From October 23 to October 25th, youth improv troupe “Creatures of Impulse” performed a series of shows at the Firehouse Arts Center.  This production, themed “Mafia-esque” transformed the iconic game “Mafia” into an interactive, improvised game for the main stage.

“I just love the creativity and the courage that the kids have just to stand up on stage and then make up all of the dialogue. It’s a very special skill to have,” said show-attendee Allison Leung.

Lies and Laughter

Each show lasted an hour and a half, with a show new show on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.. Like many improv shows, the storyline is determined by the audience. Because of this, each show were unique.

“We had a bunch of suggestions in the beginning where audiences could contribute and give us ideas to start the show,” said Creatures of Impulse cast-member, Hayoon Jung (‘28).

The troupe based the show on the popular party game, Mafia. In the game, a “mafia member” attempts to eliminate players while the “doctor” must guess who the next victims will be to save them. Similarily, the improv troupe used these roles with the audience, allowing the audience to decide which cast-member was secretly a mafia-member.

“It’s mostly inspired by the circle game, because we played that a lot and also used it for middle school night out,” said Creatures of Impulse member Allie Schumacher (‘28).

Unlike traditional theatre, Creatures of Impulse invites the audience to participate. In fact, attendees served as the show’s stand-in detective, attempting to identify the secret mafia. 

“There’s not a detective, which is one of the key roles in mafia. Instead, the audience just votes at half and at the end who they think it is,” said Schumacher.

Perfecting the Poker Face

Although Creatures of Impulse is an improv troupe, they still must practice and prepare for every show. Rehearsals began about a month in advance, allocating enough time for team-bonding and creative thinking.  

“We have had six rehearsals for this show. We practice techniques over time and rehearse general improv, but also things specific to the show,” said Schumacher. 

Because of the nature of rehearsals, audiences learn how to grow their imagination and let down their guard. These rehearsals not only connect troupe members, but also audience members. For instance, during intermission, the audience was encouraged to discuss their hypothesis on who the secret “mafia member” could be, encouraging participation and community interaction. 

“There’s not a lot of preparation; over many years, you just have to how to do improv. My favorite part is honestly just hanging out with the people, because it’s such a fun community,” said Schumacher.