The Premise

Founding (1960)

Theodore J. Flicker, who had performed with the Compass Players in Chicago and St. Louis, established The Premise in collaboration with producers David W. Carter and Allan H. Mankoff. The theatre opened on 22 November 1960 in a basement venue on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village. When it opened, Flicker described it as presenting New York audiences with 'the newest form of dramatic entertainment: Improvisational Theatre,' connecting the production explicitly to the Chicago improvisational tradition that the Compass had established.

Run and Alumni (1960–1962)

The Premise assembled a company that included Buck Henry, George Segal, Thomas Aldredge, Joan Darling, and James Frawley, several of whom credited the show as a significant early career experience. The production ran for approximately 1,249 performances before closing in 1962. Following the New York run, the company transferred to the West End in London at the Comedy Theatre.

The Premise carried the improvisational cabaret tradition of the Compass Players directly to New York City, presenting political and social satire generated through improvisation and audience suggestion. The format was explicitly rooted in the improvisational theatre movement then associated with Chicago rather than with any existing New York theatrical tradition.