Have you ever wanted to get a behind the curtains look at 5FD? Well, here’s your chance.

5FD, also know as Five Finger Discount, is one of the school’s most elite clubs at Parkway South. With only four to five members joining each year, 5FD is one of the most competitive and talented activities a student can join at Parkway South. 5FD is unlike any club at this school. Tryouts, while competitive and stressful, have also been described in very positive ways.

“We have a lot of fun, talk a lot, work on individuals improv skills, even scream a lot! For my audition as a freshman the students trying out had a dance off,” senior Zach O’Keefe said. 

Sophomore Ethan Kraus said tryouts for the team last five days.

“After the first day of tryouts we hold call backs and focus on the core infinitive, which means Character, Objective, Relationship, Environment. This is the foundation of improv, once we see how students react to these we come together as a team and select people to make it,” Kraus said. 

The captains for the team this year are O’Keefe, senior Gwen Garger, and senior Taylor Gray. The captains run all practices. Practices are usually run in the drama room, theater or a teammate’s house.

During practices the team is very busy while having fun. 

“The normal practice includes mini games that could be integrated into the show and helping each other improve their skills,” senior Andrew Fyffe said. 

Most people involved in 5FD admitted they get extremely nervous before performances.

“I deal with preshow nerves by trying not to think too much about all 450 people that watch the combined shows and don’t get into my head about it. I often look up to the seniors, especially Gwen, because they set such good examples on how to perform,” sophomore Meredith Labuda said. 

This club and enviroment is very attractive to students all around Parkway South for many reasons. When asked why people joined it all the answers were fairly similar.

“I joined because Jack Hogan inspired me, and I wanted to participate in a high school experience with my brother,” Kraus said.

Fyffe also said he tried out for the team because of a friend. 

“I decided to tryout because Emilee Ehrett, a good friend of mine, encouraged me to,” he said. 

Most people in 5FD said they joined because they heard such good things about it and the people in it. This legacy continues now with all of the members describing the club saying there is positive environment, close friends, and welcoming upperclassmen.

O’Keith left everyone to think about the fact that “5FD just makes people laugh, the members and audience. And sometimes in an environment like high school, with stress everywhere, all you really need is a good laugh.”