“I just enjoy doing it,” Heinl said. “Back In Five has been my favorite part of my experience at Grace.”
They have a Facebook page at Facebook.com/backinfivecomedy
“We’re conquering the world through the power of improv,” Guyton joked.[[In-content Ad]]
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