The Playground Theater is the only continuously operating

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

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

dedicated to Modern Theatrical Improvisation, a form of theater invented in the city. The Playground was founded in 1997 by its original member companies. Located on Halsted Street, The Playground features performances every night. The theater exists as a non-profit co-op, governed by its member companies, or "teams." The Playground currently is home to over 12 house teams in addition to guest teams, and members of the theater's Incubator Program. From time to time the theater holds auditions for its signature ''Incubator Program,'' in which applicants are judged on their skills at scene-based

improvised 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 ...

. Those who pass are assembled into Incubator Teams with a certain guaranteed number of shows on The Playground's stage. The newly hatched teams are then free to govern their own fates, hire their own coaches, and generally pursue a career as an improv

ensemble Ensemble may refer to: Art * Architectural ensemble * ''Ensemble'' (album), Kendji Girac 2015 album * Ensemble (band), a project of Olivier Alary * Ensemble cast (drama, comedy) * Ensemble (musical theatre), also known as the chorus * ''En ...

. Some Incubator teams eventually wind up applying for membership status with the theater. The Playground launched Playground Theatricals in 2015 with the production of Don Chipotle, an original play written by Juan Villa. Playground Theater was created to provide a venue for Chicago's improvisers to have more artistic control over the work they produce. At the end of 2016, The Playground Theater announced the launch of a new program for writers, directors and performers called MOSAIC. MOSAIC which will focus on artists exploring individual identity and celebrating uniqueness. MOSIAC accepted a 7-month MOSAIC writer and production residency will run in association with The Department of Cultural Affairs at the Chicago Cultural Center. MOSAIC will begin accepting submissions for COMEDY and THEATRICAL productions in 2016.

References

External links

The Playground's web site
Improvisational theatre Theatres in Chicago Comedy clubs in the United States {{Chicago-struct-stub

See also

References

External links