Get ready to rumble! Wilton High School’s Little Theater Club will once again be staging Freeplay, A Night of Improv Comedy presents ComedySportz.
With the start of the new year, Freeplay! will present a new style of improv to audiences, transitioning from its stylistic roots in Second-City to the more immersive format of ComedySportz. Freeplay! coaches, ComedySportz New York co-owner Glenn Packman, and Comedy Sportz Chicago alumnus Heather DeLude have worked diligently to bring a ‘new wave’ of Improv to Freeplay!
As described by ComedySportz themselves, “ComedySportz is comedy played as a sport, not comedy about sports,” in which improvisers will interact with audiences as anything ranging from on-stage ‘competitors’ to referees, scorekeepers, vendors, and even sound-effects — all done with the flair and wit that audiences have grown to love from Freeplay!
“Freeplay! has become better than ever,” junior cast-member Finn Ryder said, describing the shift to ComedySportz as “interactive, engaging, and holding the potential for some of Wilton’s most entertaining improv yet!”
Senior students Thomas Fletcher and Illeas Paschalidis agree. “We’re fully in agreement with Finn’s description and are eager to be captains in the upcoming shows.”
From the newcomers in the Rookie Cast to long-standing members with over four years of experience under their belt, audiences can expect six great, action-packed matches. This year’s cast includes Nicole Allers, Emmy Baer, Sarah Bennett, Rohit Bharadwaj, Grace Biondo, Christopher Coffman, Norah Corrigan, Harper Crawford, Oliver Davies, Haldan Dickinson, Shae Farago, Thomas Fletcher, Thomas Fox, Sofie Gibboney, Zach Helgesen, Cassie Kennedy, Sayuki Layne, Hannah McCall, Ellie Meyer, Kara Mobyed, Melissa Ongley, Sophia Partola, Illeas Paschalidis, Maria Paschalidis, Maddy Passaro, Alexander Piazza, McKenna Rooney, Finn Ryder, Adam Savvaides, Nikisha Shivram, Nick Somma, Robin Somma, Grant Stein Noah van den Heuvel and Hayden Zapotosky; and stage managers Ryan Cohen, Will DeBernardis, Liam Gallary and Isabella Kaoud.
Fletcher, Corrigan, Paschalidis, Layne, Baer, and Fox are Rookie Coaches and have all adopted the ComedySportz format to help teach Freeplay’s newest generation.
Performances will be held on Friday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 20 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance on the Wilton High School Theatre online. Tickets are $10 for students and seniors and $15 for adults. For group information or questions call 203.762.0381, ext. 6205.