Yes, And all around the world.

February 27, 2019 10:26 PM

The Improv Map of the World.
posted by storybored (16 comments total)

Yes, and: another interesting map of the world.
posted by davejay at 11:13 PM on February 27, 2019 [5 favorites]

On the improv map, it's interesting to see where the dots are, and are not. About 15 years ago there was a movie entitled "Searching for Comedy in the Arab World." I never saw it, but I gathered it was about how Stand-Up Comedy isn't really a big 'thing' in Arab countries. And on this map, I notice a big gap in Improv troupes between Israel and India...

Also davejay's Streaming Radio map of the world is fantastic!!! I've been spinning the globe, looking for lonely green dots in the middle of empty rural spaces. When I find them, they're often playing interesting stuff. Like this station in the middle of Wales that just plays Welsh folk music. You'd think it would sound like Irish and English folk music, and some of it does, but from the last 15 minutes I would say that a whole lot of traditional Welsh music has this strange harmonizing going on...
posted by Harvey Kilobit at 11:54 PM on February 27, 2019 [2 favorites]

We've been creating this map as a community mostly all over Facebook and most mostly on the Improvisational Theatre - Group for Players Worldwide Facebook group.
posted by Joey Michaels at 2:12 AM on February 28, 2019 [1 favorite]

Looking at Scotland there's none in Glasgow. I'm guessing this is because Glaswegians are naturally funny and don't need a group to help them hone their skills :)
posted by treblekicker at 5:06 AM on February 28, 2019 [1 favorite]

Somebody needs to start an improv group in South Dakota, those people are clearly hungry for it.
posted by Strange Interlude at 6:08 AM on February 28, 2019

I thought the numbers were a count for the region, and was like 'Holy shit, that's a lot of improve groups'.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:21 AM on February 28, 2019 [2 favorites]

So did UCB finally collapse in Manhattan or is there some shade being thrown?
posted by robocop is bleeding at 6:35 AM on February 28, 2019 [1 favorite]

When I first moved to the Boston area, I was walking from the subway I took from the airport to the apartment I was going to be subletting. My walking route, from Central to Inman Square in Cambridge, took me right past #39 on this map, but I only caught a quick glimpse of the sign. "Oh, a local civics organization," I thought, excited to get involved in my new city, "How nice!"

Walking around a day or two later I learned there wasn't actually a group called ImproveBoston.
posted by msbrauer at 7:02 AM on February 28, 2019 [4 favorites]

Wait...am I missing something or all all three of the big NYC improv theaters missing? I don't see UCB, PIT, or The Magnet on here.
posted by UltraMorgnus at 7:15 AM on February 28, 2019

Somebody needs to start an improv group in South Dakota, those people are clearly hungry for it.

Not as hungry as the improv black hole of Appalachia. And people actually live there (relative to the Dakota's).
posted by Panjandrum at 7:28 AM on February 28, 2019

I'm pretty sure improv is a health risk in countries where certain acts of self expression will get you corporal punishment. I'm not surprised that it's not common in the middle east.
posted by trif at 8:52 AM on February 28, 2019 [1 favorite]

Looks like only Africa and Russia are safe.
posted by Damienmce at 11:34 AM on February 28, 2019

UltraMorgnus: Hm, that is weird. Especially because both of the UCB locations in Los Angeles are listed. And people tend to think of the NYC branch(es) as the "home theater" so to speak.

I also could have sworn there was an improv theater in New Orleans, maybe an offshoot of The New Movement in Austin? I guess it could have closed, though. I know the New Movement has been in some shit over the past few years.
posted by the milkman, the paper boy at 2:02 PM on February 28, 2019

It's a simple testimony to the desire to play and celebrate play. This is a time commitment that pays roughly nothing and probably leads to no bigger fame. It's lovely.
posted by Going To Maine at 3:44 PM on February 28, 2019

Not sure why the map excludes Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis, but it does. No excuse, as Google Maps knows about it.
posted by Mental Wimp at 4:20 PM on February 28, 2019

The list has been populated by people in the cities and communities (I entered most of the groups in my state, for example). I believe if something is missing, you can add it. And should.
posted by Joey Michaels at 5:05 PM on February 28, 2019