High School Improv League is Ready to GO! ...and This Might Be the Biggest Year Ever!

Its pretty exciting. 

At this point, everyone has been back in school for a little while. Teachers are getting settled in, kids are getting in the groove... and that means its time for High School Improv League!

National Comedy Theatre's High School Improv League has been going strong and growing every year since 2008. Here we are coming up on our 7th HSIL Season in 2015-16 and its shaping up to be the biggest year yet. 

Schools that participate in the Leauge get a dedicated coach who comes out to class 5 times throughout the school year for 2 hours of customized, professional improv training.... our coaches are ready to go! I know I am excited for my first class out at Gilbert High next week!

As the year goes on our League teams will participate in shows with their fellow League schools, presenting Competitive Comedy Shows together. These shows are super fun and spirited. We will be sure to keep you up to date on when they are happening at our schools around the Valley.  The League Team shows are probably my favorite part of the HSIL program, because each one is a mini-fundraiser for the school! 

Want to know more about how the League works or how you can get your school involved? Shoot us a line and we will send you our information packet! 

Email me here: workshops@nctphoenix.com or call me here: 602-374-5638

Sincerely, Krissy Lenz
National Comedy Theatre High School Improv League Administrator

High School Improv League Champs Perry Perrywinkles vs. NCT Pros!

The Perry High School Perrywinkles, National Comedy Theatre's High School Improv League Champs 2 years running, came to play against our own NCT Pros! It is one of our favorite events on the year, every year! Check out some snapshots of the adventure in improv!

The teams take the stage! Here come the Perrywinkles!

an EPIC round of What You Got!?!

Potpourri Replay CRUSHES! 

Crime Story FTW!

The Perrywinkles play 5 Things

Captains Heath & Ally have to make some serious comedy show choices...

Cool Hand Luke

...more Cool Hand Luke

Our last chance DING! Round!

Whose going to win....

The suspense is killing us!

...that freaky mannequin thing is Cletus, the Perrywinkles mascott... yikes.

Big thanks to everyone who played and came out to a fantastic show! Check it out next year, when we will have a new Tournament Champion team!

The High School League Tournament 2014 in Pictures

Every year the High School Improv League Tournament is a highly anticipated event. This year was no exception, with 8 schools coming from all across the Valley bringing their teams of High School Improvizeers to show off what they have learned this year for a team of professional improv judges.

 For some of the kids participating this was their first year at Tourney. For some, who spent their whole high school career participating in the National Comedy Theatre's High School Improv League, this would be the last Tourney to compete in.... an exciting and happy day.

Perry, Basha, Campo Verde, Horizon, Centennial, Willow Canyon, Agua Fria and Liberty High Schools all attended and participated.

And action packed, as always. Here we see Centennial High School's Plan B Improv Team in action.

This team, "And... Scene!" from Willow Canyon participated for the first year in 2014!

The big award for the day went to the Perry High School Perrywinkles as High School Improv League Champions. The judges felt their improv skills were sharp and strong, and their heart, teamwork and showmanship won everyone over and they took home the Championship trophy, signed the wall of fame and then performed with our Main Stage team on Friday May 16th. Congratulations, Perrywinkles!

 We started some new traditions this year. After all, the High School Improv League and the Tournament are always growing, changing and becoming awesomer.
This year we had a team of High School League Alums perform and keep everyone entertained during our intermission, while the judges deliberated and added up scores. Mike Warner is a National Comedy Theatre Main Stage professional improviser and graduate of Horizon High School and their 56th St Comedy Team. Alex Mattingly, a Thursday Night Troupe performer at NCT, Ryan Usher and Caleb Colson are all graduates of the High School Improv League from Horizon's 56th St Comedy Club. 

 Another new tradition this year, the beloved Franken Trophy (awarded to the runner up team) would not be built by the League coaches & administrators, but rather by the team that one it last year, thereby passing the torch with positivity and enthusiasm. The Perrywinkles were last year's FrankenTrophy runners up, and they did not dissapoint with this amazinly huge FrankenTrophy. It was taken home this year by close runners up, Horizon High Schools 56th St Comedy Club!

 Here are the Champs from Perry High, the runners up from Horizon High, their teachers Shawna Marquis and Elizabeth Orr. Oh, and me! Krissy Lenz, Coach to both teams.

 Here we see Juliet signing the wall of fame in the NCT Green Room.

It was an exciting and positive year. We cant wait to add more schools, more teams, more new students, more coaches and more judges to next years High School Improv League and Tournament!

If you would like to learn more about National Comedy Theatre's High School Improv League go ahead and contact Head Coach and League Administrator Krissy Lenz: 602-374-5638 krissy@nctphoenix.com