Amusing the audience with an array of improvisation games followed by an open mic session, the Harker Improv Troupe (HIT) held its second coffeehouse of the year in the Bistro Café on November 19 from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Similar to the structure of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” the HIT coffeehouse incorporated several improv games ranging from Freeze Tag and 185 Jokes to a dating show. The interactive aspect of the performance allowed audience members to suggest quirks for HIT members to portray based on the type of game. For instance, in the dating show, Samir Asthana (12) role-played “an agitated Buddhist monk” and Rahul Nalamasu (10), a “Satanic Mickey Mouse.”

“I think pretty much every time we perform, we always rock the stage,” HIT Captain Adi Parige (12) said. “What [co-captain] Julian [Wise (12)] and I both stress to the troupe is have fun, put yourself out there, really touch yourself, and beat those personal barriers—that’s what improv is all about. That’s what the troupe did today, and I’m really proud of them.”

During open mic, students shared their talents, including “The Tik Tak,” a band composed of Adi, Tariq Jahshan (11), and Kovid Puria (11), which performed The Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood,” as well as Julian, who performed a modern rendition of a Romeo and Juliet monologue.

Lori Berenberg (10), who has seen HIT improve over time, loves the humor that typifies each coffeehouse.
“Coffeehouse in general is just really fun because I get to see not only improv troupe, but people who I would never have thought had such talent come out and play guitar, sing, or perform a monologue,” Lori said. “It’s a great experience to learn a little more about your classmates.”

Brian Larsen, Technical Director and HIT advisor, who also sometimes participates in the games and open mic, enjoys improvisation.

“I like the fact that [improv is] spontaneous,” Larsen said. “The kids do rehearse a little bit, but they have the opportunity to tend to be themselves and stretch […] their limits.”

Appreciating the close-knit ties between team members, HIT member Tina Crnko (11) enjoys her experience in the improv troupe.

“[In] improv, you’re free of any kind of judgment,” Tina said. “It’s just a safe space where everyone is family, you’re free to experiment with humor, see what works and what doesn’t, and really learn to be a part of a team—it’s a really fun place to be.”