Guerilla Improv: Five Questions with Chad Pytel

Guerilla Improv, WPI's improv troupe, celebrated its one-year anniversary at Thursday's performance of the Masque show. Their next performance will be on February 23rd at 7pm for the Winter Carnival. Their Generalissimo, Chad Pytel, graciously offered to momentarily step from the forefront of comedic battle to answer these five questions.

1. How did Guerilla Improv get started?

   Well, I'd done improv before I came to WPI, and when I got here, I wanted to get something started. So I held auditions, people showed up, and I picked a group. We practiced all throughout B-term of last year and gave our first performance at the C-term Masque show last year.

2. Why "Guerilla Improv"?

   I wanted to have the group as a whole decide on the name, but most of the suggestions weren't liked by everybody. We were called everything from "Geeks on Ice" to "Legal in 48 States." Then one day, someone said "Guerilla Improv," and everyone liked it right away so I stopped all discussion at that point.

3. What's the best part of being WPI'S improv troupe?

   The best part is definitely the home crowd. During an improv show, the audience can be the most important factor. The audience at WPI is really supportive of what we do on stage.

4. I noticed during your show that you use some of the same games "Whose Line is it, Anyway?" So which is better-the British version or the American version?

   Definitely the British version. It's funnier and doesn't have Drew Carey. But as for the games, we do use some common games that other improv troupes use, but most of the games that we do are not done on "Whose Line."

5. Finally, why should people go see you guys perform?

   Because the shows are usually free, and even if you don't like us, you still get to see us make fools out of ourselves. It's always a fun time and we have fun doing it.