My first improv experience was courtesy of the weekly show, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, then hosted by Drew Carey. (A quick Google search says it’s still on air and streaming on Prime Video. You’re welcome.) So when I heard about Oregon Children’s Theatre teen improv troupe, Impulse 18, I thought it would be the perfect intro for my budding 15-year-old thespian. He’d just come off his first high school play performance and was totally game.
The cast is made up of eight talented OCT Young Professional teens ranging from first year newbies (you’d never know it, Adam Wick and Ava Gray!) to fourth year pro, Sky Armstrong. There wasn’t a weak link in the line up — they are talented, entertaining performers.
Ava Gray opened the show with an infectious energy as she explained how to participate in the improv performance. (You shout your suggestions — like in Whose Line) There were 10 segments to the performance, which lasted about 75 minutes total. Head-bopping music played between each set, which my son later noted, complimenting the music choices.
An hour and a half flew by as the talented cast took us through each new improv exercise. My favorites were 321 Pow and Objection. Google Translate was fun, too, as the performers divided into three teams and improvised a scene from English, to gibberish, and back to English again. My son’s favorite was Four Square.
I glanced at my son throughout the performance, he was being a moody teen before we arrived, and noted him chuckling, and outright laughing, through much of the performance. One of the best parts of improv is that every show is different. (At our performance the 4-year-old sister of one of the performers was in attendance. She was eager to participate and added some great humor to the Family Dinner set.)
If a little laughter would do you (or your moody teen) some good, Impulse 18 is just the ticket. I’m so curious to know what they have planned for the late night performance, we may be back next week!
If You Go
Where: Curious Comedy Annex on Martin Luther King Blvd., it’s an intimate venue that seats around 60 people and has plenty of parking in the back lot and on the street. Pro tip: Get there early if you want first pick of where to sit, as seats are first come, first serve.
When: December 6-22
Admission: Tickets are $15 for students and $20 for adults. ($5 Arts for All tickets are available to those who qualify.)
Ages: Recommended for ages 7 and up. Pro tip: The late night performance is recommended for ages 14 and up.
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