Mrs. Newton

Janet DeJean Newton is the first and current coach of The Jolly Pranksters improv team. Her son, Cliff Newton, was on the first team of five players and helped create the team. Mrs. Newton is known by some members of the Jolly Pranksters as "Fig Newton", "Mrs. Fig", or "Figgy".

Mrs. Newton teaches English and Drama classes at Plymouth Comprehensive High School. She teaches in the Amphitheatre, which is the perfect place for the Jolly Pranksters to practice improvisational comedy. She sets up dates for local shows and competitions in Milwaukee at the ComedySportz arena and prepares the team for them.

During local Jolly Pranksters shows, Mrs. Newton acts as the referee. She even declares herself as "the mean ref with the whistle." She asks the audience for suggestions and sets up the games for the players. She also often jokes that the players know the games better than she does. She usually has the team captain explain the games.

During competitions in Milwaukee, Mrs. Newton sits in the audience and takes pictures of the Jolly Pranksters on the stage. When it comes time to clap for whichever team the audience prefers, Mrs. Newton always shrieks for the Jolly Pranksters. She has also been known to shout, "Yes!" from the audience when the ComedySportz referee asks the players if they are ready.