CRACKING UP; STUDENT COMEDIANS HONE SKILLS FOR COMPETITION.

Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Daily News Staff Writer

Generally when high school students crack wise during class time, their teachers send them to the principal's office or to detention until they can learn to behave properly.

But during a recent session in John Kilpatrick's drama class, members of the Agoura High School ComedySportz team had their fellow students in stitches as they improvised their way through the period.

The jokes came fast and furious, and sight gags and puns ruled the day as they prepared for an upcoming meet.

``Improv forces them to think on their feet quickly,'' Kilpatrick said. ``But it's also a way to get into the character's feelings, because they're working spontaneously, rather than always from a text.''

The school's varsity team is one of 37 squads in the ComedySportz Los Angeles high school league - Oak Park High School and Royal High School in Simi Valley are two others. The sport is an extracurricular activity, and students get in practice time during drama class and after school.

To get an idea of what a ComedySportz game is like, think of television's ``Whose Line is It Anyway?'' - an improv show on prime time.

The matches are run like any other sporting event: two teams, a referee wearing stripes, the singing of the national anthem, and the calling of fouls and penalties. Audience members participate by making suggestions for skits and choosing the winner of each round.

There are about 25 different games teams can play, most involving the entire team but some have players going head to head.

There's ``Countdown,'' in which a team creates a scene in a minute and a half, then does it over and over in half the time until it is trying to perform the entire skit in only a few seconds.

There's also ``185,'' in which performers make up punch lines for a joke using the best - or worst - pun they can think of.

Students said while there are some tried-and-true bits that are guaranteed to earn points and laughs from the audience, everything they do must be spontaneous if it's going to be effective.

``Sometimes I know that a physical bit is going to get a laugh, but you can't go in with any characters or preconceived ideas,'' said co-captain Nathan Hillen. ``If you have a set idea and someone doesn't give you the cue and the scene goes in a totally opposite direction, you're stuck.''

Players said the main thing that sets ComedySportz apart from traditional athletic teams is the lack of emphasis on winning at all costs.

``It's all for fun,'' said senior Lynne Jacobellis. ``It's the only competitive sport that you can say we go away laughing if we lose.''

Officials with the local professional team said the high school league was designed to give students tools to communicate well, which will be useful even if they do not continue acting.

``We think improvisation can be taught,'' said Phil Ware, associate director of ComedySportz Los Angeles. ``We think anyone willing to shed inhibitions and let their imagination go can learn how to do it.''

The 18-member team will match wits with Claremont High School at 7 p.m. today in the school's G-building, 28545 Driver Road, Agoura Hills.

The game is being held to benefit two local charities: Santa Comes to Agoura and Helping Hands. Instead of an admission fee, the students will collect canned or nonperishable food from the more than 200 people expected to attend.

``The benefit gives them a sense of what is necessary to give back to the community,'' said Ed Natan, whose son, Dustin, is team co-captain. ``They've been very fortunate in their lives, but this shows them that they can't just take everything.''

Punch lines

One ComedySportz game is called ``185.'' Players use audience suggestions to come up with new punch lines to the age-old joke, ``185 (fill in the blank) walk into a bar. The bartender says, We don't serve (blanks) in here. So, the (blanks) say . . .''

Here are some of the Agoura High School team's punch lines, with the following words used for the blank:

Octopi:

``We just 8 here.''

``I want to see that in ink.''

Empire State Building:

``We get the point.''

Hands:

``Give it a wrist.''

``We get nailed every time we come in here.''

Green beans:

``We're fungis.''

``We've bean here before.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

PHOTO (1 -- color in Conejo only; also ran in Valley edition) Agoura High School students participate in improv exercises to prepare for tonight's ComedySportz competition.

(2 -- color in Conejo only) Ariel Willinger is center stage during the game called ``What are you doing?'' above, while Amber Cirincione and Adam Bennett take part in the game ``Freeze,'' left.

David Sprague/Daily News