College Improv Powerhouse Program?

[ZoShmo88]

Hello All

My name is Zo and I excited to pop my cherry with my very first post. I have been a long time reader/follower of these forums but have never posted until now.

I was just wondering what everyone’s opinion was regarding the top colleges for Improv. Everyone knows that USC has produced a solid football program and Duke/North Carolina is amazing for basketball. So I was bored in class one day and was wondering what Colleges is powerhouse for Improv comedy.

Discuss


Zo

[sammy]

I'm not sure by what criteria you want to judge what constitutes a "powerhouse" -- the university that has folks come here and succeed? the university that put ups consistently good shows? the university with the best training? the university with the best opportunities for professional development? etc.

As for usual summer/fall college improvisor influx, I would dare say it goes in waves. A university might have a strong troupe for a couple of years and then those folks move en masse to Chicago. Then, another university has a solid troupe for a couple of years and those folks emigrate here. Rinse, repeat.

[Monahan]

Oh, Sammy, stop beating around the bush...

The answer he (or she) is looking for is <b>The College of William & Mary</b>.

[sammy]

To be fair Monahan, College of William and Mary is an Improv Championship Subdivision school, not an Improv Bowl Subdivision school.

[robbersean]

Hi Friend,

There are loads of good places, here are a few that I know of off of the top of my head:

The College of William and Mary, as has already been mentioned
The University of Florida
the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
UMass Amherst (my own improv alma mater)

Also, any school in Chicago would probably be good as they all have improv teams, AND access to the nation's improv Mecca.

[Steev]

Miami University has a great program, and has spit out plenty of great players. Andy Eninger, Angela Forfia, Matt Larsen... to name a few!

[schaefe]

Is it getting close to the Improv Final Four Tourney at the PG already?

[Improviser's Delight]

I love the idea of choosing a college based on its improv team.

[Nick]

I have to push Loyola Chicago, not just because I went there, but because they really have begun to embrace what improv theatre in Chicago really is. Having someone like Susan Messing as their lead Improv instructor is awesome, you can get 15 weeks with her and it's a good blend of what she teaches at iO and the Annoyance.

Loyola also has two great teams, The 45 Kings and BAM!, which both play regularly around campus and the city. The Kings have really grown into their own in the past two years or so with Meredith Ibey as their coach.

Last year Loyola offered the Loyola Improv Educators Program as well which featured classes with Susan, Mick Napier, Matt Elwell, Charna Halpern, Jimmy Carrane and Loyola Alumnist Dave Pasquesi... who doesn't teach many workshops by himself.

If you have the drive to really rape the shit out of this city and are willing to push your ideas Loyola will support you. There's programs in place, but they are really good about supporting other improv ventures.

[rene]

I know a lot of excellent improvisers that started out at:
Univ of Michigan
Univ of Florida
William & Mary
University of Carolina Chapel Hill

Most of these places, the scene was built around the university improv program and has created spaces around it to play. Take CHiPs and Chapel Hill. First CHiPs, then the DSI theater.

[jorin]

I'll push for the NC triangle in general --

I went to NC State and now there is the CIA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comedic_Improvisation_Alliance) there as well.

The university is super close to ComedyWorx, which has been doing ComedySportz or CSz-style shows since around 1989, and is now the host for the iO South training center, and there are a lot of college folks involved.

So, if you opt for triangle area in NC there's plenty of stuff going on, as well as top-rate education for engineering or the humanities.

[rene]

good point jorin.

don't forget about Appalachian State (http://www.appstate.edu/), where the upset of Michigan was second compared to the education of Ross Bryant (http://www.comedysportzchicago.com/site/epage/15826_245.htm).

[HeatherConnelly]

What school has the team Recess? Those kids did some hard core shit. I went to Skidmore (wo0t!) and looked forward to those guys every year at the annual National College Comedy Festival. I think it might be GW. Recess from '95-'99 was the real deal.

[aimeng99]

Being at the University of Georgia, I totally hate to admit this, but I know many fine improvisors have come from the University of Florida and I know their college team to be pretty awesome and fairly professionally run. Their football team can eat my ass, though. F' you, Gators!

[shalvi]

What school has the team Recess? Those kids did some hard core shit. I went to Skidmore (wo0t!) and looked forward to those guys every year at the annual National College Comedy Festival. I think it might be GW. Recess from '95-'99 was the real deal.

Yeah that was GW's team. I saw them play once at U of Maryland around 2000. They were reeeeally good. T.J. Miller was on that team, telling some story about a mix tape he made for the drive to Skidmore with nothing but Hotel California on it.

[ZoShmo88]

Thank you all for your input, it was much appreciated

Zo

[Forsythe]

Harvard
William & Mary
University of Florida (where I went)
Miami of Ohio
UNC
UMass

But the thing to keep in mind is that colleges cycles through people pretty fast and those that made an improv troupe amazing during a certain period have probably left that school since then.

Though, if you are a high school student wanting to pick a college based on improv, I'd suggest skipping all of the above schools and enrolling in a Chicago college like Northwestern, Columbia, UIC, or University of Chicago. That way you can also enroll in classes at iO, The Annoyance, or Second City.

[Hicks]

While it would make sense to go to a Chicago school for obvious reasons, there is something to be said for the college troupe, especially for one that has been successful for a long period of time. The ones you named have had a long track record and that's not just because of one good group. Many times it's a few things. The legacy gets passed down in how to do things and be successful. The seniors and juniors recruit and teach the freshmen and sophmores on how to do the show. They often have a sweet gig, IE UMass has Sat. nights at 8 Pm in an ideal venue. Alumni want to help and make the college shows stronger. Perfect example is the Gainesville fest which has Florida alumni go back and up the profile every year for the Florida improv group. And when you come to chicago after graduation you have that bond with the people who also went to your school.
I guess also part of the point I'm making is also that one. college should be a wide range of things besides just improv and two. When you are in a college troupe and you are one of the few in your town or area, these are the closest people in your college experience. You're college friends for life. You lose a little of that being in a big city with so many other improvisors. You miss that closeness and those ridiculous college experiences. You miss a little of that superstardom that can come from being the big show in your college town. Chicago will be here. College won't always.

[Miss Mason]

I mean come to chicago, so you can have both college and improv. But...
Skidmore College in NY is home to the National College Comedy Festival. It's where I met Del, the State, Mick, and a bunch of folks... and the reason i moved to chicago.

[rene]

Oberlin in OH and IU in IN have groups and college festivals too.

Edit: So doe Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

[Frank Vu]

Skidmore rocks.

Something really cool about performing in front of an audience of improvisers. Oh, and you get to party with improv chicks with New England accents.

I was at Skidmore (with UMd) the year Harvard staged a fist-fight during freeze-tag. During the melee, TJ Miller (having no idea it was fake) jumped out and starting doing pro-wrestling commentary.

Fucking genius I thought.