Rain Whalen, senior and improv captain at Sandra Day O’Connor (OHS), has been involved with theatre and improv since his freshman year.

Whalen says his fifth grade honors teacher got him started with theatre.

“She was like ‘hey you’re trying out,’ and I was like ‘but I don’t want to,’ and she’s like ‘yeah ya are,’ and then I got the lead of the show. It was terrifying and fun,” said Whalen.

This year is Whalen’s first year being captain of the improv team, and he says, “its the most successful year of improv since I’ve been here.”

The weekend of February 22nd, the improv team had an outside show. Whalen says “it was super cool because the team’s awesome, we look pretty spiffy, and it’s a great time.”

As captain, Whalen has to organize the team’s rehearsals and shows. “I have to make sure everyone knows when, where, how, what to wear, etc., and I teach the games during rehearsals.”

Whalen’s advice to any student interested in theatre or improv is to “try out! It’s terrifying, it’s hard, and it’s scary, but it’s worth it and you’ll get in eventually.”

Students that’ve seen Whalen around school have seen him in his famous pj’s. Everyday this year Whalen has worn pajama pants. “I have more than seven and less than 100 pairs of pj pants,” says Whalen.

Whalen describes himself as “taboo in dress, speech and opinion, freaking awesome” and he says “the egoistic reigns supreme.”

Although Whalen is well involved in theatre and improv, he isn’t planning to pursue theatre in the future. He plans on going into physics “either subatomic or astrospace,” he says.

Fact-os:

Greatest moment: “I was crowd surfacing in a Reel Big Fish concert and that was kind of the craziest day in my life. I was crowd surfacing to probably my favorite band, in my favorite genre, in my pj’s, it was glorious. I was floating on the hands of skanking rude boys, it was beautiful.”

Music genre: ska

Artist: The Mountain Goats

Role model: Hank Green from vlogbrothers because he makes beautiful things and does lots of great things for people

Joke: “Gosh, I’m so hungry”

          “Hi hungry I’m dad”

Musical: Dr. Horrible Sing-Along Blog

Play: Fools

Any food: ice cream because everyone loves ice cream except for lactose intolerant people which I guess is ironic since I’m lactose intolerant, but I hate myself

Best high school experience: I was the lead in Fools. It was really funny and that’s where I reign supreme is the comedy so it was a good time

Favorite quote: “There’s something interesting going on, and if there’s something interesting going on I want it to be happening to me.”

-Zaphod from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Favorite Improv Game: Press Conference because he says, “there’s a lot you can do with it, and you could be very clever with Press Conference.”