Ex!t Players
Encyclopedia
The Yale Ex!t Players, or the Ex!t Players, is an improvisational comedy group at Yale University
in New Haven, CT, United States
. The Ex!t Players was founded in 1984, making it the oldest improv group on Yale’s campus. It specializes in short-form improvisational comedy.
, Jamaica
, San Francisco, Los Angeles
, New York City
, Montreal
, and Washington D.C..
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in New Haven, CT, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Ex!t Players was founded in 1984, making it the oldest improv group on Yale’s campus. It specializes in short-form improvisational comedy.
History
The Yale Ex!t Players was co-founded in 1984 by Paul Hayslett, ’85, and Steven Florsheim, ’87. It is Yale’s oldest improv group, followed by The Purple Crayon, The Viola Question, and Just Add Water. The Ex!t Players derives its name from its original, longer title “Experimental Improvisational Theater,” which was later shortened to “Ex!t.” The exclamation point became part of the name when a new logo was designed for the group in 1988.Performances
The Ex!t Players perform both on and off the Yale University campus, for a total of over twenty-five shows per year.On-Campus Shows
The Ex!t Players perform every three or four weeks during the school term, totaling ten on-campus show per year. Shows alternate between annual themed shows and general non-themed shows, each averaging an hour and a half. Annual themed shows include:- The Parents’ Weekend Show, held during Yale’s Family Visiting Weekend
- The Holiday Show, held in December
- The Oscar Show, held around the time of the Academy AwardsAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
- The Senior Show, showcasing the group’s graduating seniors.
Off-Campus Shows
The Ex!t Players go on two tours of different locations around the world each year, once in the winter and once in the spring. On tours, the group performs shows and holds interactive workshops at a variety of venues, lasting anywhere from twenty minutes to four hours. Past tour locations include LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, San Francisco, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, and Washington D.C..
Games
The Ex!t Players specialize in fast paced, short-form improvisational comedy. The group’s repertoire includes a mix of quick-witted signature games, conventional scene games, and ensemble games. Games include:- Symphony of Social Criticism – signature showcase of stand-up style comedy based on pet peeves of audiences members
- Jeopardy! – based on the game showGame showA game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
, Players compete to provide questions to audiences answers - Writing Styles – one story is told in the voices of five different famous authors or genres
- Tap-In Monologue – one monologue is told by four Players
- Multiple Personalities – a scene game in which two Players each play two different characters
- Converging Scenes – a scene game in which two separate scenes alternate until their storylines converge
- Show and Tell – a scene and line game combination; three Players alternate between narrating and acting out a story
- Story Teller – one Player narrates a story based on an audience-provided title, while the rest of the Players act it out
- Verse – a scene game done entirely in rhyming couplets
- Improv-a-Song – a Player chooses the tune of an existing popular song and improvises new lyrics based on audience suggestion
- Dating Game – based on the game showGame showA game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
, three Players with audience-provided occupations compete for a date with an audience member - Flashback – an ensemble game in which a story is presented backwards chronologically
- World’s Worst – an ensemble game in which Players depict the world’s worst example of an occupation supplied by the audience
Alumni
The Ex!t Players have many notable alumni, including:- Allison SilvermanAllison SilvermanAllison Silverman is an American comedy writer from Gainesville, Florida. She was the head writer and executive producer for The Colbert Report until 2009.-Life and awards:...
, ’94 - executive producer, The Colbert Report, writer, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, producer, The Daily ShowThe Daily ShowThe Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998... - Fran KranzFran KranzFrancis Elliott Kranz is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Topher Brink in Joss Whedon's science fiction drama television series Dollhouse.-Early life:...
, ‘04 - actor, The VillageThe VillageA village is a human settlement or community.Village may also refer to:-Canada:* "The Village", a nickname for the incorporated town Victoria, Newfoundland and Labrador in Conception Bay, Canada* Village Shopping Centre, a shopping centre in St...
, DollhouseDollhouse (TV series)Dollhouse is an American science fiction television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon under Mutant Enemy Productions. It premiered on February 13, 2009, on the Fox network and was officially cancelled on November 11, 2009. The final episode aired on January 29, 2010... - Matt WinstonMatt WinstonMatthew "Matt" Winston is an American actor, the son of late special effects artist Stan Winston. He attended Yale, is married to Amy Smallman and has two small children....
, ‘92 - actor, Little Miss SunshineLittle Miss SunshineLittle Miss Sunshine is a 2006 American comedy-drama film. The road movie's plot follows a family's trip to a children's beauty pageant.Little Miss Sunshine was the directorial film debut of the husband-wife team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The screenplay was written by first-time writer...
, Six Feet Under - Ted Cohen, ’90, and Andrew Reich, ’90 - executive producers, FriendsFriendsFriends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
- Stu Blumberg, ’91 - screenwriter, Keeping the FaithKeeping the FaithKeeping the Faith is a 2000 American romantic comedy film, written by Stuart Blumberg and directed by Edward Norton. This film was released by Touchstone Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment, in association with Triple Threat Talent on April 14, 2000....
, Girl Next DoorGirl Next DoorGirl Next Door may refer to:* Girl next door, a cultural stereotypeFilm* The Girl Next Door , a TV movie starring Tracey Gold* The Girl Next Door , featuring porn star Stacy Valentine...
, Fear ItselfFear Itself (TV series)Fear Itself was a horror/suspense anthology television series shot in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with some additional shooting in the city of St. Albert and the town of Devon, Alberta. It began airing on June 5, 2008 on NBC.... - Seth GordonSeth GordonSeth Gordon is an American film director, producer, and film editor. He has produced and directed both film and TV for various film and television studios, including PBS, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the United Nations 1% For Development Fund...
, ’98 - director, Four ChristmasesFour ChristmasesFour Christmases is a Christmas-themed romantic comedy film about a couple who go to see their divorced parents in one day...