Unit 11 - Specialist Question: How has Viola Spolin changed theatre?

Viola Spolin. An American theatre academic who has helped support young actors in succeeding in the industry and paved the way for more practitioners to come. An important innovator in the history of American theatre today. An inspiring mother to a remarkable son, who has kept her legacy alive. Without the life and impact of Viola Spolin, our theatre industry would be very different. No improvisation to help feel more in character. No spontaneity to become less self-conscious in your acting. Without Viola Spolin, we would have no ‘Theater Games’. (contributors, 2024) Her theory  was that to improvise, is to perform spontaneously, and to create a scene with what surrounds you in the moment with wherever you are. (Timoney, 2016) The world of theatre and its techniques have never been the same after the influence of Viola Spolin.

It’s clear Viola admired how raw and unfiltered the children’s approach to spontaneity had been, and from her biography written by Aretha Sills with Carol Sills, it had stated that ‘when asked how she found so many talented young actors, she would reply that it was not a matter of talent—what they were seeing was children who were free.’ (Sills, n.d.)

I think it’s more than evident that Viola Spolin has changed theatre for the better. Her own son, Paul Sills alongside Bernie Sahlins and Howard Alk founded the oldest ongoing improvisational theatre company named ‘The Second City’ teaching ‘Theater Games’. (Contributers, 2024) Teaching the practice of improvisation and work of Viola Spolin still today highlights the longevity of her craft, that up and coming actors are using her ideas in helping unlock their full potential as an actor. Her son, Paul Sills continued his mission in keeping her legacy and art alive by setting up ‘The Game Theater’ in 1965, which consisted of lessons in the improvisational techniques created by Viola Spolin, alongside theatre games consisting of suggestions from the audience. (Sills, 1999) I strongly believe without the dedication and work by Paul Sills, the knowledge of Viola Spolin wouldn’t be so well known as it is now. I believe we would recognise her as the founder of improvisational theatre but not understand her history and influences that led her to the theatre world. Having successful and popular theatre companies teach her work signifies how much her ideas have changed theatre. ‘Theater Games’ are so important in connecting an actor to its character, and using them even during warm-ups to let go of any anxieties you may have in just being yourself. Changing anything significantly to me is all about the effect it has on people and how many people stand by the change and celebrate it. In Viola Spolin’s case with ‘Theater Games’, I believe it’s clear how significant her change to theatre has been. With countless people teaching and encouraging the use of it, I realise the amount of times I and many of my peers use them on our acting course, reinforcing how much she has inspired and changed theatre and inspired future practitioners. Alongside the influence and work of Paul Sills, evidence that Viola Spolin has changed theatre is by the amount of companies and places she set up to allow young children to honour their talents and expand on their creativity. The most recognised and celebrated company is the Young Actors Company founded in 1948 in Hollywood. The YAC is an acting school for children, where they use and train using Viola’s methods. By setting up the YAC, it allowed her to further her ideas in ‘Theater Games’, and additionally allow her to speak about television on young minds alongside other educational issues due to being around young children a lot of the time. (Sills, n.d.) It’s evident how important bringing to light freedom of expression was for Viola in young children, as it meant before they grew up and got to know and become an adult, they would always know that being themselves unapologetically was the way to live their lives. ‘Theater Games’ delves deeper than being an exercise to be quick thinking in a scene, and by striving to keep spontaneity alive meant young children and growing actors would always feel comfortable in sharing their own ideas and acting as their character as big or as small as they would like, without doubting themselves and overthinking. Evidence that Viola’s methods have been successful in the Young Actor’s Company come from their alumni, with the likes of Oscar winner Alan Arkin, known for his work on screen, and Tony award winner Paul Sand, known for winning his Tony when being apart of Paul Sills Story Theatre. (Sills, n.d.) Viola Spolin’s methods and teaching techniques have significantly changed theatre and the way actors decide to take on roles. In addition to this, through Viola promoting ‘doing’ rather than ‘acting’ to further ground a performance in the present moment highlights just how important breaking down a role and allowing the actor to be ‘spontaneous’ really is. (Staff, 2022) I believe that due to the amount of actors and practitioners that use her work signifies just how much Viola Spolin has changed theatre.

Upon researching, I struggled to find reasons to how Viola Spolin hasn’t changed theatre for the better. The evidence I did find is built a lot around people’s opinions, in that improvisation and spontaneity isn’t the most important craft in theatre therefore it not having the biggest change in theatre. The biggest change in theatre has been the Stanislavsky method, which Viola herself was inspired by when creating and developing ‘Theater Games’. This method has been known to have influenced every acting technique created, as his one method covers a lot of points when acting. His method in his early work consisted of psychological exercises, like trying to personally experience the actions they are trying to portray. Multiple famous actors swear by this method, such as Daniel Day Lewis, Christian Bale, Robert De Niro who have all went on to win an Oscar. However, near the end of his life, his method slowly changed to trying to ‘find harmony between internal and external acting preparation’. (Ates, 2023) This means that he believed ‘that the best acting connected an actor’s inner world with specific, performable actions on the stage’. (Ates, 2023) His method being used by so many people highlights its impact and how much it really has changed not only theatre, but the acting industry. Stanislavsky worked closely and inspired lots of practitioners such as Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler, and inspired Viola to devise her ‘Theater Games’. Viola throughout her life was inspired by lots of different people, like Jacob L Moreno who founded therapeutic techniques such as psychodrama and sociodrama. Jacob L Moreno’s psychodrama is a structured form of spontaneous dramatization, and the difference between sociodrama and psychodrama is that psychodrama deals with personal relationships, whereas sociodrama focuses on professional, workplace or public relationships. Viola proudly acknowledges her inspiration from Jacob L Moreno, and she desired her ‘Theater Games’ to have a therapeutic effect on them. The most important female figure in Viola Spolin’s life was Neva Boyd, who founded the Recreational Training School where Viola Spolin attended. Much like how Paul Sills did with his mother’s techniques, Viola Spolin promoted many of Neva Boyd’s methods when first beginning out at the Young Actor’s Company. I found that Viola admired Boyd's innovative teaching in the areas of group leadership and recreation, as did the use of traditional game structures to tackle social behaviour in inner-city and immigrant children. (contributors, 2024) Working together as one was Neva Boyd’s aim, which Viola made sure to carry through her into when promoting and teaching other people’s Neva’s methods. She also believed that the ‘essence of play is psychological involvement and spontaneous activity, which further inspired Viola’s techniques of channelling your own impulses and using them to act in the here and now’. (contributors, 2024) Adding onto Neva Boyd’s work, Viola responded by ‘developing new games that focused on individual creativity, where you can live in moment, discover your true potential and trust your instincts’. (contributors, 2024)These techniques were later to be formalized under the title "Theater Games". Without the guidance and influence from Neva Boyd, her own teachings would have been contained in the Recreational Training School and Viola Spolin would have went on through her life, without adapting and encouraging the work of Neva Boyd.

“The only person I felt was the inspirator of my life was Neva Boyd—and she continues to be.” – Viola Spolin (Webb, 2020)

This evidence highlights that Viola was inspired by multiple people and that some may say her own ideas were from other people she met in her life, meaning they could be unoriginal. However, I believe that Viola was inspired by individuals and that ‘Theater Games’ was her own creation, and that she only brought spontaneity to life and made it known in as many places possible.

In my opinion, Viola was a spark the world didn’t know needed lighting. Without her, so many actors around the world wouldn’t have had their start in life and been able to express themselves confidently at a young age. Without her, they wouldn’t be countless platforms easily accessible around the world for artists to perform and learn their talent. The theatre world is forever thankful for Viola’s commitment and love for the art of improvisation.

"I loved Viola instantly, as a person and a teacher. Some of the people in the workshop had a tendency to treat her like a goddess, but she wouldn't have it. She would say, 'I'm glad you respect my work, but please don't genuflect, because I'm not like that. I always overcook the ham, my house is in a mess, and I can't even tie a pair of shoelaces properly. So let's get up off our knees and go to work.'" -Valerie Harper speaking on Viola Spolin’s character and personality. (Mocerino, n.d.)

Bibliography

Ates, A., 2023. The Stanislavsky Method of Acting. [Online]
Available at: https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/the-definitive-guide-to-the-stanislavsky-acting-technique-65716/#section1

Contributers, W., 2024. The Second City. [Online]
Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Second_City
[Accessed 26 March 2024].

contributors, W., 2024. Viola Spolin. [Online]
Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola_Spolin
[Accessed 21 March 2024].

Mocerino, M., n.d. An Assemblage of Quotes: Viola Spolin. [Online]
Available at: https://mariamocerino.com/barbaraharrisquotes

Robertson, C., 2008. The New York Times. [Online]
Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/theater/04sills.html
[Accessed 26 March 2024].

Sills, A. S. w. C., n.d. Viola Spolin Biography. [Online]
Available at: https://www.violaspolin.org/bio

Sills, P., 1999. Paul Sills Wisconcin Theater Game Center. [Online]
Available at: https://www.paulsills.com/story-theater

Staff, B., 2022. What is the Viola Spolin method?. [Online]
Available at: https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/what-is-viola-spolin-technique-theater-games-74829/#:~:text=In%201946%2C%20Spolin%20founded%20a,the%20renowned%20Second%20City%20Company.

Timoney, B., 2016. Brian Timoney Actors Studio. [Online]
Available at: https://www.briantimoneyacting.co.uk/spolins-improvisation-technique/#:~:text=Spolin%27s%20%27Improvisation%27%20Technique&text=You%20might%20not%20recognise%20Viola,the%20art%20of%20being%20unprepared.
[Accessed 26 March 2024].

Webb, K., 2020. Viola Spolin presentation. [Online]
Available at: https://prezi.com/p/dwnmyukiebam/viola-spolin-presentation-webb/