Theatre Students to Improvise for Freshman Showcase

Group of students posing in front of black curtain. Two men laying on the ground in front of the group

Join the Department of Theatre’s freshmen class as they take audience suggestions to improvise a new show every time in this year’s Freshman Showcase, which runs Thursday, November 29, to Sunday, December 2, at the MSU Auditorium’s Studio 60 Theatre. 

For each performance, the characters, setting, dialogue, music, and lyrics all will be made up on the spot. The performers will improvise short-form scenes, songs, and games in the style of the hit TV show, Whose Line Is It Anyway? However, the improvisers won’t be competing against each other for points, they will be working together as an ensemble to make their audiences laugh. 

The full cast of 29 performers have been divided into smaller groups performing different shows so everyone gets ample stage time. No group performs together more than once, and every show will be completely different from the rest. Essentially, every performance is the opening and closing night (or afternoon) of that show.

Show times are:

  • Thursday, November 29, at 7:30 p.m.
  • Friday, November 30, at 8 p.m.
  • Saturday, December 1, at 2 and 8 p.m.
  • Sunday, December 2, at 2 p.m.

A post-show discussion will be held following the November 29 performance, with a pre-show discussion to be held on at 1:15 p.m. before the December 2 show.

Tickets are available through the Warton Center for Performing Arts website.