Paul Sills
1927-2008 · Chicago, IL
Also known as Paul Silverberg
Director, co-founder of the Compass Players and Second City, creator of Story Theater, and the man who took his mother Viola Spolin's games and built American improv on them.
Known for
- Co-founded the Compass Players with David Shepherd in 1955 — the first professional improvisational theater in the US.
- Co-founded The Second City with Bernard Sahlins and Howard Alk in 1959; directed its first six revues.
- Invented Story Theater, which moved to Broadway in 1970 and won Tony Awards.
- Ran the Paul Sills Wisconsin Theater Game Center for decades, extending his mother's pedagogy.
- Directed Nichols & May, Shelley Berman, Alan Arkin, Elaine May, Del Close in formative stages of their careers.
Connected to
Schools & Theaters
Troupes
The Compass Playersplaywrights theatre club
Forms
story theater
Concepts
theater games
Sources
Referenced by
People
Schools & Theaters
Concepts
About people on this site.
We publish factual, sourced information about improvisers. We don't take sides in beefs,
write hit pieces, or speculate about anybody's personal life. More on why.