Improv Central 2022 Q&As: Lauren Brace
Grade: 12
What excites you most about Improv Central?
“What excites me the most about Improv Central is simply getting to work with everyone on stage. It wasn’t something many of my friends expected me to audition for, but I love the challenge and the group of people I found through it. Obviously, the scenes we create each time are extremely different, so it’s exciting to see what happens at rehearsal.”
Why should people watch Improv Central?
“Everyone should come to watch Improv Central because the entire cast is exceptionally talented. There is a lot of wits and creative thinking involved; everyone is practically guaranteed to laugh. I know that while I’m on stage practicing, it’s very difficult to resist cracking up laughing myself.”
On a scale from 1-10 (10 being the extreme), how nervous are you for the show and why?
“I’m probably a six on the nerves scale for the show. We’ve put in hours of work, but we only have one shot to showcase our talents. I’ve also never done improv in front of an audience before, so I hope I won’t break character while people laugh. However, one of the things we always say is, “I’ve got your back,” and I know that whatever happens on stage, we’ll all be there for each other.”
What’s your favorite memory of being on the team?
“Some of my favorite memories are the ongoing fun traditions I have with some of my teammates. For example, with [junior] Paige Harsevoort, we always greet each other in Spanish and will often talk for a while in the language while others attempt to understand what we’re talking about. When I reunite with [sophomore] Sully Lower, we always pretend that it’s the biggest surprise of the century to see each other again, and while others may be annoyed by our obnoxious astonishment, I find immense joy in it.”
What is a song that reminds you of the Improv team?
“Many songs on my playlist now remind me of [senior] Katelynn Heilman due to our shared music taste when we carpool together. However, when anyone mentions a song and improv, I can’t help but think of [senior] Ella Hunnewell and her obsession with a song we listened to from an improv podcast on the way to Chicago. I don’t need to go into details, but basically, it’s an improvised song about a bunch of guys on a boat from the fraternity Sigma Phi.”
If you could only live in one place for the rest of your life, where would it be?
“Disney World is definitely one of my top favorite destinations and assuming all expenses are paid, it would practically be a dream come true to live there.”
What’s an improv game you enjoy
“While I love the classic Four Square improv game, I think my current favorite is Armando, which is more of a long-form game. One person initiates the game with a monologue, and then the team works together to develop scenes based on it. Armando is super fun because everyone on the team is involved, and I think it’s when the most teamwork comes into play to establish each of our scenes.”