Improv is short for improvisation. Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation.
Improvisation (Improv) is one of the most useful tools an actor can have. It is often used in comedy and is unplanned, unscripted theatre created by the performers on the spot.
The drama students from grade 8 till grade 12 at BD Somani took part in an Improv Battle moderated by the grade 10 theatre students Naisha Sawhney and Satej Salgarkar along with Grade 12 drama students Kabir Oberoi, Ananya Jogani, and Kalash Morakhia.
The battle had three rounds. The first round, “Why are you late?”, had four people from each team perform. There were two people who mimed the reason why someone was late. The person who was late had to guess this and convey it to their boss. Of all the teams that performed, the best four went on to the second round, “Questions”. In this round, members from opposing teams were given a scenario and could only talk to each other in question. This was a knockout round, where the two losing teams were eliminated. Finally, we come to the third round. This round was called “quadrilaterals”, where the stage was divided into 4 parts. Each part had a different character on it and one member of the team would stand in each square. At a clap, the members would switch from their square to another and take the role of the character in that square. The two teams that made it to the finals had two different prompts. The eighth grade team had four characters at a restaurant, while the eleventh-grade team had four people in a family. After a hard battle, the team “Winners”, of Grade 11 theatre students, Hriman Batra, Anika Mahansaria, Diya Tiwari, and Kavya Mehta came out victorious. The winners and students securing 2nd place were given certificates. As a part of a well-thought-out prize, the students securing 1st place will be taken to watch a play which the students seemed very excited about.
This was the first ever Improv battle hosted at B.D Somani where students were positively challenged to do some quick thinking and act/react spontaneously. Events and competitions like these accelerate skill development and encourage students to step out of their comfort zone and try new things, differently.
Most Miracles happen Spontaneously, Let’s plan to be Spontaneous today!
