Abstract

The Barbara Harris (1935-2018) Papers consists of 3 boxes devoted to materials related to the actress’s career on stage, film, and television. The materials span the years 1961 to 2011 and includes biographical materials, playbills, teaching notes, photographs, VHS and audiocassette tapes, and 1.86 gigabytes of digitized files.

Abstract

The Mee-ow Show, an annual Northwestern University student-run comedy revue and improvisation show, was created as an alternative to NU's long-running student-produced Waa-Mu Show. The first Mee-ow Show was performed in spring, 1974. The records span the years 1974-2004, with a significant portion of the material from the first show. Records vary from year to year, and may include scripts, programs, audition flyers and forms, budget information, clippings and cast information.

Abstract

Paul Sills and Viola Spolin Oral History Collection is a project to collect oral histories documenting improvisational theatre, particularly in the Chicago region.

Abstract

The Piven Theatre Workshop, a theatre educational center and professional theatre company in Evanston, Illinois, was founded by Joyce and Byrne Piven. The Records include the Piven Theatre Company’s production and events files, photographs, teaching materials, public relations material, Joyce Piven’s subject files, audiovisual recordings, project grant files, and posters.

Abstract The Practical Theatre Company (PTC) was a Chicago-based theatre company founded by Northwestern University students and active throughout the 1980s. Its productions included new plays, satiric agitprop, rock and roll events, and a series of successful improvisational comedy revues. The PTC, whose motto was “Art is Good”, is notable for the fact that the entire cast of its 1982 improvisational comedy revue, “The Golden 50th Anniversary Jubilee” (Brad Hall, Seinfeld star Julia Louis-Dreyfus,...

Abstract

The David Shepherd (1924-2018) Papers consists of 33 boxes that contain materials related to his work in improvisational theater.

Abstract Viola Spolin has been called the "high priestess of improvisational theatre".  Born in Chicago in 1906, Spolin is best known as the creator of theater games, originally created as a series of exercises to aid students in the study of drama.  In 1955, Spolin conducted workshops for the Playwrights Theater Club, and later at the Compass Theater.  In 1960 she began running improvisation workshops for the cast of Second City.  As an outgrowth of her work with Second City, Spolin published...