Shenanigans workshop encourages improvisers from all over campus to audition
“One part about being well-founded in Christian faith is the expression of joy and, too many times, especially on a college campus, a lot of people are weighed down with the weight of academics or other obligations,” the team’s coach Joshua Alexander said about the need for Shenanigans on campus.
Courtesy of Ashley Smith
Sometimes you just have to wing it.
That's what improv hopefuls from all over campus gathered to do last week during a two-hour workshop with campus improv group Shenanigans. While working alongside current Shenanigans team members, participants received numerous acting tips and were given detailed lessons in the art of improvisation.
Freshman theatre major Macy Brown attended both the fall and spring workshops and said she learned something new each time.
“It was fun as always, but [during] this one we got to do new material. In my group, we delved into characters, which I've never really done before, so I was really excited about that,” Brown said. “I learned to really listen to my partner and not to go in with notions of what you're going to do because it usually all changes.”
Sophomore theatre major and Shenanigans chaplain Rachel Liske said the workshop served as a precursor to the auditions that were held the same week.
“Audition. Audition. Audition. Seriously, audition,” Liske said. “It has been one of the best experiences that I've ever had, and although while coming to shows you get to see how much fun it is, you should definitely audition to see if you can be a part of the team and experience that from an onstage perspective.”
Junior pastoral ministries major and Shenanigans team coach Joshua Alexander is more than eager to welcome new members who wish to explore the world of the Shenanigan team members.
“We look for somebody who is a team player, passionate and who really just wants to work well with other people,” said Alexander. “One of the big things about improv is having to say yes and, so being able to agree and being able to push a scene forward and push the other people in your scene forward is what we are looking for.”
The workshop and audition mark a significant milestone for Shenanigans, according to Alexander.
“We're actually celebrating our ten-year anniversary,” Alexander said. “It was founded by Nicolas Cupp who got together with the band and formulated a love for improv and found a way to build community through that.”
But the impact of Shenanigans, for Alexander, doesn't solely lie in the amount of time the team has been around.
“I believe Shenanigans is important on a campus like Lee University because one part about being well-founded in Christian faith is the expression of joy and, too many times, especially on a college campus, a lot of people are weighed down with the weight of academics or other obligations,” Alexander said.
To keep the team's momentum going past the ten-year mark and into this semester, Alexander said the Shenanigans cast hopes to host several more events this semester.
“We usually do an open-mic stand-up night later in the semester that people could attend, and, of course, we will always do our big end-of-the-year show in the Dixon building,” Alexander said. “We're also planning a few surprises, maybe in the coming months—which would be something very different from what Shenanigans has done before.”
To stay updated on all “Shenaninews,” please visit the Shenanigans Instagram at @leeshenanigans or visit the Shenanigans Facebook page at Shenanifans.
