The Canadian Champion, Friday, March 4, 2005-Bl ente High school improv team quick on their feet By STEPHANIE THIESSEN The Champion Johnny and Susie are both nervously getting ready for a blind date with each other. On goes the make-up - somne extra deodorant, in his case - and a spritz of perfumne or cologne. The anticipation is almost tangible. But when they meet for the ftrst time, their expressions aren't the normal delight- ed or disgusted ones you might expect. That's because they're related -througb somte humnorous error, the brother and sis- ter were set up with each other. It's a pretty funny scene, and the audi- ence is roaring with laughter, while the other teains in the competition show traces of admiration. That's because they know the tearo had mere seconds to corne up with the clever idea. It's a typical day of competition at the Canadian Improv Games, and drama teacher and improvisation coach Laurie Graharn is beamiùng frorn the sidelines with pride at the seven students strutting their stuif. Her tearo, from Milton District High School, is the underdog tn the gaines, since they've neyer competed before. In fact, the tearo formed juat months before st week's competition and advanced further than they - or anyone else - had expect- ed. "Iii every situation, they were the ones Who were new. They really did take it by storm," Ms Graham said. The team's first competition was in early February, and it went on to the zone finals where it finished in fourth place. Ris afforded the tearo a spot at the Toronto region semni-finals February 23 at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. It came in third out of the four teams not bad for an inexperienced team. "They were often the crowd favourite because they were the underdogs," Ms Grahamo said. As the namne suggests, in improv the par- ticipants make up a skit or activisy as they go -there's little or no time for prepara- tion, and no props. 'he ant made popu- lar by the show 'Whose Line is it afier a while 1 really got into it." She said the teain's like a famnily, and members eventually learned to anticipate what the others were going to say. Although lots of fun, Georgea admnined being on the teamn was also a lot of work. No manter. She can't watt to stars ail over again next year with Ms Grahamo, who she said is "an excellent coach." One of the best parts about the competi- tion, said Georgea and Ms Grahamo, were the bonds they created with some of the other school teams -which came froro ail over the Toronto area. When one team was performing, the other teams would ait around the stage and cheer tt on, they said. tmprov is full of benefits, Ms Grahamo said, including the confidence it gives stu- c ee EXPERIENCE on page B9 Obki Hgh ImProv tmm me. bers «from Wft) Ryan Bleck, G a ytilo n Corkgt-Turk, Nik Spohr (kn.ei ng), Kaltlyn Tuif, Mlndy Moor and George. Brooks- Hancocc run through a Photo by GRAHAM PAINE Now open inI ýGEORGETOWN P CINEMAS 235 GUELPH STREET 873-1999 0 BE COOL 14A] DaiIy 645Sp.m & 9:00p.m Sat. &Sun. 2:00p.m O SON OF THE MASK PG DaiIy 645 p.m SaS. &Sun. 2:00 pm 0COACH CARTER Daiy 900 Pm. O PACIFIER Eý Daiy 700 p.m & 9:00tpm Sst.&Sun.2:00 pm p Theatre Paflnlng AvaiabLe at Ruar a FuIIy Licenced Child Caoe a Care Available 2-5 DaysweVek a Arts, Crafls, Computers tCaring ECE Staff iAges 6 Weeks to 6 Years oveFffiU" ___wr Jtoi1- 4,_, W'%e fe t ;ft D)NCOnt'ern www.Peekabookid.com " Field Trips, S eiai Events " Nutritious Meals and Snacks * MinIslsy Recognized Kindergarten Progan R eekoeig,@0 S Child Care Cnr op in for a tour anytime No Appointments , Required en Mon - Frn, Steiles Ave MILTON LOCATION imi s. 11120 Maple Avenue 905.693.4873 8 Other Locations toSevYo Serve You Anyway?' - often yields hilarious results. Ms Graham - an English and dramna teacher at Milton District - said she'd been thinking about coaching an improv teamn for quite a while, and finally held try- outs at the beginning of the school year. She knew the enthusiasm would be there fromn students because improv is always their favourite unit in her drama class, she said. Georgea Brooks-Hancock was one of the students who showed up for the tryouts and earned a spot on the team. The I f-year old said ber outgoing. bub- bly personality makes her well suited to the ant and ber only child status means it's no hardship for ber to be the centre of attention. 1I thinik I like it because I can be myseif," shne explained. "At firas 1 was nervous, but