They're stomping their feet, waving signs, singing songs and chanting "BOFA, BOFA" from logo painted faces.
They are Canterbury High School students, and they've turned out to cheer on BOFA, their team at the Canadian Improv Games at the National Arts Centre. There are a lot of them.
"It's a rush to be in front of that many people," said Jan Ditchfield, 19. "It's like the rock 'n' roll of theatre," said Martin Gero, 16, a first-year member of BOFA.
The Canterbury team's name is an off-color acronym (Bunch Of F***** Artsies) originally hurled at them as an insult, but now adopted as a badge of honor.
After week-long preliminary rounds, BOFA was third and set to compete for its sixth straight title in the sold-out finals tonight at the National Arts Centre.
The Improv (short for improvisational) games draw some of Canada's most talented young actors and comedians. Seven of the 24 teams competing in this year's games are from out of town, flown in by the NAC from as far away as Vancouver and St.John's, Nfld.
There are five judged events, of which each eight-person team must play four. In each four-minute event, teams must improvise to illustrate a theme, emotion, characteristic, style or story.
To complicate things, suggestions are solicited from the audience and must be worked into the short, often hilarious, improvisational skits.
The team can end an event before the four minutes is up by calling 'scene' and waving down the lights.
"It goes at lighting speed," said first-time BOFA member Ed Hart,18."Other dramatic mediums allow you time to think about your character and prepare. (With Improv) you don't really know what's going to happen next."
"Improv is bungy-jumping without a cord and hoping to God there's a mattress down there to catch you," said Kurt Smeaton,17.
"The reason improv is so funny is because you know it's spontaneous. It's incredibly difficult and that's what makes it so incredibly satisfying."
The games have a special importance at Canterbury, a school known more for artistic impression that for athletic glory.
"It's an incredible thing to see because all of a sudden the whole school goes insane," said Gero. "'Oh my God, It's Improv week!' It's bedlam."
"If you're not having fun out there people know it," said Andrew Morphew, 17. "You have to go out to the Improv games, say screw it and just have fun."
The games are more than just a good time though.
"It melds almost everything that matters. It mixes wit with creativity and beauty. It's also full of heart, courage, caring, love and trust." said Canterbury coach Jane Moore.
"It's not about theatre. It's about personal growth and skills," said Jamie Wyllie, president and co-founder of the Canadian Improv Games. "Kids find their niche here that they don't find anywhere else."
But it takes dedication. Since the members of BOFA started practising in late January they've put their lives on hold.
"Boyfriends, girlfriends, jobs, family; they're all out of the picture," said Ditchfield. "This is your life for three months."