Viola Spolin (November , â€" November , ) was an American theatre
academic, educator and acting coach. She is considered an important
innovator in th century American theater for creating directorial
techniques to help actors to be focused in the present moment and to
find choices improvisationally, as if in real life. These acting
exercises she later called Theater Games and formed the first body of
work that enabled other directors and actors to create improvisational
theater. Her book Improvisation for the Theater, which published these
techniques, includes her philosophy and her teaching and coaching
methods, and is considered the "bible of improvisational theater".
Spolin's contributions were seminal to the improvisational theater
movement in the U.S. She is considered to be the mother of
Improvisational theater. Her work has influenced American theater,
television and film by providing new tools and techniques that are now
used by actors, directors and writers.Spolin influenced the first
generation of improvisational actors at the Second City in Chicago in
the mid- to late s, through her son, Paul Sills. He was the founding
director of the Compass Players which led to the formation of the
Second City. He used her techniques in the training and direction of
the company, which enabled them to create satirical improvisational
theater about current social & political issues. Spolin also taught
workshops for Second City actors, as well as for the general public.
Paul Sills and the success of the Second City were largely responsible
for the popularization of improvisational theater, which became best
known as a comedy form called "improv." Many actors, writers and
directors, grew out of that school of theater and had formative
experiences performing and being trained at the Second City. See below
for a list of notable theater, television and film professionals who
were influenced by Spolin and Sills.Spolin developed acting exercises
or "games" that unleashed creativity, adapting focused "play" to
unlock the individual's capacity for creative self-expression. Viola
Spolin's use of recreational games in theater came from her background
with the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression
where she studied with Neva Boyd starting in . Spolin also taught
classes at Jane Addams' Hull House in Chicago.She authored a number of
texts on improvisation. Her first and most famous was Improvisation
for the Theater, published by Northwestern University Press. This book
has become a classic resource for improvisational actors, directors
and teachers. It has been published in three editions in , and .
academic, educator and acting coach. She is considered an important
innovator in th century American theater for creating directorial
techniques to help actors to be focused in the present moment and to
find choices improvisationally, as if in real life. These acting
exercises she later called Theater Games and formed the first body of
work that enabled other directors and actors to create improvisational
theater. Her book Improvisation for the Theater, which published these
techniques, includes her philosophy and her teaching and coaching
methods, and is considered the "bible of improvisational theater".
Spolin's contributions were seminal to the improvisational theater
movement in the U.S. She is considered to be the mother of
Improvisational theater. Her work has influenced American theater,
television and film by providing new tools and techniques that are now
used by actors, directors and writers.Spolin influenced the first
generation of improvisational actors at the Second City in Chicago in
the mid- to late s, through her son, Paul Sills. He was the founding
director of the Compass Players which led to the formation of the
Second City. He used her techniques in the training and direction of
the company, which enabled them to create satirical improvisational
theater about current social & political issues. Spolin also taught
workshops for Second City actors, as well as for the general public.
Paul Sills and the success of the Second City were largely responsible
for the popularization of improvisational theater, which became best
known as a comedy form called "improv." Many actors, writers and
directors, grew out of that school of theater and had formative
experiences performing and being trained at the Second City. See below
for a list of notable theater, television and film professionals who
were influenced by Spolin and Sills.Spolin developed acting exercises
or "games" that unleashed creativity, adapting focused "play" to
unlock the individual's capacity for creative self-expression. Viola
Spolin's use of recreational games in theater came from her background
with the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression
where she studied with Neva Boyd starting in . Spolin also taught
classes at Jane Addams' Hull House in Chicago.She authored a number of
texts on improvisation. Her first and most famous was Improvisation
for the Theater, published by Northwestern University Press. This book
has become a classic resource for improvisational actors, directors
and teachers. It has been published in three editions in , and .
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