The Georgetown Improv Association
Encyclopedia
The Georgetown Improv Association is a collegiate long-form improvisational troupe
at Georgetown University
founded in the spring of 1995. The troupe performs on-campus at Bulldog Alley at Georgetown’s Leavey Center, as well as at other colleges and venues in the surrounding District of Columbia
area.
, Nomadic Theatre, and Black Theatre Ensemble. Under the Players banner, an improvisational troupe was founded as the Georgetown Players Improv Troupe. In 2000, the troupe renamed itself the Georgetown Players Improv Group, taking the acronym, G-PIG. Over the years, the troupe has put on monthly shows in Bulldog Alley and has performed at other Georgetown functions. Members of the troupe have also performed at other colleges and universities, venues including the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, i.O.
, and the Washington Improv Theater
.
In the spring of 2010, the Georgetown Players voted to split its memberships into two new theater groups. Independent from the Players, the improv troupe took the name The Georgetown Improv Association.
and the i.O.
Chicago Touring Company in 1998.
Many alumni credit the troupe for sparking their initial interests in comedy and pursuing comedy as a career. Kroll notes, "Being in [the troupe] was the best thing I got out of college. I had never done sketch or improv comedy before and it opened my eyes to the possibility of saying whatever I wanted however I wanted. It definitely gave me the confidence and experience to pursue a career in comedy."
Improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...
at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
founded in the spring of 1995. The troupe performs on-campus at Bulldog Alley at Georgetown’s Leavey Center, as well as at other colleges and venues in the surrounding District of Columbia
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area.
History
The Georgetown Players was founded in 1995 as an alternative theater group to Georgetown’s Mask and Bauble Dramatic SocietyMask and Bauble Dramatic Society
The Mask and Bauble Dramatic Society of Georgetown University is the oldest continuously running collegiate theatre troupe in the United States. Today, the Society is one of five theatre groups on the Georgetown campus and is entirely student-run...
, Nomadic Theatre, and Black Theatre Ensemble. Under the Players banner, an improvisational troupe was founded as the Georgetown Players Improv Troupe. In 2000, the troupe renamed itself the Georgetown Players Improv Group, taking the acronym, G-PIG. Over the years, the troupe has put on monthly shows in Bulldog Alley and has performed at other Georgetown functions. Members of the troupe have also performed at other colleges and universities, venues including the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, i.O.
I.O.
iO, or iO Chicago, is a theater located at 3541 N. Clark St., in Chicago, Illinois, one-half block south of Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. The theater both has performances of, and teaches improvisational comedy. It was founded in the 1980s by Del Close and Charna Halpern...
, and the Washington Improv Theater
Washington Improv Theater
Washington Improv Theater is an improv comedy theater and school based in Washington, D.C..Washington Improv Theater was founded in 1986 by Carole Douglis, and then was disbanded in 1992. Three years later, Douglis started training a new cohort of improvisors, some of whom remain in WIT today...
.
In the spring of 2010, the Georgetown Players voted to split its memberships into two new theater groups. Independent from the Players, the improv troupe took the name The Georgetown Improv Association.
Improvfest
Since 1997, the troupe has hosted “Improvfest,” one of the oldest improv festivals in the country. Schools that have participated include the University of Chicago, Duke University, M.I.T., the Ohio State University, Indiana University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Richmond, Wesleyan University, Xavier University, and Yale University. The troupe hosted Charna HalpernCharna Halpern
Charna Halpern is a co-founder of the ImprovOlympic, now known as The iO. She was born and raised on the North Side of Chicago. In 1984, with partner Del Close, she began teaching The Harold to many students in the Chicago theatre community. She and Close co-authored the book Truth in Comedy: The...
and the i.O.
I.O.
iO, or iO Chicago, is a theater located at 3541 N. Clark St., in Chicago, Illinois, one-half block south of Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs baseball team. The theater both has performances of, and teaches improvisational comedy. It was founded in the 1980s by Del Close and Charna Halpern...
Chicago Touring Company in 1998.
Notable alumni
The troupe has produced several notable alumni in the fields of comedy and entertainment:- Alison BeckerAlison BeckerAlison Helene Becker is an American actress, comedian, writer, and TV personality. She is the previous host of VH1's Top 20 Video Countdown and currently the co-host/sidekick on the FuelTV panel talk-show The Daily Habit.-Early life:...
, (COL ‘99), comedian - Mike BirbigliaMike Birbiglia-Professional work:Birbiglia has released three albums, including My Secret Public Journal Live, which was named one of the best comedy albums of the decade by the Onion AV Club....
, (COL ’00), comedian - Nick KrollNick KrollNick Kroll is an American actor and comedian best known for appearing in television shows such as Best Week Ever, Cavemen and Sit Down, Shut Up. He co-stars in the shows The Life & Times of Tim and The League....
, (COL ’01), comedian - John MulaneyJohn MulaneyJohn Mulaney is an American comedian and writer for Saturday Night Live .In addition to writing for SNL, Mulaney has appeared on the show's "Weekend Update" segment. Mulaney also previously made regular appearances on Best Week Ever on VH1. Mulaney appeared multiple times on Late Night with Conan...
, (COL 04), comedian, writer for Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
Many alumni credit the troupe for sparking their initial interests in comedy and pursuing comedy as a career. Kroll notes, "Being in [the troupe] was the best thing I got out of college. I had never done sketch or improv comedy before and it opened my eyes to the possibility of saying whatever I wanted however I wanted. It definitely gave me the confidence and experience to pursue a career in comedy."