Micetro
Micetro is a competitive long-form format created by Keith Johnstone. A large cast of improvisers performs scenes that are scored by the audience, and the lowest-scoring performers are progressively eliminated until a single winner remains. The format combines the spontaneity of improvisation with the tension of a tournament structure.
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Related Formats
Theatresports
TheatreSports is a competitive long-form format in which two or more improv teams perform scenes judged by an audience or panel, with scoring, fouls, and challenges drawn from the conventions of athletic competition. Created by **Keith Johnstone** in Calgary in the 1970s, TheatreSports is one of the most widely performed improv formats in the world and the foundation of a global network of licensed companies operating under the International Theatresports Institute.
Gorilla Theatre
Gorilla Theatre is a competitive long-form format created by Keith Johnstone in which individual directors pitch scene ideas to the audience, then direct other performers in executing them. The audience votes on the results, and the director of the least successful scene receives a comedic forfeit. The format combines the creative risk of directing with the accountability of audience judgment, creating a high-stakes dynamic in which directors must balance artistic ambition with crowd-pleasing instincts. Gorilla Theatre foregrounds the director's role in improvisation, making visible a creative function that most formats keep hidden.
Impro Match
Impro Match is a competitive improv format in which teams or individuals face off in a series of challenges judged by the audience. The competitive structure adds stakes and audience investment. The format borrows from sports entertainment to frame improvisation as a spectator-friendly contest.
Free-Form Improv
Free-Form Improv is a long-form approach in which performers follow no predetermined format or structure, allowing scenes, characters, and themes to emerge and connect organically. The absence of structural rules places maximum demand on ensemble instinct and editorial judgment. It is both the simplest and most demanding form of improvised performance.
The Lineage
Explore the schools and structures that influenced or evolved from Micetro.
Impro for Storytellers (Johnstone)
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Micetro. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/formats/micetro
The Improv Archive. "Micetro." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/formats/micetro.
The Improv Archive. "Micetro." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/formats/micetro. Accessed September 28, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.