Chris George
Improv Utopia EAST 2026
Chris George
Improv Taxonomy
Improv Taxonomy
Since antiquity, we've used our voices and instruments to make music, and as we've evolved, so has what is music, to the point where it is necessary to differentiate between sub-genres like ""industrial early vaporwave"" and ""post-third wave newtone ska"". In music we have technical conventions like time signatures, chords, and tempo, but often we resolve genre further with lyrics, style, and clothing. Improv has, shortform v longform aside, managed to mostly avoid such genre, though inside baseballers know the difference between a ""TJ & Dave-like slowplay"" and a ""Dummy-like character romp"". Inside improv already exists a set of motifs, conventions, cliches, common language, and tradition that defines every show we do without even knowing it.
In this workshop, we're going to take a long look in the mirror and then step through the looking glass into some improv-genre exploration. We'll look at some common artistic customs in our artform that transcend form, game, or suggestion. Using group dialogue, we'll map out three distinct ""styles"" of improv, outline the box the style contains, see what we can stuff inside, and if we can blow up the box. Improvise with purpose and intention - play the music loud and proud. This is a great workshop for intermediate to advanced players looking to stretch their creative muscles, try playing a different way than they do already, or just experiment with some new modes and methods.
Recommended fpr intermediate to advanced players.
About
Chris George (he/him) is an actor, improviser, and chemist from Chicago, IL and an apprentice of Bill Arnett.
He is a graduate of the iO, Annoyance, CSz Advanced, Chicago Improv Studio (CIS), and CiC training centers, and is a founder of the National Comedy Theater’s (NCT) Sunday Company, co-founder and former Assistant Artistic Director of Finest City Improv (FCI) (San Diego, CA), and co-founder and former festival chair of the San Diego Improv Festival and co-producer of the Countdown Improv Festival (Tampa, FL).
He is a former faculty member of FCI and Sidestage Improv (now Mockingbird Improv) and has been a guest instructor at NCT, the Dallas Comedy Festival, Spectacles Improv Engine (Orange County, CA), Endurance Improv Festival (Madison, WI), Jacobs International Teen Leadership Institute (JITLI), Naval Justice School, University of Texas Dallas’ Advanced Improvisation Program, Longshot Theater Company (Biloxi, MS), Countdown Improv Festival, Kansas City Improv Festival, Palm Beach Improv Festival, San Francisco Improv Festival, CIS, Ottawa Improv (Canada), Highwire Improv (Baltimore), Omaha Improv Festival, Cornerstone Improv (San Diego), Baltimore Improv Festival, Adventurer’s Academy, XL Fest (State College, PA), Bridge Improv Theater (Mesa, AZ), Atlas Improv (Madison, WI), Bellingham Improv Festival, and Wasatch Improv Festival.
Past stage roles include Bottom (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Antipholus of Ephesus (Comedy of Errors), Birowne (Love’s Labour’s Lost), and Banquo (Macbeth), and Tim in the webseries Coffee Shop Squatters. He is a playwright of the mashup A Weekend at Macbeth's and the farce Fakespeare.
He was the director of Keystone Improv, which had a 21 month open run as iO theater's Deconstruction ensemble, and is currently on the iO house team, Baby Grand and co-produces Friday Night Riot at the Bughouse Theater in Chicago.
