The bustling sea of people all swarm among the Gaylord Hotel. What might appear for many as a time of heightened stress and stakes, a sense of calm preparedness was among the midst. Turn and look among the sea of people, and you’ll be sure to spot Improv Troupe 1053 – preparing to not only snag gold in the Improv State Championship – but also win glory for The Woodlands High School. Reigning champions in 2016, 2018, and 2021, they were ready to prove to other troupes exactly what The Woodlands was capable of: victory.
Every year, theatre troupes in Texas prepare to send their students to an event called Texas Thespians State Festival (TTSF). A sight for building knowledge and inspiring initiative among theatre lovers, state festival is known as a time of competitions and a ‘just do it’ attitude – something the students of improv live by.
Improv is a form of acting in which actors and actresses improvise moments on stage – usually in the form of fun and energetic games – with audience suggestions and heightened stakes.
At Texas Thespians, improv is no different. There they spend four days competing against other troupes and honing their skills, with their eyes set on making it all the way from prelims to finals, once there: to cinch the crown.
November 19, 2025.
Buses line the outside walkway of The Woodlands High School. The journey for the improv troupe wasn’t just beginning – their hard work and dedication had prepared them well before they ever set foot in the competition room.
During each practice, improv co-presidents Hadley White and Bella O’Brien would play games used at the festival. By utilizing the practice as a time to take notes, troupe members’ performance was assessed, allowing for the presidents to decide who would compete during State. In the end, a total of 8 members made the state troupe: freshmen, Quinn-Cara Sadlier, sophomores, Charley Kaye, Corrigan Sadlier, juniors, Otto Lopez, Vallen Tran, and seniors, Amelia Avedikian, Bella O’Brien, and Hadley White.
Suddenly, practice was underway, with most weeks consisting of rehearsal after rehearsal.
“We would rehearse during school advisory days, after school, an hour before rehearsal, any very small amount of time in between rehearsals and school, we would rehearse,” O’Brien stated.
The hours certainly paid off, as each improv game was selected at random, meaning the thespians had to be confident in all games and methods of improv.
“A normal day of TTSF, we’d get there kind of early in the morning and then we’d wait for a round, we’d do a round, and it’s highly stressful. In a round they have us choose a random number 1-20 and then they’d have us play a random game. That game could be any game and we’d have to play it ”Lopez explains.
This practice didn’t just help them learn important skills needed for the competition, it allowed for them to build a better bond as a team.
“My favorite part of improv is probably the community that comes with it, I’ve never had better friends,” stated Pontius.
The students brought this bond to the competition rooms, “For TTSF improv, when we got – I think it was for the semifinals or the finals- we just did our warmups, but then we huddled in this circle and just started talking about how much we loved and how hard we’ve worked to get this far and how proud we were. It was really sweet, and we did it at finals too and that one was really really sweet,” explained Quinn-Cara Sadlier.
The bond wasn’t the only thing they shared, all of them had the same mindset:
“Our goals were to just have fun and do good scenes as friends and stuff like that, and I think that helped us so much more instead of having the goal being to win,” Corrigan Sadlier explained.
Despite having fun constantly on stage, the troupe stays organized and professional, constantly displaying many qualities of leadership. Matthew Peters, Director of the troupe, had only kind words to say when asked to discuss his students’ hard work.
“A lot of times with rehearsals, there’s been times when I’m not there leading the rehearsal, I’m either out of the room taking a phone call, or whatever, but they’re the ones who are guiding and all of that, and I think that always helps. It gives them ownership and it puts the onus on them. If we’re going to get better, let’s get better as a group and together” Peters said.
These leadership qualities shone on and off the competition floor, with every member striving to constantly uplift and support everyone: “Improv is a team sport. We always talk about it as: your job is to make everyone else look good. I know, at least for me and for our troupe, that has reflected into practices and general life. Being able to work as a team and trusting the other people that they’ll do something that works for you and works well for everyone is really, really important,” Hadley White asserted.
Compared to other years, many improv members said it felt like a different troupe.
“Going into this year we had five seniors leave, so it felt like a completely new troop. The best way I could describe it is it felt like it was our own troupe compared to last year. It felt like we were our own and I felt like I could really do more with these people,” explained Corrigan Sadlier.
That ‘new troupe’ feeling has most certainly impacted the troupe for the better, as this year they were able to trust each other and rely on each other to get them to the finish line.
At the end of the day, it wasn’t just about the win for the students, it was the lessons taught: “The biggest thing I’ve ever learned in improv, I think ahead a lot, and improv has taught me to really be present all the time and kind of in the moment, to try not to think ahead because you have to deal with what’s going on right now and not the future because that comes later,” O’Brien shared.
(Kaydence Taylor)
Now, they are happy to celebrate the victory, and continue to use their platform to give back to others. Having raised a grand total of $247,470 in the last 12 years, funds from every improv show goes to supporting different charities and those in need.
As the troupe changes faces from year to year, one thing stays the same: they are all individuals working for the good of the troupe.
When asked if she had any advice for those hoping to pursue improv, White shared an important message:
“Every interaction you have throughout the day is improvised, you just don’t really realize it. Anytime you have a conversation with your friend and you make a joke and everyone laughs, you’re doing improv. You’re making it up as you go. Just because you’re doing it on a stage in front of people – you are still making something up. It’s just about having the confidence to step out.”
If you are interested in joining improv and being a part of the team feel free to check out some of the books down below, and make sure to look out for upcoming improv shows!
How to be the Greatest Improviser on Earth
