Dudley Riggs
Encyclopedia
Dudley Riggs is a noted improvisational comedian who created the Instant Theater Company in New York, which later moved to Minneapolis to become the Brave New Workshop
(BNW) comedy troupe. Riggs was born in Little Rock, Arkansas
and joined the circus
when he was five years old. His family performed in a variety of acts with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
where he learned comedy in the vaudeville
style. Later, he formed a group that toured the country during winters when the circus was not operating.
Audience
s at shows put on by the troupe were often quite hostile toward the performers. After years of trying to appease the crowds with traditional performance styles, Riggs began to request input from them. As an example, he might ask "Who do you hate in this town?" If the audience replied, "the mayor," the performers would quickly improvise a scene about the mayor. However, at the time, improvisation
was a word primarily used to describe the actions of jazz
musician
s. Riggs was an admirer of jazz and avoided using the term himself, preferring the phrase "instant theater." Later, a New York Times critic
called Riggs' performances "word jazz," while members of the Second City
troupe visiting in the 1960s and 1970s referred to the shows as "spot improv."
One year, the booking agent for the troupe stated that he couldn't find anyplace willing to take the performers. In order to keep skills strong, Riggs rented a street-level space in New York City
where group members could practice. People walking by could see what was going on by looking through the window, and passers-by soon began to offer money to watch rehearsals. Riggs soon booked a venue and put on a regular show.
The famous critic Walter Kerr
was an early attendee, and was amazed by what he saw. He held off writing a review for three weeks because he couldn't believe that the performers were actually taking in the audience's ideas—Kerr was convinced that group members were calling upon accomplice
s for input and were using pre-arranged material. After realizing the authenticity of performances, he wrote a glowing review.
The group began touring and eventually settled in Minneapolis in 1958. They were originally at a site called "Dudley Riggs Café Espresso" on East Hennepin Avenue
, where Riggs operated the first espresso machine
in the state. After the café
moved to South Hennepin in Uptown
in 1965, claims of "the first espresso machine west of the Mississippi River
" were also made. (Incidentally, the Uptown neighborhood now proclaims that they have more coffee shops per capita than Seattle
, so Riggs may have been influential there as well.) The name was finally changed to "Brave New Workshop" at the same time.
Riggs opened the Experimental Theater Company (E.T.C.) in the Seven Corners area of Minneapolis, next to the University of Minnesota
, in the early 1970s. This theater provided a wider range of material including stand-up comedy
, variety show
s, and specialty acts.
A number of famous performers started at the Brave New Workshop, including regional natives Louie Anderson
and Al Franken
, and writers such as Pat Proft
, television executive producer Linda Wallem
, and scriptwriter and producer/director Peter Tolan.
There was some sharing of experience and technique between BNW and Second City
in Chicago. Del Close
worked with Riggs for a time, and members of both troupes were regulars at each others' shows when traveling.
After operating it for 39 years, Riggs sold the Brave New Workshop in 1997 to Mark Bergen, John Sweeney
and Jenni Lilledahl, though Bergen eventually moved on to other projects. Sweeney and Lilledahl still operate the theater and have made some changes. Their focus is more on long-form improvisation, while Riggs had always been more focused on shorter individual sketches.
Brave New Workshop
The Brave New Workshop Comedy Theatre , located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been writing, performing and producing live sketch comedy and improvisation performances for 50 years – longer than any other theatre in the nation...
(BNW) comedy troupe. Riggs was born in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
and joined the circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
when he was five years old. His family performed in a variety of acts with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is an American circus company. The company was started when the circus created by James Anthony Bailey and P. T. Barnum was merged with the Ringling Brothers Circus. The Ringling brothers purchased the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907, but ran the circuses...
where he learned comedy in the vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
style. Later, he formed a group that toured the country during winters when the circus was not operating.
Audience
Audience
An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature , theatre, music or academics in any medium...
s at shows put on by the troupe were often quite hostile toward the performers. After years of trying to appease the crowds with traditional performance styles, Riggs began to request input from them. As an example, he might ask "Who do you hate in this town?" If the audience replied, "the mayor," the performers would quickly improvise a scene about the mayor. However, at the time, improvisation
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
was a word primarily used to describe the actions of jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s. Riggs was an admirer of jazz and avoided using the term himself, preferring the phrase "instant theater." Later, a New York Times critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
called Riggs' performances "word jazz," while members of the Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...
troupe visiting in the 1960s and 1970s referred to the shows as "spot improv."
One year, the booking agent for the troupe stated that he couldn't find anyplace willing to take the performers. In order to keep skills strong, Riggs rented a street-level space in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where group members could practice. People walking by could see what was going on by looking through the window, and passers-by soon began to offer money to watch rehearsals. Riggs soon booked a venue and put on a regular show.
The famous critic Walter Kerr
Walter Kerr
For the RN admiral see Lord Walter KerrWalter Francis Kerr was an American writer and Broadway theater critic. He also was the writer, lyricist, and/or director of several Broadway plays and musicals.-Biography:...
was an early attendee, and was amazed by what he saw. He held off writing a review for three weeks because he couldn't believe that the performers were actually taking in the audience's ideas—Kerr was convinced that group members were calling upon accomplice
Accomplice
At law, an accomplice is a person who actively participates in the commission of a crime, even though they take no part in the actual criminal offense. For example, in a bank robbery, the person who points the gun at the teller and asks for the money is guilty of armed robbery...
s for input and were using pre-arranged material. After realizing the authenticity of performances, he wrote a glowing review.
The group began touring and eventually settled in Minneapolis in 1958. They were originally at a site called "Dudley Riggs Café Espresso" on East Hennepin Avenue
Hennepin Avenue
Hennepin Avenue is a major street in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It runs from Lakewood Cemetery , north through the Uptown District of Southwest Minneapolis, through the former "Bottleneck" area west of Loring Park, through the North Loop in the city center, to Northeast Minneapolis and...
, where Riggs operated the first espresso machine
Espresso machine
An espresso machine is used to produce the traditional Italian coffee beverage called espresso.-History:The first machine for making espresso was built and patented by Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, who demonstrated a working example at the Turin General Exposition of 1884. He was granted patent no...
in the state. After the café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
moved to South Hennepin in Uptown
Uptown, Minneapolis
Uptown is a popular commercial district in southwestern Minneapolis, Minnesota, centered at the Uptown Theater at the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and Lagoon Avenue. It has traditionally spanned the corners of four neighborhoods, Lowry Hill East, ECCO, CARAG and East Isles neighborhoods, within...
in 1965, claims of "the first espresso machine west of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
" were also made. (Incidentally, the Uptown neighborhood now proclaims that they have more coffee shops per capita than Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, so Riggs may have been influential there as well.) The name was finally changed to "Brave New Workshop" at the same time.
Riggs opened the Experimental Theater Company (E.T.C.) in the Seven Corners area of Minneapolis, next to the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, in the early 1970s. This theater provided a wider range of material including stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
, variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
s, and specialty acts.
A number of famous performers started at the Brave New Workshop, including regional natives Louie Anderson
Louie Anderson
Louie Perry Anderson is an American stand-up comedian. Anderson created the cartoon series Life with Louie, has written three books, and was the initial host of the second revival of the game show Family Feud, from 1999 to 2002....
and Al Franken
Al Franken
Alan Stuart "Al" Franken is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party....
, and writers such as Pat Proft
Pat Proft
Patrick "Pat" Proft is an American comedy writer and actor.Proft was born in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, the son of Marguerite and Bob Proft. He began his career at Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis. In the mid-1970s, he began writing for television and films...
, television executive producer Linda Wallem
Linda Wallem
-Background:Wallem was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and raised in Rockford, Illinois. She is also the sister of actor Stephen Wallem - who co-stars on her show Nurse Jackie, as a male nurse named Thor.-Early career:...
, and scriptwriter and producer/director Peter Tolan.
There was some sharing of experience and technique between BNW and Second City
Second City
Second City or The Second City may refer to:* The second largest city in a country. See: List of largest cities and second largest cities by country...
in Chicago. Del Close
Del Close
Del Close was an actor, improviser, writer, and teacher. Considered one of the premier influences on modern improvisational theater, Close had a prolific career, appearing in a number of films and television shows...
worked with Riggs for a time, and members of both troupes were regulars at each others' shows when traveling.
After operating it for 39 years, Riggs sold the Brave New Workshop in 1997 to Mark Bergen, John Sweeney
John Sweeney
John Sweeney may refer to:*John E. Sweeney , U.S. Representative from New York*John Roland Sweeney , Canadian, politician and educator*John Sweeney , BBC journalist*John James Sweeney, Pennsylvania politician...
and Jenni Lilledahl, though Bergen eventually moved on to other projects. Sweeney and Lilledahl still operate the theater and have made some changes. Their focus is more on long-form improvisation, while Riggs had always been more focused on shorter individual sketches.