 | A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject.(September 2021) |
Face Off Unlimited is an improvisational comedy production company based in New York City.
| A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject.(September 2021) |
Face Off Unlimited is an improvisational comedy production company based in New York City.
In 2003, Jay Painter and Eric Robinson founded Friday Night Face Off, a weekly improvised comedy show in Port Jefferson, New York featuring two teams of comedic improvisers engaged in a mock competition, a concept originated by Theatresports. Friday Night Face Off (often abbreviated as FNFO) has since become the longest continuously running improv comedy shows in Long Island history. [1] In 2009, Painter and Robinson formed Face Off Unlimited, A Limited Liability Company, and brought on former FNFO creative director Joe Tex as Partner and Chief Operating Director.
Face Off Unlimited produces various comedy stage shows, has a writing division who specializes in creating content for robots, video games, and iOS applications, including French robotics company, Aldebaran Robotics and its NAO and Pepper humanoid robots. Face Off offers multi-level improv and writing classes and workshops that utilize techniques of improvisation and creative ensemble.
In 2010 Face Off Unlimited opened Face Off University at The Secret Theatre in Long Island City, New York, offering classes on improvisation and their approach to the art form. Since 2014, they have moved their school to Face Off Unlimited Headquarters in Astoria, Queens.
On January 10, 2011, Face Off debuted their live Japanese game-show comedy in New York City's East Village called Face Off Unlimited presents BATSU! Translated from the Japanese word for "penalty game", BATSU! was named one of the "Best Things To Do In NYC" by CBS New York [2] and was made a Time Out New York 2011 Critics' Pick and an official Village Voice, Voice Choice. [3] BATSU! was also called "one of the most entertaining...nights in NYC" by Backstage Magazine. [4] BATSU! is now in its 7th year.
Face Off Unlimited co-produced the 2011 and 2012 Queens Fringe Festival in partnership with the Long Island city Arts Open, featuring the All Day Improv Festival. The All Day Improv Festival featured UCB Theatre house team Standard Oil, iMusical: The reunion Show!, and International Stinger, a comedy team from Chicago founded at the Playground Theatre.
In 2013 Face Off Unlimited partnered with radio personality and writer Lyle Pinder to create the In The Room podcast. Former guests, called roommates, include actors Tyler Posey, Joel Murray, Academy Award Winner Jim Rash, Broadway actor and star of Frozen, Josh Gad, Canadian comedian Scott Thompson, and YouTube star Lloyd Ahlquist, better known as EpicLLOYD.
In 2014 Face Off Unlimited opened The NYC Improv Face Off in Times Square at Times Scare.
2014 also saw successful runs of Face Off Unlimited Presents Goon River, a completely improvised storytelling experience in complete darkness, and NADS, an improv comedy meets Magic Mike that boasted the hottest men in comedy.
On June 10, 2016, Face Off Unlimited opened BATSU! Chicago in the upstairs Hachi Lounge at Kamehachi at 1531 N Wells, St, in Chicago's Old Town. [5]
In 2017, FOU created their BATSU! Tour Co after signing with Metropolis Management [6]
Also in 2017, Face Off Unlimited launched FOU STUDIOS, [7] a full-service video and podcast production company based at FOU Headquarters.
Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted, created spontaneously by the performers. In its purest form, the dialogue, action, story, and characters are created collaboratively by the players as the improvisation unfolds in present time, without use of an already prepared, written script.
Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself, is in the Latin 'improvisus', which literally means un-foreseen. But it is also related to both the old French word 'emprouer' and the English 'improve', to improve. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of improvisation can apply to many different faculties, across all artistic, scientific, physical, cognitive, academic, and non-academic disciplines; see Applied improvisation.
The Compass Players was an improvisational theatre revue active from 1955 to 1958 in Chicago and St. Louis. Founded by David Shepherd and Paul Sills, it is considered to be the first improvisational theater in the United States.
The Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) is an improvisational and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The original incarnation of the group consisted of Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, Matt Walsh, Adam McKay, Rick Roman, Horatio Sanz and Drew Franklin. Other early members included Neil Flynn, Armando Diaz, Ali Farahnakian and Rich Fulcher.
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges. Developed by director Keith Johnstone in Calgary, Alberta, in 1977, the concept of Theatresports originated in Johnstone's observations of techniques used in professional wrestling to generate heat, or audience reaction.
The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theatres in Toronto and Los Angeles. The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959, and has become one of the most influential and prolific comedy theatres in the English-speaking world. In February 2021, ZMC, a private equity investment firm ironically based in Manhattan, purchased the Second City.
Second Nature is a long-form improvisational theatre troupe based in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California.
The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre is an American improvisational theatre company and training center founded by the Upright Citizens Brigade troupe members Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh.
Viola Spolin was an American theatre academic, educator and acting coach. She is considered an important innovator in 20th century American theater for creating directorial techniques to help actors to be focused in the present moment and to find choices improvisationally, as if in real life. These acting exercises she later called Theater Games and formed the first body of work that enabled other directors and actors to create improvisational theater. Her book Improvisation for the Theater, which published these techniques, includes her philosophy and her teaching and coaching methods, and is considered the "bible of improvisational theater". Spolin's contributions were seminal to the improvisational theater movement in the U.S. She is considered to be the mother of Improvisational theater. Her work has influenced American theater, television and film by providing new tools and techniques that are now used by actors, directors and writers.
David Gwynne Shepherd was an American producer, director, and actor noted for his innovative work in improvisational theatre. He founded and/or co-founded the Playwrights Theatre Club, The Compass Players, the Canadian Improv Games, and the ImprovOlympic.
Theatre Strike Force is the University of Florida's premier improv and sketch comedy troupe. The group also goes by TSF. The style of improv performed by Theatre Strike Force is a combination long form and short form. They both teach and perform improvisational comedy. They have six house teams which include both forms of improv as well as a sketch team. There are four long form house teams which are cast every semester and usually have six to eight members. The TSF Short Form Team is cast every semester as well and usually has fifteen to nineteen members. TSF Sketch is the final house team and usually has twelve to sixteen members, cast each semester.
The Fracas! Improv Festival is a three-day annual improvisational theatre festival held at The University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. The festival is hosted by Second Nature Improv, one of USC's improv troupes. In addition to performances, the festival hosts discussion panels with professional improvisers currently working in television, film, and/or theatre, as well as improv workshops. While the performances and panels are open to the public, workshops are available only to registered festival participants.
Off-Off Campus is the oldest improvisational and sketch comedy group at the University of Chicago. It was founded in 1986 by The Second City co-founder Bernie Sahlins, who is also an alumnus of the University of Chicago.
Oui Be Negroes is an African-American improvisational sketch comedy ensemble, founded by Artistic Director Shaun Landry and Director Hans Summers. They worked together for many years in Chicago with the Underground Theatre Conspiracy, and had thrown around the idea of an African-American-driven sketch and improvisational comedy troupe, which would be geared specifically toward social and political humor.
Philly Improv Theater, or PHIT, is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania comedy theater which produces and presents shows at The Adrienne Theatre in Center City Philadelphia. The theater also operates a training center with programs in improv comedy, sketch comedy and stand-up comedy. PHIT's most notable alumnus is stand-up comedian Kent Haines, who was the 2008 winner of the Philly's Phunniest contest at Helium Comedy Club and has appeared on public radio show The Sound of Young America and Season 4 of Comedy Central's program Live at Gotham. In addition to Haines, other comedians from Philadelphia who appeared on stage at PHIT have gone on to perform at major comedy venues in cities like New York and Los Angeles, founded their own theatre companies, and appeared in touring productions for The Second City.
The Purple Crayon of Yale, or the Purple Crayon, is an improvisational theater group at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. The group specializes in longform improv, such as the Harold. The Purple Crayon is Yale's second-oldest improv group, after the Ex!t Players, and the oldest collegiate longform group in the country.
Chicago City Limits (CCL), is the longest running improvisational theatre company in New York City, New York.
Bovine Metropolis Theater was the first dedicated improvisational performance and improvisational comedy theater in the Denver Metro Area. It is located at 1527 Champa Street, Denver, Colorado.