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A duck walks into a bar. — It could be more than a joke for a group of students at the University of Maine. It could be a situation they must bring to life on stage.
Improv In Sanity, a theater troupe on campus, prepares itself for any scenario thrown its way. Thinking on their feet is its members’ passion — mostly through improvisational acting.
Formed last year as a thesis project for alumnus theater student Tom Sagona, the group has made steps to become a solid organization on campus. When the group began in the fall of 2008, six actors gathered to work on the project. After their first public performance, they knew it was something they would like to continue.
By spring 2009, the group had seven concrete members plus a technical crew. With their increased numbers, they became officially recognized by the General Student Senate. They were an offshoot of Maine Masque before they were accepted as a student group.
With their new independence, they put on another performance and held a workshop for theater students on campus.
Four of the original members remain from last year.
Their name, Improv In Sanity, comes from their belief that improvisation can be found in everyday life. Member Emily Hinkle, a second-year clinical lab science student, suggested that improvisation can be used in all social settings because it prepares you to think on the spot.
“I meet people somewhat easier now,” Hinkle said.
Sitting around a small table in the Memorial Union on a sunny Friday afternoon, the four remaining members from last year chatted with ease, often finishing sentences for each other and feeding off ideas in conversation.
Their demeanor and interaction in real life reflected their group dynamic on stage.
“We like to see ourselves as a team … It’s like a sport. We practice our skills,” said James Skrabak, a second-year member and zoology student.
The group tries to limit membership to eight people. This allows them to all receive stage time and to work tightly together.
“We know how each other work … how our thought processes work,” said Maeghan Connor, a fourth-year journalism student and group member.
Now they are looking for three or four more members to join their tight-knit circle. Auditions will be held Thursday, Sept. 24 at 5 p.m. The location is still undetermined.
“Be prepared for anything,” said Max Weiss, a second-year mechanical engineering student and group member.
All members were in agreement that those trying out should be open and not afraid to make a fool of themselves.
“Come with energy,” Hinkle said.
Of the remaining four members, none are majoring in theater, although Skrabak and Hinkle are working toward theater minors.
Their participation is strictly interest-based, although they all have experience outside UMaine.
The group performs once a semester on campus, either in the Black Box Theater or the Pavilion Theater. Its performances hinge on outside participation from viewers.
“We try to get the audience as involved as we can,” Connor said.
The first act consists of 10-minute games generated from audience suggestions. This includes scene, scenario and character suggestions. The actors must then perform under the constraints. They often result in comedy, but the group feels improvisation is much more than that.
“There’s so much more to improv than ‘Who’s Line is it Anyway?’” Connor said.
“Improv’s not only about comedy … It tests your range of emotions,” said Skrabak. “There’s no limit to what happens on stage.”
The second act consists of longer scenes, lasting between 10 and 20 minutes. They revolve less around audience participation, but they try to use it for some suggestions.
The total performance usually lasts about an hour and a half. All shows are free for students and donations are requested for community members.
The group meets regularly outside of performance time to practice their skills. Since improvisation cannot be rehearsed before a performance, the group works on the basics of storytelling. They focus on honing the areas of character, objective, relationships and setting by running different situations and reflecting on their actions.
“People know what a good story is,” Skrabak said.
“We try to make it second nature,” Connor added. “If you’re doing something, there’s a reason you’re doing it … there’s an atmosphere.”
They acknowledge that ending the scene is the hardest part. Since they are improvising, they must use their knowledge of each other to decide when to end a scene, feeding off one another’s actions.
“We try to bring it to a cohesive end, so it’s a story,” Connor said.
