Compass Players
The Compass Players was an American improvisational theatre company founded in 1955 by David Shepherd and Paul Sills in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, operating as a revue-style ensemble until 1958 across locations in Chicago and St. Louis. Considered the first improvisational theater in the United States, the group drew from commedia dell'arte traditions and Viola Spolin's theater games to develop spontaneous, ensemble-driven performances in intimate cabaret-style venues. Notable members included Elaine May, Mike Nichols, Shelley Berman, Barbara Harris, Severn Darden, and Del Close.
History
The Compass Players began in 1955 at a storefront theater at 1152 E. 55th Street near the University of Chicago campus, with Shepherd and Sills having previously collaborated at the Playwrights Theatre Club. The company later expanded to the Crystal Palace in St. Louis, where Theodore J. Flicker, Nichols and May, and Del Close codified further principles for improvisational performance. After the troupe dissolved in 1958, Paul Sills co-founded The Second City and David Shepherd returned to New York to develop ImprovOlympic.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Compass Players. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/companies/compass-players
The Improv Archive. "Compass Players." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/companies/compass-players.
The Improv Archive. "Compass Players." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/companies/compass-players. Accessed October 11, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.