You find yourself on a stage in front of an audience eagerly awaiting your performance. The only catch? There isn’t a script, and what you’re about to perform is a mystery. This may sound stressful, but for the members of the Black Squirrel Improv Troupe, it’s exhilarating.
Members Jason Schachner, Gus Korogi and Ginger Hickerson have found their home away from home within the Black Squirrel Improv Troupe. “I was a theater kid,” Korogi says. “I’ve always loved performing … I honestly just love people, and I live and exist to be around people and it brings me a lot of joy and energy in my life.”
According to the University of Chicago, improvisational theater, or improv, is a type of unscripted theater where the performers make up the scene, characters, storylines and dialogue on the spot. It is often comedic but can sometimes be serious.
Founded in 2005, originally called the “Portage County Players” until a name change in 2012, the Black Squirrel Improv Troupe has historically been – and remains – the only improv group at Kent State.
A typical practice with “The Squirrels” starts with warming up and playing games to get their minds in the right space for improv. They’ve even come up with their own game called “Weezer-prov,” which Schachner describes as his favorite. “Four people stand in the back, like the Weezer album,” Schachner says, “and then two at a time they go up. The third person will go in and take the first one out while maintaining the second person’s character.”
In games like “Weezer-prov”, there is a constant rotation of actors, which helps the group build their confidence and learn how to interact with each other. For Schachner, it’s actually the game he played during his audition that ended up turning into a scene he’s very proud of. “We had [a scene] about a spork,” Schachner says, “and it became a very beautiful scene about two moms finding empathy for each other.”
According to Hickerson, not only does improv help improve confidence and encourage quick thinking – it also teaches a lot of important life skills like finding creative solutions to problems and sharpening listening skills.
For Korogi, improv has helped him learn about the importance of every scene partner. “I’ve gained a lot of insight on how to connect with people and how to listen to people,” Korogi says. “Very personal daily skills that you don’t really expect out of just making poop jokes for five minutes, you know?”
Or, in the words of Shachner’s father, who also did improv in college, “improv teaches you skills that you’ll never be able to describe.”
The Squirrels are always looking for new faces and encourage everyone to give improv a try.
For Hickerson, it’s more than just a club. She’s gained instant best friends and found a community she could really call home. “It’s quite the community to grow into and we’re all super close and tight knit,” Hickerson says. “It’s not just a club – it’s a family.”
Natalie Holland is a writer.
