The Pitchell Players

When The Committee disbanded in 1972, three successor companies formed from its membership: The Pitchell Players, The Wing, and Improvisation Inc. The Pitchell Players continued the politically satirical improvisation tradition of The Committee. Documented alumni include Paul Willson and Edie McClurg, both of whom later achieved broader television careers. The company operated in the Mission District of San Francisco and dissolved at an undetermined date in the mid-1970s. Primary documentation has not survived in indexed public sources.

The Pitchell Players (also spelled Pitschel Players) predated The Committee's 1972 breakup, having performed in San Francisco as early as 1967. Led by Ann Bowen (wife of actor Roger Bowen), the troupe blended improvisational comedy with scripted satirical revue. Their approach was looser and more countercultural than The Committee's polished political satire, drawing performers who would later cross over into film and television sketch comedy. Producer Joe Roth brought the group to Los Angeles in 1974, leasing the former Ash Grove nightclub at 8162 Melrose Avenue, where they showcased emerging comics alongside their ensemble work.

Early San Francisco productions included "WC Fields Memorial Orphanage" at 120 Julian Street (1967). The Los Angeles residency at the Ash Grove (1974) featured showcases of comedians including Chevy Chase and Laraine Newman before their Saturday Night Live debuts. Michael McKean performed with the troupe before his role as Lenny on Laverne and Shirley (1976). The group's work contributed to the 1976 comedy anthology film Tunnelvision, directed by Neal Israel and Bradley R. Swirnoff and produced by Joe Roth, which featured several players associated with the troupe. The LA residency ultimately proved financially unsustainable.

The Pitschel Players took their name from Roland Pitschel, the master carpenter who had built and maintained The Committee's stages since its 1963 opening, and Barbara Pitschel, who served as the company's head waitress. Naming the successor group after two beloved backstage figures rather than any performer was a deliberate tribute to the offstage community that had sustained The Committee. The company had roots predating 1972: a group performing under the Pitschel Players name staged "WC Fields Memorial Orphanage" at 120 Julian Street in San Francisco as early as March 1967, and by 1972 the company was performing at the Intersection at 756 Union Street with an improvised second show at 10 p.m. following an 8:30 p.m. main performance. The group presented political satire developed through improvisation, consistent with The Committee's mode of work.

Notable alumni include Paul Willson and Edie McClurg, both of whom went on to significant careers in television and film. McClurg joined the Pitschel Players after an impromptu performance while visiting San Francisco, then relocated with the company to Los Angeles when Joe Roth, who had operated lights for the group, brought them south in 1974 and leased the former Ash Grove nightclub at 8162 Melrose Avenue. Michael McKean also performed with the LA iteration of the group before his television breakthrough. Joe Roth produced their work in Los Angeles and the company's output contributed to the 1976 comedy anthology film "Tunnelvision," featuring Chevy Chase, John Candy, and Al Franken. Ann Bowen led the Los Angeles company. Roth later became a prominent film industry executive, and McKean, McClurg, and Willson each built lasting screen careers.