Improv Masters Make It Up As They Go Along

Say “improv” and most people immediately think of Whose Line is it Anyway, the popular 90s television show that brought off-the-cuff comedy to the masses. Real fans might even know that improv in the US took root in Chicago, home of Second City, still arguably the country’s best-known comedy troupe and early training ground for everyone from Fred Willard to Bill Murray to Tina Fey.

But improvisational theater actually has origins that run as far back as 17th century Italy, when troupes of actors staged performances on temporary stages using a grab bag of props, a set of stock characters, and pre-determined scenarios, in what became known as the Commedia dell’Arte.

Improv today has evolved way beyond the lovable chaos of short sketches, zany games and performers collapsing into fits of giggles. Since the 80s, San Francisco comedians in particular have been pioneering a new style of improv known as long-form – which, as its name implies, involves longer and more complex dramatic scenarios than, say, your typical Saturday Night Live sketch.

One of the best known long-form improv comedians in the Bay Area is grad Tim Orr, who - together with his troupe 3 For All – will be performing two shows this weekend at .

Orr credits his time at Tam, particularly the tutelage of Dan Caldwell, for his interest in theater and performance. Caldwell taught drama at Tam for 37 years and was the vice president of the Screen Actors Guild.

“He was a really important guy in the industry,” Orr says. "The quality of his program really got me interested in performing.”

After graduating with a degree in drama from UC Berkeley, Orr dove head-first into the local theater scene, performing with many of the leading names and theaters in the region. His induction into the improv comedy scene came in the mid-80s, when its profile was on the rise thanks in part to the prominence of Bay Area Theatre Sports (now known as BATS).

Orr and his two collaborators, Rafe Chase and Stephen Kearin, have been performing long-form improv together as 3 For All since 1996.

If you’re wondering what the difference is between long- and short-form improv, it boils down to the development of plot and character. While short-form improv usually uses an audience suggestion or gimmick as a jumping-off point, long-form earns its laughs by getting the audience invested in the story.

The unique dramatic and comedic skills required to pull off on-the-spot, unrehearsed entertainment have served Orr, Chase and Kearin well in their time off the stage. Both individually and as a group, they have consulted on film and television projects, and Orr has traveled around the world teaching improv technique.

One of the unlikelier groups of students he’s worked with is in Saudi Arabia. He’s traveled twice to teach at the King Abdullah University, where he’s dealt with the unusual constraints that such a conservative, regulated society places on an art form based almost entirely on spontaneity.

Orr and his partners in 3 For All are surely grateful that no such regulations exist here in Mill Valley. Audiences at this weekend’s performances can expect to participate in the show – a hallmark of improv comedy – and to learn something new about long-form improv.

“Most people don’t know what improv is," Orr says. "They think it’s stand-up comedy. After seeing one of our shows, they say, ‘I’ve never seen improv like that!”

The 411: 3 For All will be 142 Throckmorton Theatre tonight and tomorrow, March 25-26, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 General Admission, $22 Students/Seniors and $35 Reserved Seating. Buy tickets online or call 415.383.9600. You can also catch them April 1-2, 8pm at the Zeum Theater in San Francisco. Click here for more info.