Caption: Poly’s Comedy Sportz Team at Gamecon: Hayden McIntosh (11), Violet Dawson (10) Charlie Kacz (10), Vaughn Phillips (12), Caleb Phillips (11), Nicholas Flores (11) Micheal Calderon (9), Alondra Plascencia (11), Jaren Cochran (12) , Geki Smith (11).
Written By: Mylo Ortega, Staff Writer
SURPRISE: Improv is not so bad after all, and hundreds gather to disprove it.
When most walk into a space expecting entertainment, improv is often the last thing they want to see or hear. However, around every month in the Poly Bear Den, players of Poly’s very own Comedy Sportz team get together and use audience suggestions to create a competitive, compelling game show. Through various nights of hilarious, ridiculous puns and scenes, laughs often fill the Bear Den.
Yet, one thing remains constant: the amount of laughter in the audience. Despite being beloved by people who peek in to watch snippets of after-school practices, ComedySportz does not attract the biggest crowds, particularly when compared to other events. However, this only lasts until those two extraordinary days of the school year commence… the days of Gamecon.
Even to hosting professionals such as Michael Santell and Michael Sielaff, gamecon is an event that works to invite every ComedySportz High School League team willing to showcase their improv skills at San Marino High School. Gamescom brings ComedySportz members together to teach them skills to referee their own home matches and new games that they can take home to further entertain their audience.
This event has created a space allowing all types of people to come together and be themselves. ComedySportz, as an improv organization, prides itself on being geared toward everyone. Consequently, such openness makes the shows more welcoming for everyone, rather than making shows sugar-coated and unfunny. That is not to say that shows won’t ever bring up risque topics, but the goal of ComedySportz is to create a hilarious space of laughter and make the best of unfunny or awkward moments.
ComedySportz player, coach, and actor Michael Sielaff, conveying what ComedySportz means to him, emphasizes that “the first thing that I think about is fun.” According to Sielaff, ComedySportz is “such a high-energy show that’s always on the same page of wanting people to look good; it means a lot to me.” He reflects on his past experiences: Comedy Sportz “was one of the first improv shows that I saw live,” Sielaff accentuates; “It means freedom to play; it also means I get to hang out with my friends.” ComedySportz helped Sielaff “build relationships with people on the team,” with the games also assisting him “at commercial auditions” and letting him express himself in the process. “So I know ComedySportz means a lot to me depending on what stage of life I’m in,” Sielaff mentions, “but the first thing I think about is that I get to have a high-energy, positive, fun experience for myself and the audience. Whether I’m in the audience or I’m on stage, I love the relationship between the audience and the performance.”
To those who are up for a light-hearted evening of laughs, come witness what ComedySportz holds after Gamecon! Poly has an event on Mar 17, 2023 for the game of a lifetime – the match for the golden sippy award. The game will be held against King High School for our annual back-to-back match in our very own Bear Den. Don’t miss it!