One of the most unique extracurriculars at Oak Park High School is Comedy Sportz, an intense, head-to-head comedy improv competition between two teams of four. The team held tryouts on Sept. 25 in room R-16 to recruit the team’s newest comedians. 27 students showed up to the event across different grades.

At the event, returning team members cheered on the new students as they tried out for positions. The event was a success, lasting a total of 1 and a half hours. Throughout the try outs, the manager, senior and assistant manager Livi Gaeta, junior Skylar Gray and other returning players judged the participants based off of their performance in improv games.

When it comes to training for the try outs, the players highly suggested attending workshops. These sessions occurred on Sept. 10, 11, and 12.

“We highly recommend it because all of the games we play at workshops will be the games that we then play during tryouts,” Senior Livi Gaeta said. “So you kind of get to learn how to play [improv games].”

After tryouts and callbacks concluded, 10 participants made the team. The “newbies” and returners to the program have both the assistant manager and manager optimistic about the upcoming season.

“Tryouts actually went way better than I expected,” junior Skylar Gray said. “Everyone has their own unique skillsets that are really amazing and I’m excited to see how the season goes.”

The entire team has high hopes for the continuation of Comedy Sportz as well.

“Honestly every single year my expectations are just blown away. Everybody is so good and each year  [Comedy Sportz] always just gets better. So I’m just excited to see what this year holds,” Gaeta said.