Viola Spolin

And my mother, I was born in Chicago when Second City was happening.

My mother studied with Viola Spolin, who's the mother of Second City.

Mm-hmm.

Starred with David Steinberg in a play, The Jewish Hamlet, the Hamlet of Step- Stephanie Green.

Hooking manifests that Meisner idea further by speaking aloud the unspoken connection, saying the what I need or what I get from the partner or the action aloud and then saying the next line.

The improvisational aspect I've added of using impulse and chair exercises builds on fundamental skills developed by Viola Spolin, who believed that everyone, not just actors, has a natural ability to be responsive in the moment.

In acting heightened text, we fold together those two theories and add active listening skills.

The result is that hooking brings physical energy to the text and the scene that is dynamic, focused, and partner-centered.

We put her in the show? Yeah, indeed.

One of the backgrounds is theater games that came from Viola Spolin and then that ultimately became Second City and sketch comedy, blah, blah, blah.

But you're totally present and your focus is on the other person because that's the way life is.

You're listening.

Which I mean, and you could say for Chicago is like a huge thing that all the small storefronts love.

Years later, Viola Spolin taught at Hall House and developed improvisational theater techniques that would have a major influence on American comedy and theater as a whole.

Amazing.

Hall House kept expanding because the original mansion couldn't hold everything.

Sure, sure, sure.

And, um, so my first class was with Martin de Maat and then Josephine Forsberg, who was one of Viola Spolin's proteges.

And she, she became a mentor and a teacher, and, um, through her, I, I, and through improv itself and the kinds of people it drew-

Mm-hmm

[laughs]

I, am, d- d- so there's Viola Spolin and Paul Sills-

Oh, yes.

Did you ever do improv?

And Paul Sills is the co-founder of the Second City and the co-founder of Compass.

And the son of Viola Spolin, who's the founder of the first original 200 improv games that were created in modern times.

And when I saw them play, they're all in their 50s and 60s.

And that was incredibly inspiring to me because I realized, You don't have to stop this art form at a certain age.

So we have a lot of investment in that.

But as people grow more and try other things, your awareness of how to play expands past it.

I do a lecture called Nine Ways Up the Mountain, which is a lecture focusing on the nine major North American improv philosophies and practices going from Viola Spolin in the 1940s to Upright Citizens Brigade now.

And each one has a different take on how to improvise.