Subject to Change by Annie Flora

TO CHANGE

CRESTED BUTTE’S IMPROV TROUPE: DITCH THE SCRIPT AND COME PLAY.

By Annie Flora

Jacob Spetzler

Yes and… Those two simple words are the foundation for an entire art form – improv. Improv essentially is performing a play that is unscripted. To some, that sounds terrifying; to others, it’s liberating and fun. A Crested Butte improv group this summer will let people explore the art form – as players or audience members.

It’s hard to say exactly when improv started; you can certainly trace some of its history to Renaissance Italy and commedia dell’arte. But the art form as we know it began mid-20th century. Viola Spolin is often considered the mother of improvisational theater. She was the literal mother of Paul Sills, who in 1955 was a founding member of the Compass Players, which would lead to the opening of The Second City in Chicago in 1959.

Although improv could have been performed earlier in Crested Butte, we know that the history of improv in our town goes back at least 50 years. This year the Crested Butte Mountain Theatre (CBMT) is celebrating its 50th anniversary. One of its founders, Eric Ross, was a performer on The Second City Mainstage in Chicago. He brought his love of the art form here and taught improv to students at the Crested Butte Academy.

In 2017, Kathleen Mary, a former artistic director of the CBMT, brought improv back in a big way. She formed the troupe Unplanned Calamity and used improv as a tool to help actors grow. The group continued under Harmony Dawson and changed its name to Subject to Change in 2018.

The current troupe is full of kind and incredibly talented people who want to play with you! If you’ve ever considered doing improv, this is the perfect chance to take a workshop. The group is now coached by The Second City Conservatory graduate Annie (Rijks) Flora and includes Tricia Seeberg, Kirsten Hausman, Eliot Paulsen, Gregory Haley, Jimmy Utley, Gregg Helvey and Jodine Pahl.

Email improv@cbmountaintheatre. org to find out about workshops and shows. We would love to add you to our improv family! b