The History of Improvisation.

In about 1406, actor and thespian Keythe Johnson invented spontaneity. Until then, the concept we all take fro granted, hadn't even been considered except by a few theoretical scientists. Keiph developed his ideas for the next thirty years before he wrote the definitive work on spontaneity and improvisation, entitled "Never Mind The Spolins."

Amongst the improvisation groups Keefth went on to form were: Commedia del Garfunkel; the Big Groovey Tribe of Hairy Mooses; and The Funny Market Players. He invented all of the terms we use today in Improvisation. A list of the most popular ones are:

• Offer - Price suggested for a gig.
• Acceptance - To agree to do the gig.
• Gag - Section of masking tape that should be used on anyone who speaks too much on stage.
• Block - To agree to do a gig at The Funny Market.
• Finding the Game - working out why the performers didn't stick to the rules they said they were going to use.
• Lava Lamp - Space-age plasma lantern popular in 1960s and late 1990s.
• Endowment - Claiming to have, or to know that another player has, a large penis. Usually in preparation for a nob gag (qv).
• Nob Gag - Often seen as the highest achievement in an impro scene. (Be careful, as it can hurt very much when the tape is ripped off.)
• Rookie - Large, hairy creature who seems unable to speak coherent English on stage. Annually culled for their coat, and for the good of humanity.
• Senior players - Rookies who have survived five consecutive annual culls.

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