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A history of the uniquely American art form of improv, from its beginnings during the McCarthy Era through the rise of such institutions as Second City, the Groundlings, and the Upright Citizens Brigade and such performers as Tina Fey, Steve Carell, and Bill Murray.
"From the best-selling author of Fosse, a sweeping yet intimate--and often hilarious--history of a uniquely American art form that has never been more popular. At the height of the McCarthy era, an experimental theater troupe set up shop in a bar near the University of Chicago. Via word of mouth, astonished crowds packed the ad hoc venue to see its unscripted, interactive, consciousness-raising style. From this unlikely seed grew the Second City, the massively influential comedy ensemble, and its offshoots--the Groundlings, Upright Citizens Brigade, SNL, and a slew of others. Sam Wasson charts the meteoric rise of improv in this richly reported, scene-driven narrative that, like its subject, moves fast and digs deep. He shows us the chance meeting at a train station between Mike Nichols and Elaine May. We hang out at the after-hours bar Dan Aykroyd opened so that friends like John Belushi, Bill Murray, and Gilda Radner would always have a home. We go behind the scenes of landmark entertainments, from The Graduate to Caddyshack, The Forty-Year-Old Virgin to The Colbert Report. Along the way, we commune with a host of pioneers--Nichols, Harold Ramis, Dustin Hoffman, Chevy Chase, Steve Carell, Amy Poehler, Alan Arkin, Tina Fey, Judd Apatow, and many others. With signature verve and nuance, Wasson shows why improv deserves to be considered the great American art form of the last half century--and the most influential one today."--Dust jacket flap.
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Previews available in: English
Subjects
Stand-up comedy, Improvisation (Acting), Comedy, Improvisation (music), Comedians, biography, PERFORMING ARTS / Comedy, HISTORY / Social History, Improvisation (Art dramatique), Comédie, Monologue comique, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY -- Entertainment & Performing Arts, PERFORMING ARTS -- Theater -- General, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Entertainment & Performing ArtsShowing 4 featured editions. View all 4 editions?
Edition | Availability |
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1
Improv Nation: How We Made a Great American Art
2018, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
in English
1328508005 9781328508003
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2
Improv nation: how we made a great American art
2017, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
in English
0544557204 9780544557208
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3
Improv Nation: How We Made a Great American Art
2017, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company
in English
0544558251 9780544558250
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zzzz
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WorldCat
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4
Improv Nation: How We Made a Great American Art
Dec 05, 2017, HighBridge Audio
audio cd
1684410649 9781684410644
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zzzz
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Book Details
Table of Contents
Edition Notes
"An Eamon Dolan book."
Includes bibliographical references (pages 384-435) and index.
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- Created May 24, 2019
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October 21, 2023 | Edited by Scott365Bot | import existing book |
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