Comedy Sportz Is A Winner in High Schools

By Lauren Alejo

It's a Thursday night and the parking lot is packed at Trabuco Hills High.

Crowds of students and adults stream out of their cars and hurry past one another to get the best seats in the house for the night’s competition. The crowd buzzes with excitement in the stands. Top 40s music playing in the background mixes with excited chatter of teens wearing their school colors in sweatshirts, letterman jackets and ponytail ribbons.

The referee makes his way to the center of the arena and blows his whistle to signal the start of the game.

There's not a ball in sight.

“Welcome," he says, "to Comedy Sportz!”

Comedy Sportz is a popular improv comedy show played like sport. Like traditional sports, it has an anthem, a referee and a set of rules. Two teams compete against one another in a variety of improv games and gain points based on the response from the audience.

This nationally performed show is modeled after famous improv comedy shows such as "Whose Line is it Anyway?" and "Saturday Night Live."

The Trabuco Hills High School team is a part of the Los Angeles County chapter, the largest in the nation. It currently has more than 70 schools participating.

On the opposing side of the stage is Capistrano Valley High.

Todd Sautner, a drama and English teacher created the program at Trabuco Hills 13 years ago after hearing about it theater festival. As a former actor and longtime fan of comedy, Sautner thought it would be a great addition to the school’s theater program. Since then, the show has boomed in popularity in ticket sales as well as competition for spots on the team. This past year about 50 students tried out for the team; among the 50, only 13 were awarded spots.

At Trabuco Hills, the program is run through Sautner's advanced Study of Film class. The students who comprise the Mustangs' funny roster are seniors Colette Sobczak, Alyza Rathor, Bryce Paul, Alex Potter, Rupali Wason, Jimmy White; juniors Miles Todd, Kristen Diederich, Jordan Cipolla, Alexis Drakodaidis,
Maya Bollinger; and sophomores Megan Mondt and Sophie Jacobson.

Sobczak and Rathor are the team captains.

The last face off of the year—a stand-up standoff?—takes place Friday when Trabuco plays at Aliso Viejo.

What is the appeal for these young students? Sophomore Jacobson said that “my favorite part of the show is getting feedback from the audience.”  

Diedrich agreed.

"It’s great to feed off of the crowd," she said.

Throughout the game the audience is able to suggest improv games, topics and ultimately decide the winner of the competition.

Unlike traditional sports, the main goal is really not winning or losing but rather for both teams to interact with the audience to put on a good show.

Judging from the packed house that Trabuco Hills performs for each month, it has been successful in this endeavor. Students supporting their respective schools, parents, members of the community—or simply anyone looking for a good laugh from a talented young group of students—make up the enthusiastic crowd of supporters. 

Thursday’s show ends with laughter and applause with the Trabuco Hills High School team taking the victory. As the crowd slowly leaves the theater, the National Anthem for this loony comedy show plays once again:

“Take me out to see improv,
take me to C-S-Z.
Buy me some peanuts and soda pop,
I don’t care if I laugh till I drop
And I’ll yell out all my suggestions,
I hope I’ll never get bagged.
And it’s HA HA HA-HA-HA-HA
As we laugh till we gag!”