Few people could say that they are the, “Funniest people in Texas,” but TJ Kuehn can confidently say so.
“Our Improv troupe won the ITS State Competition for Improv last year,” Kuehn said.” We were able to beat out 80 plus schools in an Improv Tournament in both skill and comedy, which means we were the funniest people in Texas.”
Kuehn moved to Austin in 2019 from Arizona, going to Henry Middle School for 8th grade. It’s already hard to go to a new school in the last year of that school, but Kuehn also had to deal with Covid.
“Covid ended my 8th grade year early, my first year in Texas before high school started,” Kuehn said. “So not only was it tough being the new kid, but also not being able to finish my first year of school in Texas.”
Once high school started, TJ did a variety of things, like medical classes, National Honor Society, GSA, and most consistently, theater.
“I’ve been in theater since 8th grade and all 4 years in high school,” Kuehn said. “I’ve been in acting classes and shows since I was 7, I just love to be on stage.”
Kuehn has been a titan of theater during his tenure at the Vista Ridge Drama Department. He has been in pretty much every single show that has been put on by the department, and lead roles since his junior year.
“The UIL show my freshman year was an amazing experience. As a freshman I got to be fully immersed in the department and travel with them for competition; it’s where I made some of my closest friends.” Kuehn said. “Another one of my favorite shows was, ‘The Snow’ where I got to play a mute giant named Oliver. It was a super fun experience.”
Kuehn has had a lot of big moments on stage over the years, but his favorite was off stage at ITS, a high school theater convention.
“Winning the International Thespian Society State Competition for Improv was a huge highlight in my theater career,” Kuehn said. “Our amazing troupe was able to beat so many other schools. It was a really tight competition.”
This win helped him become one of the improv club captains for his senior year. They didn’t get first at ITS this year, but still got to the top 15, and one of their members was in the final competition for individual improv. Regardless, being in the department for so long has had a huge impact on Kuehn.
“I’m one of two people who have been able to participate in the UIL One Act show all four years and be in Varsity theater for all those shows,” Kuehn said. “I truly view the department as a second family and each year I am excited to meet the new members and watch the older members grow in their future endeavors.”
Now he leaves the department in good hands. Unlike some other members, Kuehn isn’t going into theater for college. Instead, he goes to Purdue University for pre-med and radiology and is pursuing a future in the medical field. It may not be a stage, but Kuehn
is sure to make an impact on hundreds of people.
