LVA’s variety of majors teaches us that art comes in many forms. Just as music is split into different genres and art into different mediums, theater is separated into forms both inside and outside normal school hours. No one exemplifies the versatility of theater more than LVA Jesters, the improv club at LVA. Improv, unlike regular theater, is spontaneous, unscripted acting made by the actor. It’s generally comedic in nature, which can lead to many humorous and wacky scenarios.

LVA Accolades had the chance to attend a meeting of Jesters to ask the members what improv means to them. The meeting mainly consisted of short-form improv games, but they were far from just games. They strengthen memory and quick thinking, helping your mind form quick connections from one topic to another. Exercises involved creating charades for a specific vocabulary word and picking up after your opponents’ stories while only one side can speak. The overall consensus is that LVA Jesters is a diverse and character-building club. “There’s actually not a lot of theater majors in the club,” said Paige Eden, a member of Jesters. “So it’s really nice to meet people from other majors and become friends with them.” Non-theater majors may not have time to do theater out of school, so LVA Jesters gives students an on-campus experience with it.

The members of this club expressed their interest in other creative pursuits, which help them when they act. “I used to do a lot of creative story writing when I was younger, and when I got older I got into scriptwriting,” said Xien Corona, a junior. 

Improv also helps to boost confidence, due to its rapid-fire nature; an actor will not have to mull over and memorize a script but rely on their own mind to perform.

“Starting out, I was really stage conscious, but I feel more free on the stage and those fears melted away,” said Blaise Boswell, an elder member of Jesters.

LVA Jesters meets after school on Mondays in Room K17.

(AUTHOR’S NOTE: LVA Jesters is going to be renamed as Improv Club as the owner of the Jesters club will be moving to Montana.)