When the doors to Robert-Dubbs Auditorium closed to mark the start of the show, the lights in the theatre did not go out and the stage lights did not flicker on. In fact, the stage itself was bare with the exception of one chair, a chair which was not even involved in the entire first performance. The song “Kung Fu Fighting,” began to reverberate throughout the auditorium and senior Robert Mast in nothing more than a headband and plain checkered clothes ran onto the stage. He was followed by a myriad of performers, who one at a time bolted at him, only to be comically taken out with martial arts. But this cleverly entertaining introduction was only a sampling of the creative and increasingly ludicrous performances to follow.

Need’s Improvment, the high school’s improvisational troupe, premiered Thursday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 pm in the Robert-Dubbs Auditorium. They were followed by a more structured performance from the Brookline Entertainment Theatre Company, totaling the show at about an hour. Both drama programs enriched the entire experience by involving the audience in inventive ways.

The opening “Kung Fu” act was followed by the first activity, a game director Mark Vanderzee called “Pan Right.” In the exercise, actors moved left or right with two of the four performing at once, each inventing their act completely on the fly. The twist was that each member abided by a certain word that was picked by the audience. The words “corkscrew,” “handicap,” “grandma,” and “anaconda” were chosen, leading to ten minutes of hysterical improvisational material that more than showcased the group’s creative prowess.

The following scene put senior Rachel Hechinger and junior Sophia Pouzyrev into a scenario where they needed to describe three characteristics over the course of their performance, upon which third member senior Finn McMillan joined them and acted according to the three chosen traits.

One of the most hysterical and theatrical moments of the night came in “Moving Limbs, Moving People,” where two actors stood behind the speakers and dictated their movements, while the two being physically controlled engaged in a heated argument that crescendoed into madness. The creative actors said such lines as “…like the time I had my first heart attack and you just let me lay there!” The game was heightened by the fact that audience members were partially responsible for the direction it took.

Several more games followed. In “First Line, Last Line,” two troupe members had to navigate between two phrases pre-determined by the audience. In the final act, senior Sean McDonough acted as God and froze the play where he saw fit, ordering it into a new direction that stemmed from the audience’s chosen word “ramen noodles.”

Need’s Improvment feeds on the creativity of the cast and their ability to develop scenarios on the fly. In their debut, it seemed there were no limits to the casts creativity and hilarity. They were also very talented at incorporating the audience and using their creativity to strengthen the show. It felt like everyone in the auditorium contributed.

BETCO’s more premeditated performance worked well alongside the improvisational company, due in part to the humor both parties captured from start to finish. While BETCO used more lights, special effects and sounds, it was the lively and comically absurd demeanor of the actors that joined the two.The second performance of the night had a more serious theme than the first, and used the audience differently. BETCO’s show was a series of inventive skits that each had a message about modern technology. It satirized the social ills and benefits of modern technology, primarily cell phones, through humor and countless scenarios applicable to our lives.

In between each small act, the lights went out, the few props used on stage were reordered or switched out and techno music with a variety of cell phone sounds were played. Unlike Needs Improvment, BETCO emphasized lighting and sound. The best example of this was portrayed in a scene between senior Dillon McGuire and his girlfriend, who passed each other in the halls with amiable and friendly conversation. Shortly thereafter, they left to continue their conversation by text, upon which the lights shifted from a soft blue to a violent red, accompanied by a thunderous banging sound. The small details that comprised this transformation, as well as the dialogue, helped relay the larger message about our growing communication problem.

A performance like BETCO’s, with complex, deeper themes requires discussion. This is where the audience was ingeniously utilized. Instead of ending when the curtains closed, Vanderzee began a discussion fueled mainly by the friends, faculty and family seated in front of the actors. They discussed the assets versus the complications of technology, explored the nuances other than “black or white,” and pondered the idea that technology is almost viewed as another entity. In addition, the audience praised the cast’s humor, execution of mature concepts and overall believability.

In a tale of two performances, one with on the fly creative material, the other with a prearranged social message, both Needs Improvment and BETCO excelled. Despite very different goals and uses of the audience, both performances were connected by superb talent, direction and creativity, making their joint debut a great success.