VHS What? Improve Troupe presents its fall show

At 7 p.m. on Nov. 14 and 15, the VHS drama department held a second production for the 2025-26 school year, the VHS What? Improv Fall Show in the little theatre under the direction of drama teacher Arden Smith. The expected running time for the show was 75 minutes and consisted of  two acts with a 10-minute intermission in between. Ticket prices were $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for students.

Arden Smith said, “I know I’m biased but my troupe this year is absolutely hilarious and I think they are going to knock it out of the park for sure.”

The show consisted of 15 games. The games included Park Bench, 3-peat, Soap Opera, Therapy Session, Objection, Entrances and Exits, Pocket Lines, Revolving Monologue, Build Up Build Down, Glitch, Town Hall, Superheroes, Film Critic, Scripts and If You Know What I Mean. Performers would be given a prompt from Smith who was at the back of the little theatre. All prompts were created by the drama and stagecraft classes. They would work around these prompts throughout each game. Every game in both shows is performed with different prompts and the troupe acts without rehearsed lines.

Harvey Raible ‘28 said, “This is my first year [in the troupe]…I definitely feel like I’m opening up more on stage.”

Auditions to be part of the improv troupe were held on Sep. 12 and results were released the same day. 18 students were selected and had their first meeting Sep. 16 to vote for captains and rehearse. The captains were Theodora Todd-Maldonado ‘26 and Jagger Smith ‘26. The troupe meets once or twice a month during lunch to rehearse their games in the drama room. During the week of a show, the troupe meets every day.

Arden Smith said, “Improv is interesting because there’s no real way to rehearse it other than just playing games.”

This year, the troupe members were given baseball jerseys. Last year, Agoura High School went to the Conjejo Comedy Festival with the VHS improv troupe. Students from AHS wore jerseys which inspired Smith to use baseball jerseys this year. 

Also this year, Smith has partnered with a producer for the improv troupe who has helped the troupe get two professional shows. Their first professional show was held in Oct. in Simi Valley. Their next professional show is on Dec. 13 at Seaward Brewing.