Compass Players

E883744

Compass Players was a pioneering 1950s Chicago improvisational theater troupe that helped launch modern American improv and sketch comedy.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf comedy troupe
improvisational theatre troupe
theatre company
activeIn Chicago theatre scene
artForm live performance
audienceInteraction high
basedOn Viola Spolin’s theatre games NERFINISHED
city Chicago, Illinois, United States
surface form: Chicago
country United States of America
surface form: United States
culturalSignificance helped establish improv as a legitimate theatrical form
dissolvedInPeriod late 1950s
foundedBy David Shepherd NERFINISHED
Paul Sills NERFINISHED
foundedInPeriod 1950s
genre improvisational theatre
sketch comedy
heritage precursor to The Second City
historicalEra post–World War II American theatre
inception 1955
influenced American sketch comedy
American stand-up comedy
American television comedy
The Second City NERFINISHED
knownFor ensemble-based improvisation
pioneering long-form improvisation
satirical social commentary
language English
location Chicago NERFINISHED
medium stage
movement modern American improv
notableAlumniWentOnTo Broadway GENERATED
Hollywood film GENERATED
television comedy GENERATED
notableMember Barbara Harris NERFINISHED
Del Close NERFINISHED
Elaine May NERFINISHED
Mike Nichols NERFINISHED
Paul Sills NERFINISHED
Severn Darden NERFINISHED
Shelley Berman NERFINISHED
operatedAs nightclub act
parentOrganization Compass Theater NERFINISHED
performanceStyle unscripted scenes based on audience suggestions
region Midwestern United States
rehearsalApproach game-based improvisation exercises
state Illinois
subjectOf books on improv history
trainingInfluence modern improv training schools

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Nichols and May influencedBy Compass Players
Shelley Berman memberOf Compass Players
The Second City in Chicago originatedFrom Compass Players
subject surface form: The Second City (Chicago)