The Improv Institute was an

improvisational comedy Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted: created spontaneously by the performers. In its purest form, the dialogue, a ...

company in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

from 1984 until 1994. The mainstage show was improvised following audience suggestions. The troupe had two storefront-theaters, both on West Belmont Avenue on Chicago's North side, first at 2939 W. Belmont (1984–1990), and later at 2319 W. Belmont (1991–1994). Many theatrical productions had their debuts at the Improv Institute, including '' Flanagan's Wake'' on March 19, 1994.

The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise and is the oldest ongoing improvisational theater troupe to be continually based in Chicago, with training programs and live theatres in Toronto and Los Angeles. The Second City Theatre op ...

producer Kelly Leonard has stated that the Improv Institute was "my favorite place to see improv, other than The Second City." - ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'', January 15, 2004

History

The Improv Institute was founded at the end of 1983 by the late John Michael Michalski, who would go on to direct at The Second City in Chicago. The original cast included Michalski, Rick Hall (''

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''), Kate Kirkpatrick, Patricia Musker ( Roxy Bellows, also a co-writer of ''Flanagan's Wake''), Michael Raysses (''

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''). They were later joined by Ron West (''

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''). Later incarnations of the mainstage cast would include Jack Bronis (''

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'', director/co-writer of ''Flanagan's Wake''), Mark Czoske (co-writer of ''Flanagan's Wake''), Evan Gore (''

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'' writer), Ross Gottstein (''

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''), Laura Hall (''

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''), Tom Hanigan ''(Slice of Pie)'', Amy Hartl, Phil Lusardi (co-writer of ''Flanagan's Wake''), Patricia Musker (a.k.a. Roxy Bellows, also co-writer of ''Flanagan's Wake''), Bonnie Shadrake (co-writer of ''Flanagan's Wake''), and Brad Sherman. Several Improv Institute performers went on to create The Noble Fool Theater Company. Other notable performers who made appearances at the Improv Institute have included

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''), Chris Hogan (''

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('' 10 Items or Less''), Joe Liss (''Less than Perfect'', ''

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''), Lynda Shadrake,

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('' Young Guns,

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''), and Jim Zulevic (''

''). The 30th anniversary of the Improv Institute was celebrated as part of the 2014 Chicago Improv Festival at Stage 773 in Chicago.

History

Further reading