Happy Anniversary, Improv:

Fifty years ago in a bar that is no longer open, a group of University of Chicago students and their friends debuted a unique style of improvised theater that challenged mainstream thinking, connected actors with their audience and raised a few laughs. Drawing from current events and audience suggestions, The Compass theater group laid the groundwork for cabaret-styled improv, spawning similar troupes across the country and at home like Chicago's trailblazing Second City.

The Compass "made it possible for people to go to a place where conventional values were challenged and the audience was not passive, they interacted," said The Compass co-founder David Shepherd, now 80. "It was groundbreaking."

On Tuesday, current University of Chicago students will honor The Compass' 50th anniversary by performing the theater's debut show in its former rehearsal space. They will act out newspaper stories, perform a scene between an unhappily married couple and their daughter, and improvise skits based on audience suggestions.

--The next time you're in Chicago, check out Second City if you haven't. It's always a great show.

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 07:34 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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