by Maddie McLaughlin
Ever since I can remember, I’ve loved making people laugh or react to whatever I’m doing. My parents are both actors; I’ve grown up around the stage. As a child, I toured with my mother’s political street theatre company, Bond Street Theatre. I would start the shows for them on the streets of Europe at three-years- old to a crowd of strangers and just put on a little show with my toys or stuffed animals.
I’ve adored performing my entire life. I auditioned for plays in Morrisville when I moved here from Brooklyn, New York. Throughout middle school, I was in all the play productions. In high school, I was in the musicals and sketch comedy shows; I’ve been the Tin Man, the Queen of Hearts, and the guy with a mustache.
When Morrisville offered me the Dual Enrollment program at Bucks County Community College, I pounced. My father, Bill McLaughlin, teaches Improvisational Comedy. I knew as soon as I was eligible to take classes at Bucks, I wanted to take my father’s class.
My father has been doing Improvisational Comedy (improv) for almost 40 years. I’ve grown up watching my father improvise, as well as watching all of his student shows. When the day finally came that I was in his class, and I would finally be up on the stage like one of his infinitely cool, college students, I was thrilled.
When my father’s students started an improv club at Bucks, I joined immediately. Then, the president of the improv club, Kyle Reichart, decided to create a special show called Buckslive; it would consist of original skits, music and video, as well as improv. I auditioned for Buckslive and became the youngest member.
I had to buck up quick (pun intended). I was performing with college students. It was quite intimidating because I was performing with college students, not to mention some of my father’s former students that I had watched perform since I was 12. A few weeks later, I performed with my classmates in our show, Occupy Improv. I am now enrolled in the Improv II class at Bucks, and I am still a member of the improv club.
The study of improv has strengthened my ability to do high school class presentations, especially in English class. When I was required to perform a soliloquy from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, improv gave me the skills to go beyond just memorizing the lines, and to act out the scene.
It was extraordinary for Morrisville to give me the chance to take Dual Enrollment classes. I now want to bring what I have learned from the class and Buckslive to our student/teacher show at Morrisville: Friday Night Live. I want to give my fellow pupils a chance to try a diverse type of performance.
Friday Night Live is completely original pieces, so not only do I want to write my own sketches for the show, I want to bring improv into the show, as well. Not only is improv challenging and unique, but it also enables a performer to be able to take on any obstacle that presents itself during the course of a show.
Although this is my last semester at Morrisville, I would like to bring improv to my school. Perhaps this study of theatre will continue for years to come. I can only hope that my passion for performing can be passed on to future generations of Morrisville students. I will carry my love of performing from the crowded streets of Europe to wherever my life takes me.
