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Improvisational comedy

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Improvisational comedy (also called improv or impro) is comedy that is performed with a little to no predetermination of subject matter and structure. The performers discover their lines and actions spontaneously, typically following a general theme and format, often in response to audience suggestions. Improvisational comedy is a form of improvisational theater.

Origins

Improvised performance is as old as performance itself. From the 16th to the 18th century, Commedia dell'arte performers improvised in the streets of Italy. Many silent filmmakers such as Charles Chaplin and Buster Keaton used this approach in the making of their films, developing their gags while filming and altering the plot to fit. The Marx Brothers were notorious for deviating from the script they were given, their ad libs often becoming part of the standard routine and making their way into their films.

Modern theatrical improvisation began in Chicago in the 1950s. The theatre games of Viola Spolin evolved quickly to an independent artform worthy of presentation before a paying audience. The Compass Players and Second City were among the first organized troupes, both originated in Chicago, Illinois and from their success, the modern Chicago improvisational comedy movement was spawned. Simultaneously, Keith Johnstone's group The Theatre Machine, originated in London was touring Europe. This work gave birth to Theatresports, at first secretly in Keith's workshops, and eventually in public when Keith moved to Canada. Notable also was San Francisco's The Committee theater active during the 1960's.

Improv comedy techniques have also been used in film, television and stand-up comedy, notably the mockumentary films of director Christopher Guest and the routines of Robin Williams and Jonathan Winters, who often improvise onstage.

Theatrical improvisation

Improvisational comedy as a stand-alone, theatrical artform generally falls into two categories: shortform and longform.

Shortform

Shortform improvisation consists of short, unrelated scenes usually driven by an audience suggestion with a predetermined game, structure, or idea. In shortform games, which take from two to ten minutes, the performers attempt to create a comprehensible scene from audience suggestions while conforming to the specified (and sometimes purposefuly restrictive) rules of the game. Wit and speed are favored. Shortform is often used as warmups, for beginners to learn basic principles of improv, or even portions of a longform.

Many shortform games first created by Viola Spolin and Keith Johnstone are still performed to this day. Television audiences would be most familiar with shortform through the UK and US versions of the television show Whose Line Is It Anyway?. Shortform improvisation is performed around the world and is closely identified with the competitive improv formats of ComedySportz and Theatresports. Many different groups exist around the world. Groups such as, Einstein Simplified, Possible Side Effects, Improv Olympics, Running With Scissors, etc.

Longform

In longform, audiences are often asked for one or more suggestions or inputs which drive the narrative of the performance, as opposed to the more structured shortform. This may take the form of a specific existing type of theater, for example a full-length improvised play or Broadway-style musical. Or, the scenes may be largely unrelated with the exception of a single point of inspiration. Unlike shortform, no further inputs are solicited, and the length can be anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours at the extreme. Some longforms are narrative while others focus on character development, exploration of relationships, or the extrapolation of themes and ideas. Longform improvisation is performed around the world, and it is the predominant form of improvisational performance in Chicago, one of the birthplaces of modern improvisational theatre. Perhaps the best known longform structure is The Harold, developed by ImprovOlympic cofounder Del Close.

The improv community

Many theatre troupes are devoted to staging improvisational performances and growing the improv community through their training centres. One of the most widespread is the international organization Theatresports, which was founded by Keith Johnstone, an English director who wrote what many consider to be the seminal work on improvisational acting, Impro.

Improv luminaries

Some key figures in the development of improvisational theatre are Viola Spolin and her son Paul Sills, founder of Chicago's famed Second City troupe and inventor of Story Theater; Dudley Riggs, founder of Minneapolis' Brave New Workshop; Del Close, founder of ImprovOlympic and creator of the longform improv known as "The Harold" along with his partner Charna Halpern; Keith Johnstone, the British teacher and writer–author of Impro, who founded the Theatre Machine and whose teachings form the foundation of the popular shortform Theatresports format and Dick Chudnow, founder of ComedySportz which evolved its family friendly show format from Johnstone's Theatersports.

See also

External links: troupes and theaters

See: List of improvisational theatre companies

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