The Canadian Improv Games (CIG) is a loving competition between teams of high school students traianed to perform spontaneous, improvised scenes. Over a thousand students in hundreds of high schools across Canada play in the Improv Games every year. In 2007, the CIG will celebrate its 30th anniversary. CIG has Regional tournaments across Canada, from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island, including our own in Kingston, which is in its 11th year this 2006/07 season.
Although it has a competitive structure, the CIG focuses on fun and skill-building rather than winning. The oath taken by all players and participants before every performance says it all:
Improvisation, which is essentially making up theatre on the spot from audience suggestions, is all about acceptance, teamwork, energy, and taking risks. Through practice and experience, improv helps students to build confidence, respect, knowledge, and observational skills.
The Kingston Regional Tournament follows Canadian Improv Games format: each competing team of up to 8 high school students plays four scenes, choosing three of four events (Character, Story, Theme, Style) as well as the Life event, which is mandatory. Each scene is a maximum of four minutes long. Teams take suggestions from audience members and use those suggestions to drive their scenes. It's always different and always exciting!
For more information, or to find out how you can become a part of our dynamic improv scene, you can: