The annual ComedySportz (CSZ) seniors vs. alumni match was held in a sold-out small theater on June 2nd. Eight seniors and six alumni played various CSZ games against one another, with the seniors winning by six points.
Two of the CSZ alumni players, Abby Brown and Akash Mishra, sat down with La Vista to talk about life since graduation. Brown and Mishra were in CSZ when they went to Costa and have attended a few recent CSZ practices with the current team to prepare for the match.
“I’m really excited to play, especially with people I haven’t seen all year,” said Mishra.
Mishra joined ComedySportz for his senior year.
Unlike most other CSZ players, he didn’t participate in drama classes or Drama/Tech productions. After focusing mainly on academics in his time at Costa, he is now majoring in political science and public policy at Duke.
“What I’m studying may not be directly related to improv, but things like being spontaneous, performing in front of a large group, and being adaptable are all things I learned from CSZ, and that I can use in the future.”
Mishra intends to be a criminal justice lawyer one day. He has always been passionate about the well-being of people, and making sure they are properly taken care of. This sparked his interest in criminal justice.
“I’ve been interested in this field since high school, and my majors lay a strong foundation for law school after I finish with undergrad,” Mishra explained.
Brown, who was the 2023-2024 Drama/Tech Club President, started her improv journey on zoom. Her freshman year at Costa was during the COVID 19 pandemic, so practices and matches were done via webinar. Brown recounts her first time doing a match in-person during her sophomore year.
“Stepping on stage in front of a sold out house reminded me how much I loved performing,” she said. “Since then, I’ve always appreciated when we get a big audience for our matches.”
Brown currently attends University of Missouri, double majoring in finance and economics. Studying these things requires inquisitive thinkers who can speak and work concisely, which are skills she practiced not just in improv, but especially in game-based CSZ.
“I’ve always liked the idea of working in real estate,” Brown said. “I’ll always be grateful for the lessons learned on CSZ, because they taught me to react quickly and stay on my feet, even when things don’t go my way.”
Brown has also used her comedic talents in drama-related activities within her sorority, Pi Beta Phi.
“In the fall, I’ll be the liaison for my sorority’s skit that we put on every year for homecoming.” Brown said.
Even though these alumni didn’t win the match, they had a great time reconnecting with old friends and going back to their roots.
“It was nice to feel so celebrated when we came home,” said Brown.
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