Improv History

By PaulKillam
  • 391 BCE

    Atellan Farce

  • 476

    (Fall of Rome)

  • 935

    (Hroswitha)

    (Considered by some to be the first person since antiquity to compose drama in the Latin West.)
  • 1545

    Commedia dell'arte

    (Italy)
    (Outlawed in 1797)

  • Shakespeare

    (purported career: 1589-1613)

  • Moliere

    (France)
    (Career: 1645-1673)

  • Goldoni

    (Italy)
    (Servant Of Two Masters - Commedia plot)

  • Vaudeville

    (approx. 1880-1930)

  • Neva Boyd

    Hull House, Chicago

  • Viola Spolin

    WPA Recreational Program (Chicago)

  • Spolin

    Young Actors Company (Hollywood)

  • Dudley Riggs

    Instant Theatre Co.

  • Spolin

    Playwright's Theatre Club (Chicago)

  • Compass Players

    (Chicago)

  • Keith Johstone

    Royal Court Theatre (London)

  • Instant Theatre Co,

    (Minneapolis)

  • The Second City

    (Chicago)

  • Johnstone - 11 Men Dead At Holla Camp

    (London)

  • Spolin, Jo Forsberg

    (Chicago)

  • Improvisation For The Theater, Spolin

    (Chicago)

  • The Committee

    (San Francisco)(until 1972)

  • Theatre Machine - Johnstone

    (London)

  • The Harold (The Committee)

    (San Francisco)(Concord)

  • End of the Lord Chamberlain's Censorship

    (London, UK)

  • Player's Workshop

    (Chicago)(through 2000)
    (Second City)(IO)

  • Johnstone - University of Calgary

    (Calgary, Canada)

  • Second City, Toronto

    (Toronto, Canada)

  • The Groundlings (Gary Austin)

    (Los Angeles)

  • Playback Theatre, Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas

    (New York)

  • Loose Moose - Theatresports

    (Calgary)

  • Impro : Improvisation And The Theatre - Johnstone

    Calgary

  • VTSL

    (Vancouver, BC)

  • Improv Olympic

    (Chicago)

  • Unexpected Productions

    (Seattle) (Seattle Theatresports)

  • BATS Improv

    (San Francisco) (Theatresports)

  • Whose Line Is It Anyway (BBC Radio)

    (London)

  • Whose Line Is It Anyway (BBC TV)

    (London)

  • Upright Citizens Brigade

    (New York)

  • Whose Line Is It Anyway

    (US)