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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.
The Groundlings is an American improvisational and sketch comedy troupe and school based in Los Angeles, California. The troupe was formed by Gary Austin in 1974 and uses an improv format influenced by Viola Spolin, whose improvisational theater techniques were taught by Del Close and other members of the Second City, located in Chicago and later St. Louis. They used these techniques to produce sketches and improvised scenes. Its name is taken from Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act III, Scene II: "...to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumbshows and noise." In 1975 the troupe purchased and moved into its current location on Melrose Avenue.
Tim Meadows is an American actor, comedian, and writer. Meadows was one of the longest-running cast members on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, where he appeared for 10 seasons from 1991 to 2000. For his work on SNL, he received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series in 1993. He played main character John Glascott on the ABC sitcom Schooled for its two-season run after playing the same character in a recurring role for six seasons on The Goldbergs.
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.
Del Close was an American actor, writer, and teacher who coached many of the best-known comedians and comic actors of the late twentieth century. In addition to an acting career in television and film, he was one of the influences on modern improvisational theater. Close is co-founder of the ImprovOlympic (iO).
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.
Charna Halpern is an American comedian who is co-founder of the ImprovOlympic, now known as iO. Upon iO's founding, in 1983, with partner Del Close, she began teaching Harold to many students in the Chicago theater community. Many prominent comedians performed at iO, from Neil Flynn to Jack McBrayer. Also appearing were up and coming comedic minds such as Craig Cackowski.
Mike Birbiglia is an American stand-up comedian, actor, storyteller, director, producer and writer. He is a frequent contributor to This American Life and The Moth, and has released several comedy albums and television specials. His feature-length directorial debut Sleepwalk with Me (2012), based on his one-man show of the same name and in which he also starred, won awards at the Sundance and Nantucket film festivals. He also wrote, directed, and starred in the comedy-drama Don't Think Twice (2016). His 2010 book Sleepwalk with Me and Other Painfully True Stories was a New York Times bestseller and a finalist for the 2011 Thurber Prize for American Humor. Birbiglia has appeared in films such as Your Sister's Sister (2011), Cedar Rapids (2011), and Trainwreck (2015), played a recurring role in Orange Is the New Black, Billions and has guest starred in episodes of Girls, Inside Amy Schumer, and Broad City. He also replaced Jimmy Kimmel on his talk show for a week, as Kimmel caught COVID-19.
Dan Bakkedahl is an American actor and improvisational comedian. He is best known for starring as Tim Hughes on the CBS sitcom Life in Pieces, as Congressman Roger Furlong on the HBO series Veep, and as Steve Nugent in the FX comedy series Legit. From 2005 to 2007, he was a correspondent for three seasons on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He additionally has recurring roles on the ABC sitcom The Goldbergs, the HBO Max comedy series Made for Love, and the Netflix comedy Space Force.
iO, or iO Chicago, is an improv theater and training center in central Chicago, with a former branch in Los Angeles, called iO West and in Raleigh, North Carolina called iO South. The theater taught and hosted performances of improvisational comedy. It was founded in 1981 by Del Close and Charna Halpern. The theater has many notable alumni, including Amy Poehler and Stephen Colbert.
Theatre West is a theatre company in Hollywood, California, the oldest continually-operating theatre company in Los Angeles.
The iO West was the Los Angeles branch of the iO in Chicago. The theater was located at 6366 Hollywood Blvd., in Hollywood, California. In addition to presenting improv and sketch comedy shows every night, the iO West had improv training classes and was the home for the Los Angeles Improv Comedy Festival. On February 24, 2018, iO West permanently ceased operations.
The ACME Comedy Theatre is an American sketch comedy and improvisational theater located near Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, on La Brea near Wilshire's "Miracle Mile".
The Two Roads Theater is a 60-seat black box theatre, with an elevated stage, located in Studio City, California at 4348 Tujunga Ave in the Little Tujunga Village neighborhood. Originally built in 1986, and housed in a building constructed in 1946, the intimate theater was remodeled and refurbished in 2003 shortly after it was purchased by Rick and Shari Shaw from Edmund Gaynes, currently operator of the St Luke's Theater in New York City. The Two Roads Theater is a member of the NoHo Arts District, in North Hollywood, the Valley Theater League and the Tujunga Village Merchants’ Association.
The Hayworth Theatre is a theater and performing arts venue at 2511 Wilshire Boulevard located in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.
Michael Gandolfi is an American actor, producer, and writer. He is best known for playing Andrew on the WB drama series, Gilmore Girls, and as a writer on the sitcom Roseanne.
Conejo Players Theatre is a performing arts theater in Thousand Oaks, California. Established in 1958, it is the oldest theater in the city -- as well as one of the oldest in Southern California. It hosts a full season of Mainstage shows each year, including musicals and plays -- plus special events, workshops, improv comedy performances, holiday shows, and a long-running children's theatre program taught by theater professionals. The theater was housed in an old barn building for several years, but constructed a new theater after donations from Janss Corporation in 1963. The 185-seat theater is located on S. Moorpark Road.
Neil William Garguilo is an American writer, producer, director, actor and improv comedian. Garguilo is co-creator, showrunner and star of the Syfy original animated series Hell Den which is amongst the first series to appear on Syfy's TZGZ late-night block. He also appeared on all five seasons of the MTV hit comedy series Awkward, and regularly works with Funny or Die and members of the comedy group Broken Lizard.
References
- 1 2 Wertheimer, Kate (July 13, 2016). "The Pack comedy theater opens 7 nights a week, gives other LA theaters a run for their funny". Time Out . Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- ↑ Ciriaco, Michael (October 3, 2016). "Hollywood's Newest Improv Theater Has a Mission: Never Be Boring". LA Weekly . Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- ↑ Simons, Seth (March 29, 2018). "The Death of an Improv Theater: Mismanagement and Neglect at iO West". Paste . Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- ↑ Shatkin, Elina (July 31, 2016). "Ahead of The Pack, the new theater rocking LA's comedy scene". KPCC . Retrieved December 18, 2020.
- ↑ Ziemba, Christine N. (July 25, 2019). "26 Fabulous Events In Southern California This Weekend". LAist . Retrieved December 18, 2020.
34°5′26.448″N118°19′50.736″W / 34.09068000°N 118.33076000°W
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