LNI
Encyclopedia
The Ligue nationale d'improvisation (LNI) (French for "National Improvisation League") is an improvisational comedy theatre company created in Quebec
. Most of the participants are thespians, comedians or humorists. The Improvisation League format has spread to France
, Belgium
, Switzerland
and Italy
.
, and certain characteristics inspired by hockey
: hockey jerseys, referees, and an audience that surrounds the performance area, which looks like a hockey rink.
Teams in the league are made up of six members: three men and three women. A referee chooses at random a topic that the participants must act out. The teams are given 20 seconds for a preparatory "caucus
" to decide how to play the scene. After the scene, the audience votes for the winner by holding up cardboard signs displaying the color of the team they like.
Each scene or round is worth one point. The team with the most points at the end of the match wins. A referee can also subtract points from a team's score if members break the improvisational theatre
rules. If a team protests a judge's decision, the judge must justify his or her decision. The audience can also boo decisions they don't like.
Each round lasts from thirty seconds to twenty minutes.
and Yvon Leduc in Montreal
in 1977. It became very popular in the 1980s and many cities organized improvisation competitions.
In December 1982 the final of the sixth season of the LNI was broadcast by Radio Quebec, which led to even greater popularity. Teams and leagues sprouted up all over Quebec. From then on and until 1988, LNI matches were broadcast on TV by Radio-Quebec.
During the 1980s, the LNI traveled to face the best improv teams of France, which led to the formation of the Ligue d'improvisation française (French Improvisation League). They also played matches in Belgium and Switzerland, which led to national improvisation leagues being formed in those countries. In 1985, the first Improvisation World Cup brought together teams from Canada
, France, Belgium, and Switzerland in Montreal, Quebec
.
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. Most of the participants are thespians, comedians or humorists. The Improvisation League format has spread to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Description
Although the format has evolved over the years, it has always included humor, improvisationImprovisation
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...
, and certain characteristics inspired by hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
: hockey jerseys, referees, and an audience that surrounds the performance area, which looks like a hockey rink.
Teams in the league are made up of six members: three men and three women. A referee chooses at random a topic that the participants must act out. The teams are given 20 seconds for a preparatory "caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
" to decide how to play the scene. After the scene, the audience votes for the winner by holding up cardboard signs displaying the color of the team they like.
Each scene or round is worth one point. The team with the most points at the end of the match wins. A referee can also subtract points from a team's score if members break the improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...
rules. If a team protests a judge's decision, the judge must justify his or her decision. The audience can also boo decisions they don't like.
Each round lasts from thirty seconds to twenty minutes.
History
The Improvisational League was created by Robert GravelRobert Gravel
Robert Gravel was an actor, dramatist, theatrical director and teacher.-Career:Gravel was born in Montreal and is one of the most influential figures in the modern history of theater in Quebec. In the middle of the 1970s, Gravel, Jean-Pierre Ronfard and Pol Pelletier co-founded the Théâtre...
and Yvon Leduc in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in 1977. It became very popular in the 1980s and many cities organized improvisation competitions.
In December 1982 the final of the sixth season of the LNI was broadcast by Radio Quebec, which led to even greater popularity. Teams and leagues sprouted up all over Quebec. From then on and until 1988, LNI matches were broadcast on TV by Radio-Quebec.
During the 1980s, the LNI traveled to face the best improv teams of France, which led to the formation of the Ligue d'improvisation française (French Improvisation League). They also played matches in Belgium and Switzerland, which led to national improvisation leagues being formed in those countries. In 1985, the first Improvisation World Cup brought together teams from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, France, Belgium, and Switzerland in Montreal, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
.