Canadian Improv Games
The Canadian Improv Games is a national charity dedicated to providing Canadian youth with improvisational theatre education and programming. It is one of the largest and most geographically dispersed theatre festivals in Canada with 14 regional programs and over 100,000 alumni participants. The winning team from each region proceeds to the National Festival and Tournament held in Ottawa at the National Arts Centre. The CIG also offers workshops, training, and week-long summer camps throughout the year.
History
The Canadian Improv Games got its start in Ottawa in 1977. It was created by Jamie "Willie" Wyllie and Howard Jerome, based on a concept originally conceived by David Shepherd and Howard Jerome. With the efforts of Willie and Johnson Moretti, by the 1990s the games had become so popular they were given hour long live coverage on YTV.Events
Teams perform 5 events in the Canadian Improv Games, including: Life, Character, Style, Story and Theme.Life
A sincere scene that honestly represents the reality of a situation.Story
A scene that tells an original story with the use of narration. The story must have a beginning, middle and ending but it does not need to be in chronological order.Character
A scene featuring an original character. Teams create an original character through physicality and voice.Theme
An exploration of a theme given by the referee.Style
A scene that recreates a style. This is done by drawing on the distinctive features and common elements of a recognized style or genre of performance.Regions
- Vancouver
- Vancouver Island
- Alberta
- Regina
- Winnipeg
- Sudbury
- Greater Toronto
- Kingston
- TriCity Area
- Ottawa
- Montreal
- Moncton
- Halifax
- St John's
- Online Tournament
The Oath