WATCH "INVENTING IMPROV: THE LIFE & LEGACY OF VIOLA SPOLIN" ONLINE

Chicago’s WTTW has released a one-hour episode in their Chicago Stories series dedicated to the life and legacy of Viola Spolin, including the role of Paul Sills. Sills/Spolin Theater Works contributed commentary, historical information and documents, and archival photos. You can watch the whole episode online here.

You can read about her life and more about the project at WTTW’s interactive website here.

“From the well-known improvisational comedy theaters such as The Second City that draw big crowds to the tiny storefront theaters where people get together for casual improv jams, Chicago has become a capital city of comedy. But the origins of improvisation don’t actually stem from comedy. Its very early roots are actually in a Chicago settlement house, where a young woman learned about group play from a sociologist. That young woman, Viola Spolin, whom many consider the “Mother of Improv,” went on to create a series of theater games that ultimately sparked an entire improvisation movement in the theater community. Where did that inspiration come from, and how many other people did she inspire?”