Ad-Libbing to the Top

PROVO, Utah – Nov 10, 2015 – Dreams of roaring crowds and bright lights drew fifteen-year-old Zach Atherton to where he stood—nervous in front of his entire high school, performing in his first improv show. He’d seen enough episodes of “Whose Line is it Anyway?” to love the art, and this was his chance to make it big.

He waited for his golden opportunity, delivered his best material (something about diabetes), and paused for a reaction. The audience sat stone-faced.

“I knew that I loved it because instead of being discouraged, I was obsessed with never being that bad again,” he says.

Now a third-year JD/MPA student, Atherton’s determination is nothing to laugh at. After building a reputation for himself in improv, last year he established his own company, Improv Broadway, which was recently featured in Forbes.  His passions are varied, but Atherton says he hopes to balance public service, law, and comedy by using aspects of each in his future career.

“The principles of improv—like accepting what your partner says then expanding on it—can be used in the workplace to make it fun and productive,” he says.

He taught that principle to Marriott School administrators in a professional improv workshop earlier this year. Atherton says he gained inspiration for the workshops from his experience in the workplace as well as from his studies.

After completing a bachelor’s in English and theater, Atherton interned for Provo City both as a public relations and law intern while working on his JD/MPA. While interning for assistant city attorney Gary Millward, Atherton performed research and drafted memos to help represent the city in legal issues. Millward says Atherton was not only a motivated worker but also was fun to be around.

“Given his gregarious personality and reasoned approach to legal analysis, I think that he has few limits with respect to what he could accomplish either as a lawyer or as a public servant,” Millward says.

Atherton has always wanted to be an attorney, which led him to apply to BYU’s law program in 2013. He was admitted for Fall 2014 and ended up having an extra year before he would start the program. He looked into applying for a joint degree and chose the MPA for its focus on public service and teamwork.

“The MPA rang true to me when I read the description,” he says. “And now that I’m in the program, I love it. I’m immersed in the team effort.”

Atherton says he’s still unsure exactly where he wants his career to take him, but he’s hoping to either follow in Millward’s footsteps as a city attorney or continue with improv and theater management. As long as he can build on his skills while working with people and being creative, he’ll be happy.

“I’m keeping my doors open,” he says. “Everything I love is in a niche market that’s hard to get into, so when an opportunity comes I’ll take it and run.”