Ellsworth Milburn
Ellsworth Milburn served as music director for the improvisational theater company The Committee in San Francisco from 1963 to 1968, a role he held while earning his Master of Arts at Mills College. He also appeared with The Second City in Los Angeles as a jazz pianist and musical director for improvisational theater ensembles. His work with these companies coincided with The Committee's period of prominence for its satirical sketches.
Recommended Reading
Books are ordered from the strongest direct connection outward to broader relevance.
Improv Nation
How We Made a Great American Art
Sam Wasson
Process: An Improviser's Journey
Mary Scruggs; Michael J. Gellman
The Second City Almanac of Improvisation
Anne Libera
Improvisation for the Theater
A Handbook of Teaching and Directing Techniques
Viola Spolin
Something from Nothing
The Technique of Improvisation
Richard Goteri
Improvisation in Drama, Theatre and Performance
History, Practice, Theory
Anthony Frost; Ralph Yarrow
References
In the Archive
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Ellsworth Milburn. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/people/ellsworth-milburn
The Improv Archive. "Ellsworth Milburn." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/people/ellsworth-milburn.
The Improv Archive. "Ellsworth Milburn." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/people/ellsworth-milburn. Accessed November 5, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.