Embedded Files
The Compass Players, 1950. TheDinnerParty.tv
"I got your back."
-Every improvisor everywhere"I got your back."
The Compass Players were a group of colleagues attending the University of Chicago interested in creating performance from Improvisation. Paul Sills (and probably Spolin) taught and directed. Members included:
David Shepherd: Had a philosophical vision of a “people’s theatre”, hoped to bring political drama to the stockyards. Later, he developed competition-based improv which eventually lead to Whose Line is it Anyway?
Elaine May: central to the development of the premeses (possibly suggestion/storyline) for improvisations
Mike Nichols: Formed a popular comedy duo with Elaine May, relocated to NYC. Became film and theatre director, as well producer, actor and comedian. Directed The Graduate with Dustin Hoffman (ushering in New Hollywood and further legitimizing The Method).
Sheldon Patinkin: Considered the Grandfather of modern theatre in Chicago, Sheldon was my mentor and friend as Dean of Columbia College Chicago. Everyone knew Sheldon.
Ted Flicker
...and Del Close: Joined The Compass Players in 1957.
"TBA"
"TBA"
-TBA, TBA
-TBA, TBA
Del @ The Second City (1960 - 1964?)
Del @ The Second City (1960 - 1964?)
After Compass Players, Del Close moved to NYC with May & Nichols. Developed a stand up routine, performed Greenwich Village
Returned to Second City in 1960 Del perform/direct @ Second City, but fired due to substance abuse
Del @ The Committee, San Francisco (1965 - 1972)
Del @ The Committee, San Francisco (1965 - 1972)
The Committee was a San Francisco-based improvisation group. Founding members were many original Compass Players' members. Opened April 10, 1963.
Latter half of the 1960s developing and refining the Art of Improvisation
The Harold, first performed 1967, was developed as a meta-game to refine performance.
Del's Return to the Second City (1972 - 1981?)
Del's Return to the Second City (1972 - 1981?)
1972 returned Second City
Del @ Improv Olympic (1981 - 1999)
Del @ Improv Olympic (1981 - 1999)
founded in 1980 by David Sheperd and Charna Halpern
iO started by presenting David Shepherd's and Howard Jerome's Improvisational Olympics, competition-based improv using Spolin's games
Halpern as Shepard's assistant, soon produced/managed the games.
1981, Charna Halpern met Del Close. Halpern bored of performing/teaching short-form competition format.
Developed The Harold alongside Del Close (formerly of Second City). Long form, theatre games. Explained in Truth in Comedy and Art by Committee, both authored/co-authored by Halpern
Notable alumni include Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Mike Myers, Seth Myers, Vanessa Bayer.
Improv Troupe called The Reckoning performs an one-hour, twenty-minute improvised play called a Harold. This one is called Surgery, directed by Charna Halpern. This is part 1; part 2 and 3 are blocked by TUSD. Part 4 is below, followed by part 5.
The Serpent (pt1) by The Open Theatre, dir. Joseph Chaikin
EXPERIMENTAL/AVANT GARDE IMPROVISATION
EXPERIMENTAL/AVANT GARDE IMPROVISATION
Open Theatre: created by former students of Nola Chilton. Joseph Chaikin (Living Theatre), Peter Feldman. Explored political, artistic, social issues. Full theatrical productions with nothing but actors, chairs, bare stage. Created character, time and place through a series of transformations and discovered through improv
Poor Theatre: Jerzy Grotowski.
Performances contrasted Stanislavski
Playback Theatre, Theatre of the Oppressed
Let's test the sponge!
Let's test the sponge!
Go to joinmyquiz.com and enter the code TBA
Go to joinmyquiz.com and enter the code TBA
The top THREE get a FREE GET OUT OF JOURNAL PASS.
The top THREE get a FREE GET OUT OF JOURNAL PASS.
If the link doesn't work for you, go through clever (the blackbox page, the Quizzizz link, enter the code in the top right corner)
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