Del Close

Del Close (born March 9, 1934, in Manhattan, Kansas; died March 4, 1999), along with Keith Johnstone and Viola Spolin, is considered one of the premier influences on improvisational theater. An actor, improviser, writer, and teacher, he was a co-author of the book Truth in Comedy along with partner Charna Halpern, which contained techniques that are now common to long-form improvisational theater and described the overall structure of "the Harold" which remains a common frame for longer improvisational scenes.

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Close began improvising and directing with the Compass Players, and later directed at The Second City. Along with Charna Halpern, he co-founded the ImprovOlympic. 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 former Del Close trainees.

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Close had a prolific career, appearing in a number of films and television shows. With John Brent he recorded the classic beatnik satire album How to Speak Hip (Mercury, 1959) which became a prized record for DJs worldwide and was one of Brian Wilson's favourite comedy albums. He also co-authored the horror anthology Wasteland for DC Comics. His favorite framework for comedic storytelling was the structures of Wagner's Ring Cycle.

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He spent the 1980s and 1990s teaching comedy improv while slowly succumbing to the deterioration of past heroin use. Legend has it that his last words were, "I'm tired of being the funniest person in the room."

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Close donated his skull in his will to the Goodman Theatre for use in Hamlet productions.

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March 9: March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). There are 297 days remaining....

1934: 1934 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar)....

Manhattan, Kansas: Manhattan is a town located in northeastern Kansas at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. The town is located in the Flint Hills region of Kansas. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 44,831. Manhattan is the county seat of Riley County. A small part of the to...

Del Close related Images and Photos (experimental)

Fluer De L'a Amie	Grand Prix de l'A.C.F. 1935	Close Friend	Close-Hauled
Biere de L' Éclair	Marieta de L'ull Viu	Close Together	Up Close
Cognac de L'Aigle	Cognac de L'Aigle	Close Encounter	Close to You