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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday March 5, 2008 - 25 Artscene Oakville Beaver · WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2008 OT Improv Team mastering the art of winging it By Mandi Hargrave SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER H aving to think quickly on your feet in front of a large crowd isn't something many people would look forward to, but the Oakville Trafalgar High School (OTHS) Improv Team wouldn't have it any other way. "No matter how many times you do it, you get nervous," says Jenn Collins, a senior member of the team. "It's nerve-wracking being in front of 200 to 300 people because you don't know what will happen. But once you're out there, it's an adrenaline rush. You forget to be nervous." "It's about being in the moment and that's hard for everyone. It's hard not to script and plan, but when it happens, it's magic," says coach Melisa Muzzatti. The team recently won gold in the regional finals for the Canadian Improv Games and will compete in the Ontario finals in Toronto on March 22. After that it would be on to the national competition in Ottawa in April. While competing in the games, all teams must perform a series of four out of five "events:" style, theme, life, character and story. Theme is a mandatory event and picked out of a hat. The Oakville Trafalgar team has chosen to do life, character, story and, of course, DEREK WOOLLAM / OAKVILLE BEAVER GETTING READY FOR REGIONALS: Korey McDermott (right) leads the OTHS Improv team in a brain-storming session in the atrium as the students prepare for the Toronto Regional Tournament after winning gold in Halton. theme. The character event is to be about a character's subconscious habit, while story can be an abstract location, such as a child's mind, and life is about a feeling. The audience yells out a number of suggestions to be performed for each event, and referees confer on which would be the best choice. Muzzatti says the team is starting to build an improv reputation for the school. "We're now known for improv and we're building a reputation," she says. "It's funny because in the zone we've been the underdogs. This is the first time we've taken gold." She says the reason they've made it to the semi finals in Toronto is because of their engagement in the team. "It's everything from their commitment, to their drive and enthusiasm, to even the people they are. They're all kind, sweet students who want to work as a unit," she says. "And they're really talented on top of that." She says you can't teach anyone improv skill; you can only nurture what they already have. "I just sandpaper the edges," Muzzatti says. She refers to the group as a tossed salad, in that everyone brings something a little different to the team. "The raw talent is there and everyone brings a uniqueness (to the group). You don't want everyone to be witty or linguistic. You want some people to be physical and not worry about being judged and commit to the role, and you need the thinker, who will look at the situation literally," says Muzzatti. "I'm a better coach because of the students I get to work with. I'm constantly learning from them." For more information on the Canadian Improv Games visit www.improv.ca. In concert PHOTOS BY DEREK WOOLLAM / OAKVILLE BEAVER ANGELIC VOICES: From left, Daniel Jolic, Benjamin Dyer and Robert O'Halloran were among the Oakville Children's Choir members who recently performed with guest artists, the Boni Pueri Czech Boys Choir, at ClearView Christian Reformed Church.