In many circles, Del Close is considered the father of improv. He was a teacher, comedian and writer and helped fostor some of the biggest names in comedy including John Belushi, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Amy Poehler and Stephen Colbert.
Do yourself a favor and check out this short film originally created for a public access show in 1986.
“It is easy to become deluded by the audience, because they laugh. Don’t let them make you buy the lie that what you’re doing is for the laughter. Is what we’re doing comedy? Probably not. Is it funny? Probably yes. Where do the really best laughs come from? Terrific connections made intellectually, or terrific revelations made emotionally.”
-Del Close (Truth in Comedy)