Improv-ing Each Year
Story appeared in the 2018 issue of QMS Connections Magazine.
BY HAYLEY PICARD, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
The energy is palpable. The stage is silent as a team of motionless figures in black t-shirts close their eyes, take a deep breath, exhale and slowly open their eyes to the audience.
With a current roster of 18 actors on the Improv Team, QMS continues to build its reputation as a contender in the improvisational theatre world.
The first person begins to speak, beginning a new story, one never told or heard before, and one she can only bring to life because her teammates support, guide and enhance the narrative. The audience bears witness as this group of actors takes creative risks, performing without script, searching for visual clues only in body language and tone inflection. Nerves tingle as their energy surges, connecting them to each other and stretching out to touch the watching faces. Welcome to QMS Royals Improv Theatre.
Under the leadership of drama teacher, Martina Blake, this group of eager QMS thespians has evolved from a club format only three years ago to a focused team of performers taking part in the Canadian Improv Games today. “When our students met and interacted with the welcoming improv community on the Island, the popularity spiked,” explains Blake. “Students gained confidence and became more competitive. We audited the first year of the Canadian Improv Games to become familiar with the routine. The second year we placed tenth on the Island. This year, our Seniors placed sixth while our Junior Royals team made their debut.”
Martina’s personal interest in improv theatre emerged from her education at the University of Calgary, where she studied under Kathleen Foreman, an alumni of Keith Johnstone’s Loose Moose Theatre Company (LMTC). Johnstone and LMTC are heralded internationally as the founders of improvisational theatre style. “Improv is so different from traditional theatre,” enthuses Blake. “It’s so alive and collaborative.”
With a current roster of 18 actors on the Improv Team, QMS continues to build its reputation as a contender in the improvisational theatre world, and the excitement is spilling into the larger community. For both the Island and Regional Canadian Improv Games, the School brought fan buses full of students and families to cheer on the actors. “We have talented classically trained actors, dancers, and musicians who enrich and enhance our teams. These students are willing to listen and be changed by their improv experiences. That sets the tone for the rest of the group.”
During the next school year, the Improv Team hopes to continue to expand their stage experience through Destination Imagination BC and host a QMS On The Fly Improv Festival in 2019. To Blake, the life skills gained by these driven students is clear. “Every day of our lives is improvised. Having the tools to work through unscripted scenes will allow them to confidently succeed in unpredictable situations.”