Kenn Adams
11-12-2007, 07:20 AM
Hello Everybody,
I was explaining to somebody that my theater company, Synergy Theater, improvises full-length plays and she asked me how long people have been doing that and how it all started. It occured to me that I only know my personal view of the answer, and thought it would be cool to see what everybody else knows about the issue.
So the question is how and when did the improvised full-lenth play evolve. To put some parameters on it, let's define an "improvised full-length play" as a completely improvised performance in which there's a single main through-line of dramatic action and a well constructed dramatic arc to the story. So, nothing based on a scenario or rigid pre-planned scene structure and nothing that is harold-like. But, something that strived to be a linear, narrative-based play with a traditional dramatic arc. I realize that still leaves a lot open to interpretation, but let's give it a shot and see what people have to say.
So, if anybody has some first-hand experience or anecdotal evience, let's see if we can construct a history. Here's what I know, from first hand experience: In 1991, I was working with Freestyle Repertory Theater in New York, the New York home for TheaterSports, under the artistic direction of Laura Livingston. I directed a show called Play by Play, which was a two-act, completely improvised play. Each act was 45 minutes long. We had a cast of 5 actors. We each played a single character, and the entire play took place in one location and in real time.
What else do we know?
I was explaining to somebody that my theater company, Synergy Theater, improvises full-length plays and she asked me how long people have been doing that and how it all started. It occured to me that I only know my personal view of the answer, and thought it would be cool to see what everybody else knows about the issue.
So the question is how and when did the improvised full-lenth play evolve. To put some parameters on it, let's define an "improvised full-length play" as a completely improvised performance in which there's a single main through-line of dramatic action and a well constructed dramatic arc to the story. So, nothing based on a scenario or rigid pre-planned scene structure and nothing that is harold-like. But, something that strived to be a linear, narrative-based play with a traditional dramatic arc. I realize that still leaves a lot open to interpretation, but let's give it a shot and see what people have to say.
So, if anybody has some first-hand experience or anecdotal evience, let's see if we can construct a history. Here's what I know, from first hand experience: In 1991, I was working with Freestyle Repertory Theater in New York, the New York home for TheaterSports, under the artistic direction of Laura Livingston. I directed a show called Play by Play, which was a two-act, completely improvised play. Each act was 45 minutes long. We had a cast of 5 actors. We each played a single character, and the entire play took place in one location and in real time.
What else do we know?