About a month and a half ago, a good friend invited me to come and see the third season premiere of a semi-improv show called Holy Virgin High. I’d seen the flyers and knew of its existence, but not much else. Now, after sitting through this season, I kick myself for not getting hooked in earlier, cursing the fact that this is the last season. But seeing just a season of this imaginative, funny, touching, supernatural teen soap-opera has certainly been time well spent.

Creator and College senior Paul Blanding began the show a couple years ago after being inspired by his friend Graeme Hinde’s weekly semi-improv show, Last Exit in New Jersey. Although he had the option to continue this series, Blanding decided to go off and create something new. Bringing in the teen-drama element of Last Exit, Blanding combined his own interests of comics, TV, movies and biblical mythology to tell the story of a Catholic reform school where one of the students turns out to be a prophet. For those who have seen the show from the beginning, they knew that this simple concept has ballooned into a complex web of relationships of love, hate and betrayal, with one angry deity. Anyone who wants to play catch up can peruse the show’s website at www.holyvirginhigh.com and read the synopsis of previous episodes.

For the past two seasons, the show’s creation has worked through Paul generating an outline while the cast improvises to come up with the script. Blanding then writes up an episode and sends it out a week in advance.

Once the season begins, there’s no more rehearsing. As for the excellent soundtracks which accompany each episode (and which you can purchase the following week), Blanding creates those the day before each show.

Every Thursday night at 10 p.m., the lights go down and Blanding comes out to rouse the crowd and make whatever announcements need to be made. Then Nirvana’s “Serve the Servants” kicks in and the cast rushes out, bursting with energy. The cast, comprised of senior Owen Poindexter, sophomore Ben Sinclair, junior Jessica Bedwinek, sophomore Avery Monsen, sophomore Zak Fishman, junior Olivia Briggs, junior Rafi Sznajder, graduating senior Leah Christie and junior Alli Maxwell, all do an incredible job, able to deliver hilarious dialogue one moment, and quiet pathos the next.

Holy Virgin does more than just hold its audience for that one hour. Its serial nature not only forces people to come back every week, but keeps them guessing about what will happen next.

“I love feeling like I’ve created a kind of cult phenomenon,” Blanding said. “It’s great to hear people I’ve never met talking to their friends about the show and filling them in on all the crazy little plot points.”

On the other hand, Blanding said he’ll be relieved when it’s all over.

“I’m looking forward to printing out all the episodes and getting them bound at the copy shop. I want to be able to hold the story in my hand and know that it’s complete.”

Unfortunately, the show will end its three-season run this Thursday. If you’ve always wanted to see this great show but never had the opportunity, now’s your last chance. If you’ve been watching from the beginning, Blanding’s keeping tight-lipped about how it’s all going to end.

“The apocalypse happens...or else it’s averted. I can’t remember which,” he said.

Fan or newbie, come to Shipherd Lounge in Asia House on Thursday and find out.