The Groundlings (Original Company)
1972-1974 (informal); 1974- (incorporated) · Los Angeles, CA
The first wave of Gary Austin's LA improv workshop that became the Groundlings Theatre — seeded SNL's West Coast pipeline.
Known for
- Gary Austin (a veteran of San Francisco's The Committee) assembled the original LA workshop in 1972 at the Oxford Theatre.
- Officially incorporated as 'The Groundlings' in January 1974. Roughly 50 founding workshop members — membership cost $25.
- Named for the Shakespearean groundlings who stood in front of the stage.
- Earliest company alumni: Laraine Newman (founding SNL cast), Paul Reubens (Pee-wee Herman), Phil Hartman, Edie McClurg, Tom Maxwell.
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