The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights located on West 44th Street in Hell's Kitchen , New York City .
106-588: John Peter Sarsgaard ( / ˈ s ɑːr z ɡ ɑːr d / ; born March 7, 1971) is an American actor. He studied at the Actors Studio , before rising to prominence playing atypical and sometimes villainous roles in film and television. He made his film debut with Dead Man Walking (1995). He gained recognition for his role in The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), Boys Don't Cry (1999), and The Center of
212-659: A Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Sarsgaard made his Broadway debut portraying Boris Alexeyevich Trigorin in the revival of Anton Chekov 's The Seagull (2008). He is married to Maggie Gyllenhaal . John Peter Sarsgaard was born at Scott Air Force Base in St. Clair County, Illinois , on March 7, 1971, the son of Judy Lea ( née Reinhardt) and John Dale Sarsgaard. His father was an Air Force engineer and later worked for Monsanto and IBM . His surname originates in Denmark , where his paternal great-great-grandparents were born; it
318-591: A Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie nomination. Sarsgaard appeared in The Lost Daughter (2021), directed by his wife Maggie Gyllenhaal, and the following year played the role of District Attorney Gil Colson in The Batman (2022). In 2023, he starred opposite Jessica Chastain in the Michel Franco film Memory which premiered at
424-710: A 2015 Classic Stage Company production of Hamlet in the title role. He portrayed Robert F. Kennedy in Pablo Larraín 's Jackie (2016). Sarsgaard then took a role as Martin Schmidt in the Hulu limited series The Looming Tower (2018), earning a nomination for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries . He returned to television in another Hulu miniseries Dopesick (2021) playing Rick Mountcastle, for which he received
530-464: A New York production of Lanford Wilson 's Burn This , where he replaced Edward Norton . 2003 marked a significant turning point in Sarsgaard's career when he starred in the feature film Shattered Glass . He depicted journalist Charles Lane , the lead editor of The New Republic . Shattered Glass is based on the real events of journalist Stephen Glass ' career at The New Republic during
636-543: A baby and adopt a nine-year-old girl, who is not as innocent as she claims to be. Furthermore, in the same year, Sarsgaard starred as David in Lone Scherfig 's coming of age film An Education . The role required Sarsgaard to speak in a British accent. An Education drew favorable reviews from critics. According to Variety , "Sarsgaard ... marvelously expresses the savoir faire that has such an impact on Jenny [Carey Mulligan]." Sarsgaard played Mikhail Lvovich Astrov,
742-677: A country doctor and philosopher, in the Classic Stage Company 's 2009 off-Broadway production of Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya in New York City. The cast also included Maggie Gyllenhaal , Mamie Gummer , Denis O'Hare , and George Morfogen . The production, directed by Austin Pendleton , began previews on January 17 and ended its limited run on March 1. Joe Dziemianowicz of the New York Daily News gave
848-697: A few. The Open Theatre was founded in New York City by a group of former students of acting teacher Nola Chilton , and joined shortly thereafter by director Joseph Chaikin , formerly of The Living Theatre , and Peter Feldman. This avant-garde theatre group explored political, artistic, and social issues. The company, developing work through an improvisational process drawn from Chilton and Viola Spolin , created well-known exercises, such as "sound and movement" and "transformations", and originated radical forms and techniques that anticipated or were contemporaneous with Jerzy Grotowski 's " poor theater " in Poland. During
954-519: A form of improvised community theatre which is often not comedic and replays stories as shared by members of the audience. The Groundlings is a popular and influential improv theatre and training center in Los Angeles , California. The late Gary Austin , founder of The Groundlings, taught improvisation around the country, focusing especially in Los Angeles. He was widely acclaimed as one of
1060-504: A lonely young entrepreneur who skips out on his company's big initial public offering and pays a stripper ( Molly Parker ) $ 10,000 to fly to Las Vegas with him. The film received average reviews, however, A.O. Scott of the New York Times , reported that the performances by both Sarsgaard and Parker "provide a rough grain of authenticity, capturing the blunted affect and aimless neediness of people in their 20s struggling to navigate
1166-577: A move to the CBS Building at 1697 Broadway, near 53rd Street, established some semblance of stability; the Studio would not move again until the summer of 1952. From that point, the old Theatre Guild rehearsal rooms on the top floor of the ANTA Theatre became home, as they would remain until October 1954, when theatre renovations reduced the Studio to renting space twice a week. This it did at
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#17327931083451272-576: A popular longform improv format known as The Harold . Others include Keith Johnstone , the British teacher and writer–author of Impro , who founded the Theatre Machine and whose teachings form the foundation of the popular shortform Theatresports format, Dick Chudnow , founder of ComedySportz which evolved its family-friendly show format from Johnstone's Theatersports, and Bill Johnson, creator/director of The Magic Meathands, who pioneered
1378-525: A predetermined game , structure, or idea and driven by an audience suggestion. Many shortform exercises were first created by Viola Spolin, who called them theatre games, influenced by her training from recreational games expert Neva Boyd . The shortform improv comedy television series Whose Line Is It Anyway? has familiarized American and British viewers with shortform. Longform improv performers create shows in which short scenes are often interrelated by story, characters, or themes. Longform shows may take
1484-622: A private Jesuit boys' school in Connecticut , where he became interested in film. Following his graduation from Fairfield Prep in 1989, he attended Bard College in New York for two years before transferring to Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) in 1991, where he co-founded an improvisational comedy troupe "Mama's Pot Roast". While at WashU, Sarsgaard began performing in plays in an offshoot of New York's Actors Studio ; His first role
1590-545: A prototype of Boris Korchilov . The film's budget cost was $ 100 million to make, but upon release, it grossed $ 35 million in the United States and $ 30 million internationally, qualifying it as a box office failure . His next role was in Empire , a crime thriller , where he was cast in a supporting role. Sarsgaard played a meth addict in D. J. Caruso 's The Salton Sea . In October 2002, Sarsgaard returned to theater in
1696-413: A range of styles of improvisational comedy as well as some non-comedic theatrical performances. It is sometimes used in film and television, both to develop characters and scripts and occasionally as part of the final product. Improvisational techniques are often used extensively in drama programs to train actors for stage, film, and television and can be an important part of the rehearsal process. However,
1802-482: A rich improv tradition. In 1984, Dick Chudnow (Kentucky Fried Theater) founded ComedySportz in Milwaukee , WI. Expansion began with the addition of ComedySportz-Madison (WI), in 1985. The first Comedy League of America National Tournament was held in 1988, with 10 teams participating. The league is now known as CSz Worldwide and boasts a roster of 29 international cities. In San Francisco, The Committee theater
1908-558: A rival to suicide and a young lover to ruin. For the role, Sarsgaard had been required to speak in a British accent, in which he wanted it to be "less liked by an American audience". Adam Feldman for Time Out praised the production but wrote of Sarsgaard's performance, "Some of the Americans struggle—notably Peter Sarsgaard, who plays Trigorin’s passivity so aggressively that his costars have nothing to work against." In 2009, Sarsgaard starred alongside Jon Foster and Sienna Miller in
2014-405: A slow burn, he conveys a much deeper sense of a man's value system being violated past the breaking point." Sarsgaard's performance in the film earned him his first Golden Globe Award nomination and an Independent Spirit Award nomination. Following the success of Shattered Glass , Sarsgaard starred in several roles. In 2004, he starred in the comedy-drama Garden State , where he played Mark,
2120-399: A technique by Viola Spolin. As with all improv 'offers', improvisers are encouraged to respect the validity and continuity of the imaginary environment defined by themselves and their fellow performers; this means, for example, taking care not to walk through the table or "miraculously" survive multiple bullet wounds from another improviser's gun. Because improvisers may be required to play
2226-622: A technique or as an effect, but rather in expanding the improv genre so as to incorporate techniques and approaches that have long been a legitimate part of European theatre. The Brave New Workshop Comedy Theater (BNW), is a sketch and improvisational comedy theater based in Minneapolis , Minnesota. Started by Dudley Riggs in 1958, the artists of the BNW have been writing, performing and producing live sketch comedy and improvisation performances for 62 years – longer than any other theater in
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#17327931083452332-636: A tool to gain insight into a person's thoughts, feelings, and relationships. The earliest well-documented use of improvisational theatre in Western history is found in the Atellan Farce of 391 BC. From the 16th to the 18th centuries, commedia dell'arte performers improvised based on a broad outline in the streets of Italy. In the 1890s, theatrical theorists and directors such as the Russian Konstantin Stanislavski and
2438-413: A variety of roles without preparation, they need to be able to construct characters quickly with physicality, gestures , accents , voice changes, or other techniques as demanded by the situation. The improviser may be called upon to play a character of a different age or sex. Character motivations are an important part of successful improv scenes, and improvisers must therefore attempt to act according to
2544-429: A world of material abundance and impoverished emotional possibility." Scott concluded in his recap that Sarsgaard made his character "seem like a genuinely nice guy, too innocent to grasp the sleaziness of his bargain with Florence." In 2002, Sarsgaard starred in three films, K-19: The Widowmaker , Empire and The Salton Sea . In K-19: The Widowmaker , he portrayed a young Russian navy lieutenant Vadim Radchenko,
2650-410: Is also "elitist," when he sells his soul by compromising his artistic vision, "...the conflict seems bigger. Anyone can sell their soul. Even people with integrity. There's always that temptation to guard against. Which is why it's best to keep as much as possible hidden." Also in 2005, he had supporting roles in the suspense thriller films The Skeleton Key and Robert Schwentke 's Flightplan . In
2756-412: Is also commonly used to enhance ideation in teams and groups. Many directors have made use of improvisation in the creation of both mainstream and experimental films. Many silent filmmakers such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton used improvisation in the making of their films, developing their gags while filming and altering the plot to fit. The Marx Brothers were notorious for deviating from
2862-450: Is also known for acting in blockbuster films such as Knight and Day (2010), Green Lantern (2011), The Magnificent Seven (2016), and The Batman (2022). Sarsgaard is also known for his television roles including in the AMC / Netflix crime series The Killing (2013) and the Hulu limited series The Looming Tower (2018) and Dopesick (2021), the latter of which earned him
2968-623: Is an improvisational game show, much like Whose Line Is It Anyway? The BBC sitcoms Outnumbered and The Thick of It also had some improvised elements in them. In the field of the psychology of consciousness , Eberhard Scheiffele explored the altered state of consciousness experienced by actors and improvisers in his scholarly paper Acting: an altered state of consciousness . According to G. William Farthing in The Psychology of Consciousness comparative study, actors routinely enter into an altered state of consciousness (ASC). Acting
3074-529: Is best known for its work refining and teaching method acting . It was founded in 1947 by Elia Kazan , Cheryl Crawford , and Robert Lewis , and later directed by Lee Strasberg , all former members of the Group Theatre , an early pioneer of the acting techniques of Constantin Stanislavsky that would become known as method acting . Notable actors and playwrights who have shared their work at
3180-520: Is especially performed in Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, Austin, Dallas, Boston, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Detroit, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington, D.C., and is building a growing following in Baltimore, Denver, Kansas City, Montreal, Columbus, New Orleans, Omaha, Rochester, NY, and Hawaii. Outside the United States, longform improv has a growing presence in
3286-558: Is just to ignore the fact, I think, that you're playing somebody who is a real-life character." According to the San Diego Union-Tribune , "Peter Sarsgaard is appealingly level, a stolid straight-shooter as Lane". A reviewer from the Chicago Tribune noted that Sarsgaard plays Lane with "great subtlety and grace". The newspaper concluded with, "The character doesn't seethe with personal resentment; when he does
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3392-555: Is pronounced [ˈsɑːsɡɔˀ] in Danish. Sarsgaard was raised a Catholic and served as an altar boy . His family moved more than 12 times during his childhood, following his father's job. At the age of 7, Sarsgaard originally wanted to become a soccer player and took up ballet to help improve his coordination. After suffering several concussions while playing soccer, he gave up the sport and became interested in writing and theater. He attended Fairfield College Preparatory School ,
3498-419: Is seen as altering most of the 14 dimensions of changed subjective experience which characterize ASCs according to Farthing, namely: attention, perception, imagery and fantasy, inner speech, memory, higher-level thought processes, meaning or significance of experiences, time experience, emotional feeling and expression, level of arousal, self-control, suggestibility, body image, and sense of personal identity. In
3604-410: Is the form of theatre , often comedy , in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted, created spontaneously by the performers. In its purest form, the dialogue, action, story, and characters are created collaboratively by the players as the improvisation unfolds in present time, without use of an already prepared, written script . Improvisational theatre exists in performance as
3710-567: Is the home of the longest running musical improv show in history at 11 years. In 2012, Lebanese writer and director Lucien Bourjeily used improvisational theater techniques to create a multi-sensory play entitled 66 Minutes in Damascus . This play premiered at the London International Festival of Theater, and is considered one of the most extreme kinds of interactive improvised theater put on stage. The audience play
3816-421: Is to give up hope in humanity." Among his most notable romantic relationships, Sarsgaard dated burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese and model and actress Shalom Harlow . Early in his film career, he dated photographer Malerie Marder , a close friend from his days attending Bard College , who had featured Sarsgaard in some of her early work. Sarsgaard began a romantic relationship with actress Maggie Gyllenhaal ,
3922-414: Is well-established on the west coast with companies such as San Francisco's BATS Improv . This format allows for full-length plays and musicals to be created improvisationally. Many people who have studied improv have noted that the guiding principles of improv are useful, not just on stage, but in everyday life. For example, Stephen Colbert in a commencement address said, Well, you are about to start
4028-501: The 80th Venice International Film Festival . Sarsgaard portrayed a man riddled with dementia. He stated, "A lot of time when we see dementia in movies, it's the most extreme stage at the very end and it paralyses us all with fear, and I really didn't want to depict that." For his performance he won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor . In an interview with The New York Times , Sarsgaard stated that he followed Catholicism , saying: "I like
4134-673: The Canadian Improv Games . In the United States, the Improv Olympics were later produced by Charna Halpern under the name "ImprovOlympic" and now as "IO"; IO operates training centers and theaters in Chicago and Los Angeles. At IO, Halpern combined Shepherd's "Time Dash" game with Del Close's "Harold" game; the revised format for the Harold became the fundamental structure for the development of modern longform improvisation. In 1975 Jonathan Fox founded Playback Theatre ,
4240-493: The props that might be useful in a scene. Improv companies may have at their disposal some number of readily accessible props that can be called upon at a moment's notice, but many improvisers eschew props in favor of the infinite possibilities available through mime . In improv, this is more commonly known as 'space object work' or 'space work', rather than 'mime', and the props and locations created by this technique, as 'space objects' created out of 'space substance', developed as
4346-575: The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) global scare, which was still fresh in many minds, and one of the skits included a promotion for the Peter Sarsgaard "SARS-Guard", a reference to facemasks. In 2007, he starred in supporting roles in Year of the Dog and Rendition . Year of the Dog is a dark comedy about a lonely middle-aged woman, played by Molly Shannon , who finds that animals are
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4452-501: The French Jacques Copeau , founders of two major streams of acting theory, both heavily utilized improvisation in acting training and rehearsal. Modern theatrical improvisation games began as drama exercises for children, which were a staple of drama education in the early 20th century thanks in part to the progressive education movement initiated by John Dewey in 1916. Some people credit American Dudley Riggs as
4558-824: The Group Theater and who became director of the studio from 1952 until his death on February 17, 1982. Around 700 actors auditioned in the studio's first year, with 50 actors selected to become its first group of members, including Marlon Brando . Once actors pass the studio's audition process they become life-members who can attend sessions where members present work to each other. Some non-members are also invited to observe sessions, and on rare occasions non-members such as Marilyn Monroe have been invited to present. The studio has also provided opportunities for playwrights including Lorraine Hansberry , James Baldwin , Edward Albee and Tennessee Williams to develop new works. Before settling in its current location in 1955,
4664-535: The Iron Mask , where he played Raoul, the ill-fated son of John Malkovich 's dueling Musketeer, Athos. The film uses characters from Alexandre Dumas ' d'Artagnan Romances , and is very loosely adapted from some plot elements of The Vicomte de Bragelonne . The film received ambivalent reviews, but was a success at the box office, earning $ 182 million worldwide. In 1999, Sarsgaard earned critical recognition in Kimberly Peirce 's Boys Don't Cry , where he
4770-638: The Malin Studios at 1545 Broadway, Room 610. This arrangement continued throughout the 1954–1955 theatrical season, even as the Studio was acquiring and renovating its current venue. In 1955, it moved to its current location at 432 West 44th Street , a Greek Revival structure which was built for the Seventh Associate Presbyterian Church , in 1858 or 1859. It was one of the last churches to be built in that style in New York City. From September 1994 through May 2005,
4876-763: The Studio collaborated with The New School in the education of master's-level theatre students at the Actors Studio Drama School (ASDS). After ending its contract with The New School, the Actors Studio established The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in 2006. Some of the more well-known Lifetime Members of the Actors Studio are (as of July 24, 2023): Articles Books 40°45′36″N 73°59′34″W / 40.760068°N 73.992654°W / 40.760068; -73.992654 Improvisational theatre Improvisational theatre , often called improvisation or improv ,
4982-645: The Studio moved regularly over an eight-year period. It first opened in October 1947 at the Union Methodist Episcopal Church, located at 229 West 48th Street, previously home to the Actors Kitchen and Lounge (maintained to assist actors and others unable to afford meals), and long a source of rental rehearsal space for local theatrical producers. In January 1948, it was a dance studio on East 59th Street. In April of that year,
5088-593: The UK Channel 4 and ABC television series Whose Line Is It Anyway (and its spinoffs Drew Carey's Green Screen Show and Drew Carey's Improv-A-Ganza ), Nick Cannon's improv comedy show Wild 'N Out , and Thank God You're Here . A very early American improv television program was the weekly half-hour What Happens Now? which premiered on New York's WOR-TV on October 15, 1949, and ran for 22 episodes. "The Improvisers" were six actors (including Larry Blyden , Ross Martin , and Jean Alexander – Jean Pugsley at
5194-722: The United Kingdom , especially in cities such as London, Bristol, Glasgow, and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe . Other forms of improvisational theatre training and performance techniques are experimental and avant-garde in nature and not necessarily intended to be comedic . These include Playback Theatre and Theatre of the Oppressed , the Poor Theatre , the Open Theatre , to name only
5300-801: The World (2001). He received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Charles Lane in Shattered Glass (2003) and won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for playing a man with dementia in Memory (2023). Sarsgaard has acted in films such as Garden State , Kinsey (both 2004), Jarhead , Flightplan (both 2005), Elegy (2008), An Education , Orphan (both 2009), Lovelace , Blue Jasmine (both 2013), Black Mass (2015), Jackie (2016), and The Lost Daughter (2021). He
5406-651: The action comedy film Knight and Day , released in June 2010, in which he appeared alongside Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz . In May 2010, it was reported that Sarsgaard would star in Chekhov's play Three Sisters . The production began in January 2011, and Sarsgaard was reunited with Uncle Vanya director Austin Pendleton. In February 2010, it was announced that Sarsgaard had been cast as villain Hector Hammond in
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#17327931083455512-525: The associate artistic director in New York is Estelle Parsons . The co-artistic directors in Los Angeles are Katherine Cortez and Salome Jens . After an initial meeting held on October 5, 1947, at the Labor Stage , located at 106 W. 39th Street (formerly the Princess Theatre ), in which goals and ground rules of the new organization were discussed, the studio officially opened for business
5618-410: The audience. Improv groups frequently solicit suggestions from the audience as a source of inspiration, a way of getting the audience involved, and as a means of proving that the performance is not scripted. That charge is sometimes aimed at the masters of the art, whose performances can seem so detailed that viewers may suspect the scenes are planned. In order for an improvised scene to be successful,
5724-602: The basis for his own theatre, The Empty Stage, which in turn bred multiple troupes utilizing this style. In the late 1990s, Matt Besser , Amy Poehler , Ian Roberts , and Matt Walsh founded the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York and later they founded one in Los Angeles, each with an accompanying improv/sketch comedy school. In September 2011 the UCB opened a third theatre in New York City's East Village, known as UCBeast. Hoopla Impro are
5830-750: The best character actors of his generation." When asked about his kissing scenes with Neeson in Kinsey , Sarsgaard said: It wasn't as hard as, say, running around with all my gear on in Jarhead . I'd rather go for an awkward moment than physical exertion any day. The only thing that I think [male actors] get freaked out about when they have to do something like kiss a guy in a movie—when to their knowledge they're straight—is that they're afraid they're going to be turned on. And if you're not afraid that you're going to be turned on—meaning that you know what you like—then really it's not that hard. In 2005, Sarsgaard starred in
5936-449: The concept of "Commun-edy Outreach" by tailoring performances to non-traditional audiences, such as the homeless and foster children. David Shepherd , with Paul Sills, founded The Compass Players in Chicago. Shepherd was intent on developing a true "people's Theatre", and hoped to bring political drama to the stockyards. The Compass went on to play in numerous forms and companies, in a number of cities including New York and Hyannis, after
6042-423: The cornerstone of modern improv training. By the mid-1960s, Viola Spolin's classes were handed over to her protégé, Jo Forsberg , who further developed Spolin's methods into a one-year course, which eventually became The Players Workshop , the first official school of improvisation in the United States. During this time, Forsberg trained many of the performers who went on to star on The Second City stage. Many of
6148-457: The corporate world. In a New York Times article titled "Can Executives Learn to Ignore the Script?" , Stanford professor and author, Patricia Ryan Madson notes, "executives and engineers and people in transition are looking for support in saying yes to their own voice. Often, the systems we put in place to keep us secure are keeping us from our more creative selves." Applying improv principles
6254-469: The death-cult aspect of Catholicism. Every religion is interested in death, but Catholicism takes it to a particularly high level. [...] Seriously, in Catholicism, you're supposed to love your enemy. That really impressed me as a kid, and it has helped me as an actor. [...] The way that I view the characters I play is part of my religious upbringing. To abandon curiosity in all personalities, good or bad,
6360-510: The demise of the Compass Players, Paul Sills began The Second City. They were the first organized improv troupes in Chicago, and the modern Chicago improvisational comedy movement grew from their success. Many of the current "rules" of comedic improv were first formalized in Chicago in the late 1950s and early 1960s, initially among The Compass Players troupe, which was directed by Paul Sills. From most accounts, David Shepherd provided
6466-544: The drama Elegy , based on a Phillip Roth novel, The Dying Animal . The film received favorable reception among critics. In 2008, Sarsgaard made his Broadway debut at the Royal Court Theatre of Anton Chekhov 's adaptation The Seagull alongside Kristin Scott Thomas , Mackenzie Crook and Carey Mulligan . In the production, he plays, Boris Alexeyevich Trigorin, a tortured writer who drives
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#17327931083456572-400: The drama The Dying Gaul , where he plays Robert Sandrich, a struggling screenwriter who has written a serious love story about a man and his terminally ill partner. The film received favorable reviews. In an interview, Sarsgaard said, he felt like he was playing a character based on Craig Lucas , the director, whom he describes as "elitist in a fun way". Because his character, a screenwriter,
6678-402: The drama The Mysteries of Pittsburgh . It is an adaptation of Michael Chabon 's novel of the same name . In the movie, Sarsgaard plays Cleveland, the rebellious bisexual boyfriend of Miller's character. The Mysteries of Pittsburgh premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival . His next film appearance was in the thriller Orphan , where he and Vera Farmiga play a married couple who lose
6784-668: The film. This Is Spinal Tap and other mockumentary films of director Christopher Guest were created with a mix of scripted and unscripted material. Blue in the Face is a 1995 comedy directed by Wayne Wang and Paul Auster created in part by the improvisations during the filming of Smoke . Some of the best known American film directors who used improvisation in their work with actors are John Cassavetes , Robert Altman , Christopher Guest, and Rob Reiner . Improv comedy techniques have also been used in hit television shows such as HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm created by Larry David ,
6890-433: The first vaudevillian to use audience suggestions to create improvised sketches on stage. Improvisation exercises were developed further by Viola Spolin in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, and codified in her book Improvisation For The Theater , the first book that gave specific techniques for learning to do and teach improvisational theater. In 1977, Clive Barker 's book Theatre Games (several translations and editions) spread
6996-579: The following day. Elia Kazan , Cheryl Crawford , and Robert Lewis who founded the studio, had all been members of the Group Theatre , which had been an early adopter of method acting in the 1930s. Based on acting techniques first taught by Constantin Stanislavsky at the Moscow Art Theatre, Method acting or the “Method” was further refined at the Actor's Studio, including by Lee Strasberg , who had closely studied Stanislavski's theories at
7102-410: The form of an existing type of theatre, for example a full-length play or Broadway -style musical such as Spontaneous Broadway . One of the better-known longform structures is the Harold , developed by ImprovOlympic co-founder Del Close . Many such longform structures now exist. Actors such as Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, and Steve Carrell found their start in longform improv. Longform improvisation
7208-558: The founding of The Second City. A number of Compass members were also founding members of The Second City. In the 1970s, Shepherd began experimenting with group-created videos. He is the author of That Movie In Your Head , about these efforts. In the 1970s, David Shepherd and Howard Jerome created the Improvisational Olympics, a format for competition based improv. The Improv Olympics were first demonstrated at Toronto's Homemade Theatre in 1976 and have been continued on as
7314-484: The greatest acting teachers in America. His work was grounded in the lessons he learned as an improviser at The Committee with Del Close, as well as in his experiences as founding director of The Groundlings. The Groundlings is often seen as the Los Angeles training ground for the "second generation" of improv performers and troupes. Stan Wells developed the "Clap-In" style of longform improvisation here, later using this as
7420-413: The greatest improvisation of all. With no script. No idea what's going to happen, often with people and places you have never seen before. And you are not in control. So say "yes." And if you're lucky, you'll find people who will say "yes" back. Tina Fey , in her book Bossypants , lists several rules of improv that apply in the workplace. There has been much interest in bringing lessons from improv into
7526-555: The growing field of Drama Therapy , psychodramatic improvisation, along with other techniques developed for Drama Therapy , are used extensively. The "Yes, and" rule has been compared to Milton Erickson 's utilization process and to a variety of acceptance-based psychotherapies. Improv training has been recommended for couples therapy and therapist training, and it has been speculated that improv training may be helpful in some cases of social anxiety disorder . Improvisational theatre often allows an interactive relationship with
7632-701: The ideas of improv internationally. British playwright and director Keith Johnstone wrote Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre , a book outlining his ideas on improvisation, and invented Theatresports , which has become a staple of modern improvisational comedy and is the inspiration for the popular television show Whose Line Is It Anyway? Viola Spolin influenced the first generation of modern American improvisers at The Compass Players in Chicago , which led to The Second City . Her son, Paul Sills , along with David Shepherd , started The Compass Players. Following
7738-404: The improvisers involved must work together responsively to define the parameters and action of the scene, in a process of co-creation . With each spoken word or action in the scene, an improviser makes an offer , meaning that he or she defines some element of the reality of the scene. This might include giving another character a name, identifying a relationship, location, or using mime to define
7844-414: The irrational and the subconscious have been part of the stage tradition for centuries. From the 1990s onwards a growing number of European Improv groups have been set up specifically to explore the possibilities offered by the use of the abstract in improvised performance, including dance, movement, sound, music, mask work, lighting, and so on. These groups are not especially interested in comedy, either as
7950-546: The late 1960s, Augusto Boal 's "Forum Theatre" in South America in the early 1970s, and San Francisco's The Diggers ' work in the 1960s. Some of this work led to pure improvisational performance styles, while others simply added to the theatrical vocabulary and were, on the whole, avant-garde experiments. Joan Littlewood , an English actress and director who was active from the 1950s to 1960s, made extensive use of improv in developing plays for performance. However, she
8056-404: The latter film, Sarsgaard played an air marshall , who is ordered to keep guard of Jodie Foster 's character. Flightplan was screened at a special presentation at the 30th annual Toronto International Film Festival in 2005. Despite the mixed reviews, the film was a financial success, earning $ 223 million worldwide, making it his highest-grossing film to the end of 2008. Sarsgaard's next feature
8162-420: The mid-1990s and his fall when his widespread journalistic fraud is exposed. During the film's promotion, Sarsgaard noted his portrayal of Lane: "I just wanted to get his perspective on the actual events. [...] I think that I tried to have some respect for myself and that way you're respecting the real person you're playing. I've done it a number of times. And it's always a little bit confusing. The best thing to do
8268-547: The most mundane clodhopper behavior. He isn't a drooling monster, he's a guy you wouldn't look twice at a bar or a convenience store." A contributor from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote "It's a marvelous performance supported ably by ... Sarsgaard as the unpredictable, sociopathic Lotter." The film was screened at a special presentation at the 2000 Venice Film Festival . In regards to his character, as how Sarsgaard made him "likeable, sympathetic even"
8374-603: The nation. Notable alumni of the BNW include Louie Anderson , Mo Collins , Tom Davis , Al Franken , Penn Jillette , Carl Lumbly , Paul Menzel , Pat Proft , Annie Reirson, Taylor Nikolai, Nancy Steen , Peter Tolan , Linda Wallem , Lizz Winstead , Peter MacNicol , Melissa Peterman , and Cedric Yarbrough . Some key figures in the development of improvisational theatre are Viola Spolin and her son Paul Sills , founder of Chicago's famed Second City troupe and originator of Theater Games , and Del Close , founder of ImprovOlympic (along with Charna Halpern ) and creator of
8480-416: The objectives that they believe their character seeks. In improv formats with multiple scenes, an agreed-upon signal is used to denote scene changes. Most often, this takes the form of a performer running in front of the scene, known as a "wipe". Tapping a character in or out can also be employed. The performers not currently part of the scene often stand at the side or back of the stage, and can enter or exit
8586-607: The only beings she can truly rely on. Sarsgaard plays Newt, an androgynous dog trainer, and love interest for Shannon's character. He starred alongside Meryl Streep , Alan Arkin , Reese Witherspoon , and Jake Gyllenhaal in Rendition , a Gavin Hood -directed political thriller about the US policy of extraordinary rendition . Viewed as a sex symbol, Sarsgaard was named one of Salon.com 's Sexiest Man Living in 2007. 2008 saw Sarsgaard star in
8692-682: The original cast of Saturday Night Live came from The Second City, and the franchise has produced such comedy stars as Mike Myers , Tina Fey , Bob Odenkirk , Amy Sedaris , Stephen Colbert , Eugene Levy , Jack McBrayer , Steve Carell , Chris Farley , Dan Aykroyd , and John Belushi . Simultaneously, Keith Johnstone's group The Theatre Machine, which originated in London , was touring Europe. This work gave birth to Theatresports , at first secretly in Johnstone's workshops, and eventually in public when he moved to Canada. Toronto has been home to
8798-576: The part of kidnapped tourists in today's Syria in a hyperreal sensory environment. Rob Wittig and Mark C. Marino have developed a form of improv for online theatrical improvisation called netprov . The form relies on social media to engage audiences in the creation of dynamic fictional scenarios that evolve in real-time. Modern improvisational comedy, as it is practiced in the West, falls generally into two categories: shortform and longform. Shortform improv consists of short scenes usually constructed from
8904-430: The philosophical vision of the Compass Players, while Elaine May was central to the development of the premises for its improvisations. Mike Nichols , Ted Flicker, and Del Close were her most frequent collaborators in this regard. When The Second City opened its doors on December 16, 1959, directed by Paul Sills, his mother Viola Spolin began training new improvisers through a series of classes and exercises which became
9010-436: The physical environment. These activities are also known as endowment . It is the responsibility of the other improvisers to accept the offers that their fellow performers make; to not do so is known as blocking, negation, or denial, which usually prevents the scene from developing. Some performers may deliberately block (or otherwise break out of character) for comedic effect—this is known as gagging —but this generally prevents
9116-470: The play received favorable reviews among critics. His next film roles were in a series of independent features : Another Day in Paradise (1997), part of an ensemble cast that included James Woods , Melanie Griffith , Vincent Kartheiser , and Natasha Gregson Wagner , and In Desert Blue (1998), where he had a supporting role in the film. He received a substantial role in the 1998 film The Man in
9222-473: The production one out of four stars, but complimented his performance, writing that Sarsgaard does a "credible job as the doctor". In the Bloomberg review of Uncle Vanya , John Simon, wrote: "Sarsgaard can't find the right tempi or emphases: shuttling between colorless rattle and silence-studded rallentandos, he fails at both infectious enthusiasm and self-effacing charm." Sarsgaard played a federal agent in
9328-411: The sarcastic best friend to Zach Braff 's character. In the same year, Sarsgaard portrayed Clyde Martin , in the biographical film Kinsey , a movie about the life of Alfred Kinsey , played by Liam Neeson . Kinsey was Sarsgaard's first film role which featured full frontal nudity . Paul Clinton of CNN reported that Sarsgaard's Clyde Martin "stands out" and "confirms that he's without doubt one of
9434-407: The scene by stepping into or out of the stage center. Many theatre troupes are devoted to staging improvisational performances and growing the improv community through their training centers. In addition to for-profit theatre troupes, there are many college-based improv groups in the United States and around the world. In Europe the special contribution to the theatre of the abstract, the surreal,
9540-400: The scene from advancing and is frowned upon by many improvisers. Accepting an offer is usually accompanied by adding a new offer, often building on the earlier one; this is a process improvisers refer to as Yes, and... and is considered the cornerstone of improvisational technique. Every new piece of information added helps the improvisers to refine their characters and progress the action of
9646-530: The scene. The Yes, and... rule, however, applies to a scene's early stage since it is in this stage that a "base (or shared) reality" is established in order to be later redefined by applying the "if (this is true), then (what else can also be true)" practice progressing the scene into comedy, as explained in the 2013 manual by the Upright Citizens Brigade members. The unscripted nature of improv also implies no predetermined knowledge about
9752-402: The script they were given, their ad libs often becoming part of the standard routine and making their way into their films. Many people, however, make a distinction between ad-libbing and improvising. The British director Mike Leigh makes extensive use of improvisation in the creation of his films, including improvising important moments in the characters' lives that will not even appear in
9858-516: The sister of his close friend Jake Gyllenhaal , in 2002. In April 2006, they announced their engagement, and on May 2, 2009, they married in a small ceremony in Brindisi , Italy. They have two daughters, born in October 2006 and April 2012. Sarsgaard is vegan , but says he cooks meat for his children. In June 2013, Sarsgaard and numerous other celebrities appeared in a video showing support for Chelsea Manning . Actors Studio The studio
9964-601: The sixties, Chaikin and the Open Theatre developed full theatrical productions with nothing but the actors, a few chairs, and a bare stage, creating character, time, and place through a series of transformations the actors physicalized and discovered through improvisations. On the west coast, Ruth Zaporah developed Action Theatre , a physically based improvisation form that treats language, movement and voice equally. Action Theatre performances have no scripts, no preplanned ideas and create full-length shows or shorter performances. Longform, dramatic, and narrative-based improvisation
10070-406: The skills and processes of improvisation are also used outside the context of performing arts. This practice, known as applied improvisation , is used in classrooms as an educational tool and in businesses as a way to develop communication skills, creative problem solving, and supportive team-work abilities that are used by improvisational, ensemble players. It is sometimes used in psychotherapy as
10176-594: The street at the Intersection for the Arts would drop by and sit in. In 1979, Elk brought shortform to England, teaching workshops at Jacksons Lane Theatre, and he was the first American to perform at The Comedy Store, London , above a Soho strip club. Modern political improvisation's roots include Jerzy Grotowski 's work in Poland during the late 1950s and early 1960s, Peter Brook 's "happenings" in England during
10282-498: The studio include Marilyn Monroe , Marlon Brando (who joined the studio in its first year), Lorraine Hansberry and James Baldwin . While at the Studio, actors work together to develop their skills in a private environment where they can take risks as performers without the pressure of commercial roles. As of July 2024 , the studio's co-presidents are Ellen Burstyn , Alec Baldwin and Al Pacino . The co-artistic directors in New York are Martha Gehman and Javier Molina, and
10388-538: The superhero film Green Lantern . The film was released in 2011. He played a supporting role in Woody Allen 's drama Blue Jasmine (2013). Sarsgaard also appeared in the American TV series The Killing (2013) as a man on death row perhaps wrongfully convicted for the brutal murder of his wife, a performance which he said included "some of the best acting I have ever done in my life." Sarsgaard appeared in
10494-426: The time) who improvised skits based on situations suggested by viewers. In Canada, the series Train 48 was improvised from scripts which contained a minimal outline of each scene, and the comedy series This Sitcom Is...Not to Be Repeated incorporated dialogue drawn from a hat during the course of an episode. The American show Reno 911! also contained improvised dialogue based on a plot outline. Fast and Loose
10600-468: Was Jarhead (2005), opposite Jake Gyllenhaal . The movie is based on U.S. Marine Anthony Swofford 's 2003 Gulf War memoir of the same name . Sarsgaard hosted Saturday Night Live ( SNL ) on January 21, 2006. In his introductory monolog, he tried to point out that he was a nice guy despite his sometimes macabre roles. Video clips were then played of Sarsgaard scaring the SNL cast. One sketch featured
10706-688: Was active in North Beach during the 1960s. It was founded by alumni of Chicago's Second City, Alan Myerson and his wife Jessica. When The Committee disbanded in 1972, three major companies were formed: The Pitchell Players, The Wing, and Improvisation Inc. The only company that continued to perform Close's Harold was the latter one. Its two former members, Michael Bossier and John Elk, formed Spaghetti Jam in San Francisco's Old Spaghetti Factory in 1976, where shortform improv and Harolds were performed through 1983. Stand-up comedians performing down
10812-566: Was as the servant Laurent in Molière 's Tartuffe . In 1993, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in history and moved to New York. Sarsgaard branched out with guest roles in television productions filmed in New York City, with Law & Order in 1995, and New York Undercover (1997) as well as an appearance in the 1997 HBO special Subway Stories . He appeared in his first film role in Dead Man Walking (1995), where he
10918-416: Was because he wanted the audience "to understand why they would hang out with me. If my character wasn't necessarily likable, I wanted him to be charismatic enough that you weren't going to have a dull time if you were with him." In another interview, Sarsgaard said he felt "empowered" by playing Lotter. His first leading role was in the 2001 feature The Center of the World , where he plays Richard Longman,
11024-628: Was cast as a murdered teenager, killed by Sean Penn 's character. In 1995, Sarsgaard made his theatrical debut in the Off-Broadway production of Horton Foote 's Laura Dennis , which was directed by James Houghton . Ben Brantley of The New York Times wrote: "Mr. Sarsgaard ... emerges as an actor to watch with a performance of breathtaking emotional conviction." The following year he starred in Kingdom of Earth opposite Cynthia Nixon and directed by John Cameron Mitchell . His performance in
11130-465: Was cast as notorious killer John Lotter. The film is based on the real-life story of Brandon Teena , who was raped and murdered in 1993 by Lotter and Tom Nissen after they found out that he was a trans man . Boys Don't Cry received overwhelmingly positive acclaim from critics, and his performance was critically well received. According to The Boston Globe , "Peter Sarsgaard ... makes the killer's terrible trajectory not only believable, but grounded in
11236-557: Was successfully prosecuted twice for allowing her actors to improvise in performance. Until 1968, British law required scripts to be approved by the Lord Chamberlain's Office . The department also sent inspectors to some performances to check that the approved script was performed exactly as approved. In 1987, Annoyance Theatre began as a club in Chicago that emphasizes longform improvisation. The Annoyance Theatre has grown into multiple locations in Chicago and New York City. It
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