On Tuesday June 25, 2013 Texas Senator Wendy Davis dove right into a filibuster that required her to speak continuously and stay on topic for 13 hours. When asked how she was able to keep coming up with things to say, Senator Davis replied that it was a combination of thorough research and “weekend improv classes.”

“It started as a way to get into the shows for free,” explained an exhausted Davis. “Then I started to get really serious about long form. Good thing, am I right?”

Onlookers reported that the senator not only spoke with passion and poise, but exhibited “really excellent scene work.” Time and time again, Davis was able to effectively mime many powerful actions and props. “Once I got my suggestion from the audience, I just committed and went for it,” said Davis. As an excited fellow senator in attendance explained, “you could have sworn she was actually carrying something really heavy!”

Aside from the physical challenges of the filibuster, Davis said that “since it was a monologue situation, finding the game in there was pretty difficult. Plus the room was pretty much entirely the back row!”

Davis, clad in pink tennis shoes and a back brace, remained standing and speaking for nearly 11 hours until Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst “wiped the scene” by arguing that Davis had strayed from the topic. Senator Kirk Watson admirably tried to tag out to salvage the situation but it remains unclear if it was in fact too late.

While Democrats and women’s groups rally around Davis, amateur and professional improv comedians alike are also on the edge of those chairs they’re allowed to use onstage in scenes. “Even if this doesn’t go the way we want it to, Senator Davis put up an incredible fight for the women of Texas,” a self-described ‘student of comedy’ said. “Not to mention it was the most heroic use of ‘Yes, And’ that I’ve ever seen.”