Just because you graduate from high school doesn’t mean you have to stop being the class clown. For one group of former Highland High School students – and their teacher – clowning around just may turn into a viable business. And, if not, at least they’re having a good time.

Under the leadership of Highland’s drama

teacher, Robert Long, the Center for Improv Advancement (CIA for short) has been performing at venues around Bakersfield for about a year. They have a monthly gig at the Rocket Shop Café on the grounds of Bakersfield Municipal Airport. They also perform intermittently at other venues, such as Surface Gallery downtown.

The idea came out of

discussions among the drama students as they faced graduation last year.

“We just really enjoyed improv and we wanted to continue,” said Isaiah Rodriguez, 19. He and the others were part of an improv group at school called Peer Pressure. Now they return to visit the club members and teach them a thing or two.

“With improv, you’re not barred down. You never know what’s going to happen. You’re so free to do what you want,” Rodriguez said.

The group’s shows are set up as a series of experiments, with each member leading a skit with a set of parameters. One skit, called “Freeze Tag,” involves members of the audience positioning the actors in various poses. When “action” is called, the actors act out a scene that has something to do with those poses. Each time “freeze” is called, the actors stop and swap out with someone else. When “action” is called, the new actors act out entirely new scenes but in the same poses they just took over.

So, in one skit, a plant making food through photosynthesis became a fish out of water, then a person stuck in the La Brea Tar Pits, then a woman talking in her sleep, and lastly a dead cat, with two characters arguing over what to do with the corpse. The actors come up with these scenarios on the fly, and which makes it especially hilarious.

“I’ve trained a lot of people and I think this group is as good as, if not stronger than, others I’ve worked with,” said Robert Long, who teaches drama at Highland.

Even though the group is young and relatively new to improvisational comedy, they have been growing into a quick and confident bunch, Long said. But it takes a lot of practice to get to that point. The group meets regularly to test out their experiments and learn the keys to improv from their teacher-turned-fellow cast member. Some of those include always saying yes to what they’re given to work with, and to check their egos at the door.

The actors are also learning to run a successful business. Long’s own experience includes working with the former Bakersfield improv troupe Comedy Sports.

“I’m also teaching them about revenue streams, marketing, merchandising and having confidence in what you’re doing,” Long said.

After their most recent show, the cast members put half of the proceeds aside for the business account, and split the other half among them. This amounted to about $10 each.

“It’s not a job,” said actor Josh Mojica, “but it’s exciting to know something you do for fun also makes you some money.”

Josh, 20, currently works as a retail associate for Anchor Blue at Valley Plaza Mall. He says he looks forward to growing the improv group and branching out to more audiences, including tackling some more adult material.

Fellow actor Rodriguez was able to use his acting experience to land a job as a party host at Skull Harbor in the East Hills Mall, where he acts the part of a pirate for private parties.

CIA’s performances are very family-friendly, to the point where if an actor or audience member says something too racy, he or she must wear a paper sack over his or her head for a short time.

At the group’s most recent show, one woman in the audience went a little overboard regarding relations with her imaginary unicorn-turned-pegasus friend. She got the sack. (For that skit, called “Advice Columnist,” audience members shared symptoms for the actors to diagnose and give advice for handling.)

Chyrill Sandrini brings her daughters, ages 9 to 15, to the Rocket Shop Café show regularly as a family night. They order dinner and sit back for a good time.

“The food’s good. It’s interactive,” she said. “It’s nice to know we have a family outing that’s not just a movie. Here, we have dinner, watch the show, the kids are entertained, and they talk about it for days afterward.”

CIA is growing. At their upcoming show, teacher Long will sit out while two new faces will take the stage. Altogether, the group recently add six new actors – all recent high school graduates.

Improv is a fun and cost-effective teaching tool, Long said.

“All improv takes is time and talent. There’s no set, costumes or props,” he said.

And it gives people the chance to never give up their inner class clown.

“I think you could have a really crummy day and a comedian can turn your day around. So I like to cheer people up,” said actor Mojica.

Upcoming show

The Center for Improv Advancement will perform next at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, at Rocket Shop Café, 2000 S. Union Ave. Admission is $3 for adults and $1 for children under 12.

More chances to see improv

Bakersfield Improvisational Theatre performs tonight and tomorrow night, Aug. 28 and 29, at 8 p.m. at The Empty Space, 706 Oak St. CIA’s Robert Long is a special guest in tonight’s performance. Admission is $5. There will be adult content.

Major League Improv performs every Saturday at 6 p.m. at The Empty Space, 706 Oak St. Admission is by donations. The show is family-friendly.