Acting on Impulse

Wouldn’t it be great to live in a world where you say the first thing that comes to your mind without having any consequences?

Anyone who attend an Improv-a-Sutra show at the High Street Arts Center is invited to enter such a world.

Improv-a-Sutra is an improvisation group based at Moorpark Community College.

Select students who have taken an improv class with theater chair and director John Loprieno are invited to join the group, said Natasha Kanury, Improv-a-Sutra member.

Member Jeffrey Rivetti explained that improv differs from regular acting in the sense that the actor has less limitations.

“Regular acting is being one character for one project and having to memorize lines. With Improv, [actors] can have any numbers of characters in one show and they have no lines to memorize, they just react to each moment in the games,” he said.

There are different styles of improv regarding the length and format.

The group's performances at the High Street theater consist mostly of short-form improv, where Improv-a-Sutra members will play improv games, skits, videos and get audience participation.

Short-form improv is similar to what you see on the television program Whose Line is it Anyway, where the scene does not usually last more than three minutes, Kanury said.

Long-form improv generally deals with one topic and a single scene can last up to 25 minutes.

Improv-a-Sutra performs short-form improv once a month. Generally the shows take place the first Sunday of the month but can vary from time to time depending on the theater schedule.

Despite performing some of the same games each month, the scenes are never the same because the members always get a different topic from the audience Kanury said.

In addition, members of the group are currently implementing new and different games.

In order to practice for such a show, the members of the group meet to run over the games and make sure everyone is on the same page with the rules, Kanury said.

Rehersals for performances not only ensure that all members are aware of the game rules but also provide a time for members to bond.

“Improv-a-Sutra is not only an Improv group, we are a close-knit family who is looking to have fun and looking for people to laugh and have fun along with us,” Rivetti, said.

In addition to the good times that the group brings to its’ audience and members, the ability to successfully perform improv can have numerous benefits.

“Improv has many benefits in that it helps with job interviews and the ability to think on the spot, it keeps your mind working and helps with social skills,” said Kanury.

For those interested in joining the group, Kanury recommends first taking an improv class, as it is in the class setting where one first learns the fundamentals of improv and is exposed to games and skits that the group uses.

The next performance is tonight at 7 p.m. and will be approximately 90 minutes with an intermission break. Tickets cost $5.

If you cannot make this Sunday’s performance, there are multiple other opportunities, as Improv-a-Sutra is booked at the High Street Arts Center until December.