Chicago 2025 - Day Four

Chicago Day 4 – Spontaneous, Unprompted, Impulsive, Natural... Welcome to Improv!

“In the beginning, Viola Spolin wrote the word ‘improvisation’ and the darkness that was upon the face of Chicago theatre filled up with light. And the light revealed imaginary space and real people – children first, then college students, then grown-up actors – playing within the imaginary space, passing it between themselves, shaping it into objects, transforming it.”

(American Theatre, 1990).

We started our day at the hotel by fuelling ourselves to get ready for a jam-packed day of improvisation workshops within Central Chicago.

Chicago 2025 - Day Four

Our first stop today was ‘The Second City’. The venue opened its doors on a snowy Chicago night in December of 1959... a comedy revolution began. The small cabaret theater grew to become the most influential and prolific comedy empire in the world, developing an entirely unique way of creating art and fostering generation after generation of performing artists.

Today, students from New Bridge and Ridgewood collaborated together in a series of interactive master classes at this historical place. The students’ engagement, interaction and participation were incredible.

Chicago 2025 - Day Four (2)

After a morning at The Second City, we then made our way across to ‘iO Theatre’ for lunch.

Chicago 2025 - Day Four (3)

After lunch, we remained at the iO Theatre. Within Chicago, this venue is known as the home of longform improvisation. Today, the iO Theatre staff worked with New Bridge and Ridgewood students focusing on further developing their stage awareness skills and giving them the opportunity to practice longform improv.

Passed down through the hands of generations of improvisers, the iO Theatre treats comedy as art and believes in the power of group mind, authenticity in scene work, and in thematic exploration through the forms that define Chicago improv!

Again, the students were spectacular. Well done all!

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This evening, for our evening meal, we dined in the hotel. Students enjoyed an array of different pastas, salad, cheese and sauces, and cheesecake for dessert.