By Kristy Moffitt
Victoria Pulman tried out for the improv team because a friend dragged her there. What she discovered was something she didn’t expect: a school event that was actually fun.
“My friend was like, ‘Victoria you’re kind of funny, you should try out,’ ” Pulman says with a laugh. “So I went, not expecting anything, and I really had fun. Everyone there was so nice.”
The Improv Games are a competition between teams of high school students trained to perform spontaneous, improvised scenes. Winners of 14 regional tournaments compete in the national tournament, in Ottawa. Last year over 2,000 students in hundreds of high schools across Canada participated in the games.
Pulman, a 17-year-old Lisgar Collegiate student, and her improv team are competing nationally this year at the Canadian Improv Games.
Most of the event organizers are former participants.
“It has an addictive quality. I wouldn’t leave, so eventually they just started paying me,” says Al Connors, the national tournament producer.
He says being part of the improv team keeps some students coming back to school when they have no interest in academics.
“Back when I was playing, I knew some kids who actually came back to school for another year just to be a part of the team.”
The improv movement in Ottawa was started in 1977 by a group of high school students. An interest in improv inspired them to start the Ottawa Carleton District Improv Olympics. It has since grown to a nation-wide event with 165 different events.
“With the help of the National Arts Centre it has become a cross-country event,” says Connors.
Pulman says being part of the team has enriched her high school experience.
“This year I tried out. I hadn’t done it before so I was a little nervous, but it’s such a warm, welcoming environment.”
Scott Florence is another volunteer who can’t seem to get enough of the improv games. He has been involved in the tournament for almost 20 years, beginning as a player and now as the publications director working in public relations.
Florence says he found his niche when he joined his school’s team.
“My voice as an angry adolescent was finally being heard,” he says. “For the first time I found an activity that gave me a real sense of belonging. It gave me confidence.”
Florence and Connors agree that the improv games are not just about comedy. “It gives kids a chance to tell us how they feel about the world. All the crazy things they have to say have value here,” says Florence.
Connors says the freedom to do and say what you want is what keeps people coming back year after year.
“That kind of freedom is so rare. Once you discover what that feels like you just don’t want to let it go.”
Pulman’s team is one of three from Ottawa that will be competing in the national tournament. Canterbury High and Holy Trinity Catholic High School are also competing.
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