General Fools Improvisational Theatre

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General Fools Improvisational Theatre is an Improvisational theatre company from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

General Fools Improvisational Theatre is a registered not-for-profit organization that has been performing improvisational theatre for nine seasons. It was established May 16, 1997 and has since performed for over 600,000 audience members in over 650 performances, beginning with weekly Friday night shows, and since focusing on periodic weekend-long runs at the Globe Theatre in Regina, Saskatchewan. Through participating in national and international touring and festivals, General Fools have performed shows across Canada and the United States.

General Fools have headlined shows in Bellingham's Upfront Theatre, Victoria's International Improvisation Festival and Vancouver's Instant Theatre Festival, Rapid Fire Theatre's Improvaganza in Edmonton, Regina's Globe Theatre, Moose Jaw's May Wilson Theatre and in smaller centres across Western Canada as well.

[edit] Style

The General Fools Improvisational Theatre style of improv began very similar to that seen on television's Whose Line is it Anyway?, consisting of selected games and scenes lasting only a few minutes each, a style which is known as short-form improvisation. The General Fools have since shifted their focus to performing long-form improvisation, pieces that are unscripted plays running up to 90 minutes.

These improvisations focus on telling stories using a variety of theatrical styles and conventions, including monologues, song, movement, narrative collage and dramatic or comedic scene work. These improvisations often centre around a spontanious weaving of multiple storylines or threads into a single cohesive story.

The General Fools ensemble members use rehearsals to develop forms, which are methods to explore stories, themes or characters. Choosing between theatre, television, film, and other inspirations they focus each show on a particular aspect, genre or method of storytelling. Ideas for their improvised forms have come from such diverse sources as: the television show 24, popular "How to Host a Perfect Murder" home games, and unfinished scripts solicited from local writers.