WHAT IS IMPROV THEATER

Improv Theater is a theatrical art form much different from any other. There is no script, there are no predefined characters, there is no safety net. The audience offers the actors a suggestion that will serve as inspiration. From there on, the entire play is improvised and created on the spot, right in front of the entire audience. This art form is widely known as "Improv".

In Improv every show is unique. It has never been performed before and will never be performed again, other than the day during which it was created.

There are countless Improv Theater formats, comedic or otherwise. They are all, however, based on the exact same principles of taking risks and embracing failure, simplifying our offers, being affected by saying "Yes And..." to everything and anything, being in the moment, not doubting ourselves. 

Improv is spontaneous, impressive and incredibly entertaining. It's one of those things that you have to see it with your own eyes to appreciate it and understand what it's all about. And if you end up not believing it was all made up on the spot... Well, that means we did a good job.

 

VIOLA SPOLIN

Viola Spolin was an actress, educator, director, author, and the creator of theater games, a system of actor training that uses games she devised to organically teach the formal rules of the theater. Her groundbreaking book Improvisation for the Theater transformed American theater and revolutionized the way acting is taught. She is considered to be the mother of Improv Theater.

She developed her methods while working as a drama supervisor in Chicago for the WPA, at her Young Actors Company in Hollywood, and as Director of Workshops at The Second City. The modern improvisational theater movement is a direct outgrowth of Spolin’s methods, discoveries, and writings.

One day, while in her 60’s, she went to watch a former student of hers teach a workshop. Before even getting too far, she stoop up and said “That's it. Get out! You don’t know what you’re doing.”, and took over the class.

 

DEL CLOSE

An American actor, writer, and teacher who coached many of the best-known comedians andcomic actors of the late twentieth century. In addition to a prolific acting career in television and film, he was considered a premier influence on modern improvisational theater.

Close co-authored the book Truth in Comedy, which outlines techniques now common in longform improvisation, and describes the overall structure of "Harold", which remains a common frame for longer improvisational scenes.

In his will, he bequeathed his skull to Chicago's Goodman Theatre, to be used in its productions of Hamlet , and specified that he be duly credited in the program as portraying Yorick.

 

KEITH JOHNSTONE

Drama teacher born in the UK. His teaching went through a number of stages, but ended up focusing on improvised theater. He affected the evolution of Improv theater, wrote two books about it and is considered one of the founders of modern day improv.

His book "Impro: Improvisation and the theater" is the most widely known improv book around the world and has been translated in dozens of languages, including Greek. He continues teaching workshops around the world to this day.

At a parent-teacher meeting at his son's school he has said to one of the teachers: "I don't care what you are teaching my son. All i care is that you get him to want to be coming to school in the morning and not be looking forward to leave in the afternoon.