| Del Close | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 9, 1934 Manhattan, Kansas |
| Died | March 4, 1999 Chicago, Illinois |
Del Close (March 9, 1934 – March 4, 1999), along with Keith Johnstone and Viola Spolin, is considered one of the premier influences on modern improvisational theater. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Manhattan is a city in Pottawatomie and Riley counties in the northeastern part of the U Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Events 590 - Bahram Chobin is crowned as king Barham VI of Persia. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Keith Johnstone is a drama instructor whose teachings and books have focused on Improvisational theatre and have had a major influence on the art of improvisation Viola Spolin ( November 7, 1906 - November 22, 1994) was an American drama teacher and author Improvisational theatre (also known as improv or impro) is a form of Theatre in which the Actors use Improvisational acting techniques
An actor, improviser, writer, and teacher, Close had a prolific career, appearing in a number of films and television shows. He was a co-author of the book Truth in Comedy along with partner Charna Halpern, which outlines techniques now common to longform improvisational theater and describes the overall structure of “Harold” which remains a common frame for longer improvisational scenes. Charna Halpern was born and raised on the North Side of Chicago. Improvisational theatre (also known as improv or impro) is a form of Theatre in which the Actors use Improvisational acting techniques Improvisational theatre (also known as improv or impro) is a form of Theatre in which the Actors use Improvisational acting techniques Harold is a form of improvised longform comedy Developed by Del Close and brought to fruition through Close's collaboration with Charna Halpern, the Harold has become His favorite framework for comedic storytelling was the structures of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) is a cycle of four epic Music dramas by the German composer
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Biography
Close was born and raised in Manhattan, Kansas, the son of an inattentive, alcoholic father. Manhattan is a city in Pottawatomie and Riley counties in the northeastern part of the U He ran away from home at the age of 17 to work on a traveling side show, but returned to attend college at Kansas State. Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States At the age of 23, he became a member of the Compass Players in St. Louis. When most of the cast moved to Chicago in 1959 to help form The Second City, Close instead moved to New York City to perform stand-up comedy, where he also performed in the broadway musical revue "The Nervous Set" in 1959. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The City of New York Stand-up comedy is a style of comedy where the performer speaks directly to the audience with the absence of the theatrical " Fourth wall "
Around this time, Close also worked with John Brent to record the classic beatnik satire album How to Speak Hip. How to Speak Hip was a comedy album by Del Close and John Brent, released by Mercury Records in 1959 The album became a prized record for DJs worldwide, and was one of Brian Wilson’s favourite comedy albums. Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942 in Hawthorne, California) is an American Musician best known as the lead
In 1960, Close moved to Chicago – which was to be his home base for much of the rest of his life – to perform and direct with Second City. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Close was fired from Second City due to his substance abuse and spent the latter half of the 1960s in San Francisco, where he was the stage manager for The Committee theater, toured with the Merry Pranksters, and made light images for Grateful Dead shows. The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city The Merry Pranksters are a group of people who originally formed around American Author Ken Kesey in 1964 and sometimes lived communally at his The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area.
After returning to Chicago in the early 1970s, Close was hired again to direct at Second City. He also performed and directed the Second City show in Toronto in 1977. Over the next decade he helped develop many of today’s leading comedians. Acolytes of Del Close have gained prominence in the field of comedy with astounding frequency. At any given time, roughly a quarter of Saturday Night Live’s cast has been composed of his former trainees. Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City
Close spent the 1980s and 1990s teaching comedy improv while slowly succumbing to emphysema. Emphysema is a chronic obstructive Pulmonary disease ( COPD) formerly termed a chronic obstructive Lung disease (COLD But he remained active. During this period, Close acted in several movies, including Ferris Bueller's Day Off, where he played an English teacher. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 Comedy film written and directed by John Hughes. He also co-authored the horror anthology Wasteland for DC Comics with John Ostrander, as well as co-writing several installments of Grimjack's backup feature Munden's Bar. Wasteland was an anthology-style horror comic book published by DC Comics in 1987-1989 and intended for adult readers DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company John Ostrander (born April 20, 1949) is an American Writer of Comic books Originally an actor in a Chicago Theatre GrimJack is the main character of a Comic book published by First Comics. Munden's Bar is a fictional bar featured in the First Comics title GrimJack. Finally, along with Charna Halpern he co-founded the ImprovOlympic. iO, or iO Chicago, (formerly known as "ImprovOlympic" is a theater located at 3541 N
Legend has it that Close's last words were, "I’m tired of being the funniest person in the room. " Before passing away, Close requested that his skull be given to the Goodman Theatre for use in Hamlet productions, on the condition that he should receive credit in the program as Yorick. The Goodman Theatre is a Theater in Chicago 's Loop, and part of Chicago theatre. Hamlet is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601 However, in 2006 it was revealed that an alternate skull was given to the Goodman instead. [1]
Notable students
Guru
In 2005, Jeff Griggs published Guru, a book detailing his friendship with Del during the last two years of his life. John Adam Belushi ( January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American Comedian, Actor and Musician John Franklin Candy (October 31 1950 &ndash March 4 1994 was a Canadian Comedian and Actor. Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( born May 13 1964 is an American Comedian, satirist, Actor and Writer, known for his ironic style Andrew R "Andy" Dick (born December 21 1965 is an American Comedian, Actor, Voice artist, Musician and Producer Christopher Crosby "Chris" Farley (February 15 1964 &ndash December 18 1997 was an American Comedian and Actor. Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (born May 18 1970 is a Golden Globe - five time Emmy - and SAG Award -winning American Writer Aaron Freeman (born June 8, 1956 in Kankakee Illinois) is an American journalist and stand-up comedian based in Chicago. Tim Kazurinsky (born March 3 1950) is an American Comedian best known for performances on the NBC show Saturday Night Live Shelley Lee Long (born August 23, 1949) is a Golden Globe Award and Emmy Award -winning American film, stage For the British actor see Billy Murray (actor. William James "Bill" Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an Michael John "Mike" Myers (born May 25, 1963) is a Canadian Actor, Comedian, Screenwriter and Film producer Robert "Bob" Odenkirk (born October 22, 1962) is an American Comedian, Actor, Writer, director and Tim O'Malley (born June 26, 1957) is an American Actor and Playwright, director living in Chicago. David Pasquesi is a Comedian and Actor living in Chicago. Some of his screen credits include Groundhog Day, Strangers with Candy Amy Meredith Poehler (born September 16 1971 is an American Comedian and Actress. Gilda Susan Radner ( June 28, 1946 – May 20, 1989) was an Emmy Award -winning American Comedienne and Actress Harold Allen Ramis (born November 21, 1944) is an American actor director and writer specializing in comedy Paul Andrew "Andy" Richter (born October 28 1966 is an American Comedian and actor See the David Thomas disambiguation page for other people with this name Stephnie Weir (born November 28, 1967; sometimes credited as Stephanie Weir) is an American Actress and Comedian. George Robert Wendt (born October 17, 1948) is an American Actor, best known for the role of Norm Peterson on the classic Television Due to Del’s poor health (in part caused by long-term alcohol and drug use), Charna Halpern arranged for Griggs to spend every Thursday afternoon with Close and run errands with him. Guru gives a particularly detailed and complete picture of Del. At the beginning of their relationship, Griggs was a student of Del’s, and the book includes several chapters in which Griggs depicts Del as a teacher.
The book has been adapted into a screenplay, and as of 2006 Harold Ramis was attached to direct the script, although it does not appear that the movie will soon be made. See also Pre-production Screenwriting A screenplay or script is a written plan authored by a Screenwriter, for a Film or Television Harold Allen Ramis (born November 21, 1944) is an American actor director and writer specializing in comedy [2] Ramis would like Bill Murray to play Close. For the British actor see Billy Murray (actor. William James "Bill" Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an
In 2007 Eric Spitznagel wrote an article in the September issue of The Believer magazine reflecting on Close's life and his propensity for story-telling. The Believer is an American Magazine, primarily about literature [3]
References
- ^ Friend, Tad. "Skulduggery", The New Yorker, 2006-10-09. The New Yorker is an American Magazine that publishes reportage commentary criticism essays fiction satire cartoons and poetry Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. Retrieved on 2006-12-17. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila
- ^ Harold Ramis interview. SuicideGirls. com. Retrieved on 2006-12-17. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila
- ^ Spitznagel, Eric (September 2007). Follow the Fear. The Believer. Retrieved on 2007-09-14. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus.
External links
- Audio Interview with Griggs on The Sound of Young America: MP3 Link
- Del Close at Improv/Comedy
- Del Close Improv Marathon
- "As Del Lay Dying," an account of Del Close's final days (w/ video)
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