The Baker's Dozen is a Mime

Mime

The word mime is used to refer to a mime artist who uses a theatrical medium or performance art involving the acting out of a story through body motions without use of speech.Mime may also refer to:* Mime, an alternative word for lip sync...

 and Improv

Improvisation

Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...

 Troupe from Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa

West Des Moines, Iowa

West Des Moines is a city in Polk, Dallas, and Warren counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 46,403; a special census taken in the spring of 2005 counted 51,744 residents and the United States Census Bureau estimated that 53,889 residents lived there in...

.
The troupe started in 1969 and has been performing around the Des Moines

Des Moines, Iowa

Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...

 area for over 40 years. The Baker's Dozen or BD as it is more commonly known, is a student run organization and currently consists of 13 members. They perform two official shows a year, along with various smaller shows in the community. The larger official shows are the Fall Nite o' Mime, and Spring Nite o' Mime.
The troupe is often mistaken for the more stereotypical type of mimes who perform the well known "Box" skit, rather than the creative and funny writing that the troupe performs. The Baker's Dozen practices the type of mime known as pantomime.

The Baker's Dozen performs in Valley High School's filled Auditorium

Auditorium

An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...

, often breaking fire codes due to fans having to sit on the floor because of lack of enough seats. Despite the cramped seating, they always ensure a fantastic visual and audio experience. Each show consists of about 20 skit

Sketch comedy

A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...

s, some comedies and others carrying important and meaningful messages. The shows also include the famous "Storybook", in which the mimes use satire to poke fun at current events within the school and around the world.

Controversy

The Baker's Dozen is also known for their numerous encounters with the Valley Administration. This is sometimes due to show content or other outside reasons. Censorship

Censorship

thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...

 has always been a big issue surrounding the troupe. When pushing the limits of comedy

Comedy

Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...

 it is easy to overstep boundaries and many people challenge some of the actions taken by the troupe.

Creation of Shows

All skits performed are written by members of The Baker's Dozen and are then rehearsed for a week before the show, as complex lighting

Lighting

Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...

 and sound

Sound

Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...

 is worked into every skit. Each member writes skits and votes on the skits in order to make the highest quality show for the audience.

The Troupe

The Baker's Dozen consists of 13 members attending Valley High School, and a sponsor to help oversee and organize the troupe.
Every year the senior members leave the troupe after the Spring Nite o' Mime, and the following year after the fall Nite o' Mime new "baby mimes" are chosen to replace the seniors.

Current members

Sponsor: Ted VanDeventer

Co-President: Madeline Baker (Senior)

Co-President: Jocelyn Coffman (Senior)

Trey Wittern (Senior)

Josh Sutton (Senior)

Conner VandeVenter (Senior)

Madison Wepfer (Senior)

Emma Schulte (Junior)

Connor Wang (Junior)

Alexandra Coppock (Junior)

Daniel Miller (Sophomore)

Sarah Phillips (Sophomore)

Will Ward (Sophomore)

Emma Stier (Sophomore)