Vincent Massey's "No Joke" improv team wins silver at national improv competition

Congratulations to Vincent Massey’s “No Joke” improv team for their fantastic achievement at the Canadian Improve Games.

In Early April,  the “No Joke” team of nine Massey students earned the opportunity to compete at the National Tournament of the Canadian Improv Games in Ottawa on the National Arts Centre stage, and after competing against the top 20 teams from across the nation they came back with an impressive silver medal.

Massey is thrilled with their Silver Medal win. They had been invited to compete in the Distance Tournament in early December when the Canadian Improv Games deemed there was “not enough representation” from Manitoba. 

Having won Gold in 2015, ICVMC teacher Margo Wilson Kehler knew what it would take to win a national title again. She had a group of stellar students and so she agreed to coach, knowing it would be a steep learning curve for these students to learn the distinct improv format of the CIGs (improv students at Massey learn a myriad of improv styles from the games on Whose Line is it Anyway, to long form, musical, Spolin Games, etc.)

Massey improv has taken students to study at Second City (Toronto and Hollywood) Improv Olympics in Chicago, Groundlings in LA, and their teacher has also studied with many of the legendary improv teachers including Del Close, Keith Johnstone and Paul Sills. 

The Massey students -accomplished in their improv skills- still needed to learn the format. 

They had six weeks to prepare. And then suddenly, Margo Kehler had to take a bereavement leave upon the death of her father. She reached out to Improv Alumni and was thrilled the Chadd Henderson from the esteemed Improv Troupe OUTSIDE JOKE and grad Malakai Barbour agreed to coach in the interim. 

When she returned, the three coaches watched these students grow in leaps and bounds at each practice. 

When she returned, the three coaches watched these students grow in leaps and bounds at each practice. 

When Massey won silver, they had rehearsed 14 times -including rehearsals while in Ottawa. The Gold medal team was from a performing arts school who had been rehearsing three times a week since last September. 

Massey was thrilled with their second in the nation placement. Mrs. Kehler is beyond proud of these students. We are so thankful to the Pembina Trails School Division Senior Admin and ICVMC Admin for their support in allowing the team to travel and compete. They availed ourselves of the opportunity and went to the National Art Gallery, and toured Parliament! 

Big-time congratulations to Owen J., Tori T., Eli K., Emerson H., Jamie S., Athena V., Melody P-M, Olivia W.  and Hayden P.