Based on one audience suggestion (a title for a play that has yet to be written) The Improvised Shakespeare Co. creates a fully improvised play in Elizabethan style. Each of the players has brushed up on his "thee's" and "thou's" to bring you a show filled with off-the-cuff comedy using the language and themes of William Shakespeare. Any performance could be filled with power struggles, star-crossed lovers, sprites, kings, queens, princesses, sword-play, rhyming couplets, asides, insults, persons in disguise and all that we've come to expect from the pen of the Great Bard. The performance could reveal a tragedy, comedy, or history. Nothing is planned-out, rehearsed, or written. Each play is completely improvised, so each play is entirely new!

The goal of the SHAKE IT UP! performance is to make Shakespeare feel exciting, accessible, and relevant to the young reader. Utilizing improvisation and comedy, the ISC has developed a unique and interactive approach to deepening students' understanding of Shakespeare's texts.
Show History

The Improvised Shakespeare Company was founded in 2005. After a short run on the Donny's Skybox Stage at The Second City, The ISC began its open run in the Del Close Theatre at iO Chicago. In 2006 The Improvised Shakespeare Touring Company was created to take The ISC's unique brand of comedy beyond the borders of Chicago. The ISC has performed at colleges, theatre venues, and festivals throughout the world. They continue to perform for audiences from 8 years old to 98 and teach workshops encouraging participants to enjoy improvising in the style of the Bard. The ISC has been featured at the Piccolo Spoleto Fringe Festival, the Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival, and the prestigious Just For Laughs festival in Montreal. It has been named Chicago's best improv group by both the Chicago Reader and the Chicago Examiner and recently received a New York Nightlife Award for "Best Comedic Performance by a Group".

The Dragon Child blends Chinese art and culture with puppetry, theatre and animation to bring to life a story of growth, survival and hope. Directed by Australia's Peter Wilson, director of the Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony, The Dragon Child is produced and presented by China Children's Art Theatre (Beijing) with support from The Arts Centre (Melbourne).

Raised in the care of the twelve Chinese zodiac animals, the young Dragon Child has a loving harmonious and peaceful existence until her life slowly starts to be affected by the relentless pace of human civilization, pollution and diminishing natural resources. Through her eyes and those of her friends, the story explores these contemporary challenges and the impact they have on our children, our hope, our future, our world.

Why does water not calm the tongue after eating hot spicy food?
The spices in most of the hot foods that we eat are oily, and, like your elementary school science teacher taught you, oil and water don’t mix. In this case, the water just rolls over the oily spices.
What can you do to calm your aching tongue? Eat bread. The bread will absorb the oily spices. A second solution is to drink milk. Milk contains a substance called “casein” which will bind to the spices and carry them away. Alcohol also dissolves oily spices.

 

Why does wet fabric appear darker?
When fabric gets wet, light coming towards it refracts within the water, dispersing the light. In addition, the surface of the water causes incoherent light scattering. The combination of these two effects causes less light to reflect to your eyes and makes the wet fabric appear darker.

Why is blue for boys and pink for girls?
In ancient times, it was believed that certain colors could combat the evil spirits that lingered over nurseries. Because blue was associated with the heavenly spirits, boys were clothed in that color, boys then being considered the most valuable resource to parents. Although baby girls did not have a color associated with them, they were mostly clothed in black. It was only in the Middle Ages when pink became associated with baby girls.

A Bear boasted very much of his philanthropy, saying that of all animals he was the most tender in his regard for man, for he had such respect for him that he would not even touch his dead body. A Fox hearing these words said with a smile to the Bear, "Oh! that you would eat the dead and not the living."

Long ago the mice held a council to consider what measures they could take to outwit their common enemy., the cat. Many plans were discussed and rejected when, at last , a young mouse stood up and said, "I think I have a plan that will ensure our safety. You will all agree that the chief danger is the sly, quiet manner in which the cat approaches us. I therefore propose that a small bell be attached around the cat's neck. This way we will always know when the cat is approaching." This plan was warmly applauded, until a wise old mouse stood up and said, "I agree with everyone that the plan is very clever, but who is going to put the bell on the cat?

Moral: It is easy to propose the impossible solutions.

One day a quick footed Hare was making fun of a slow moving Tortoise. Much to Hare's surprise, the Tortoise began to laugh. "I challenge you to a race" said the Tortoise, " and I bet that I will win." "Very well," said the hare, "I will dance dings around you all the way." It was soon agreed that the fox would set the course and be the judge. The race began and the Hare ran so quickly that he soon left the Tortoise for behind. Once he reached the middle of the course, the Hare decided to take a nap. While the hare slept, the Tortoise plodded on and on, straight toward the finish line. When the Hare awoke from his nap, he was surprised that the Tortoise was nowhere in sight. Racing to the finish line as fast as he could, the Hare was shocked to find the Tortoise waiting for him with a smile on his face.

Moral: Slow and steady wins the race.

A mighty Lion was sleeping in his lair when he was awakened by a tiny Mouse running across his body. The Lion grabbed the frightened creature with his huge paws and opened his mouth to swallow him. "Please, O King," cried the Mouse, "spare me this time and I shall never forget your kindness. Someday I may be able to repay you." The Lion was so amused by this idea that he let the poor creature go.

Sometime later the Lion was caught in a net laid by some clever hunters. Despite his great strength, the Lion could not break free. Soon the forest echoed with angry roars.

The little Mouse heard the Lion and ran to see what was wrong. As soon as he saw Lion, he began to gnaw away the ropes, and before long he set the Lion free. "There!" said the Mouse proudly, "You laughed at me when I promised to repay your kindness, but now you know that even a tiny Mouse can help a mighty Lion."

Moral: Little friends may prove to be great friends.

Once upon a time a Town Mouse went to visit an old friend who lived in the country. The Country Mouse was a plain, sensible sort of fellow and he welcomed the Town Mouse into his little home. Beans and bacon and cheese and bread were all that the Country Mouse had to offer, but he offered them freely. The Town Mouse turned up his nose at the simple country food and said, "I cannot understand how you can bear the dullness of country life. You can't prefer the woods and fields to streets teeming with carriages and people. Come with me and I'll show you what my life is like." The Country Mouse agreed and they set out together that evening.

It was late in the night when the two mice crept into the great house where the Town Mouse lived. "You will want some refreshments after our long journey," said the Town Mouse as he led his friend into a grand dining room. On a huge table in the middle of the room were the remains of a splendid banquet. Soon the two mice were eating rare meats, fine cheese, and delicious cakes. In the middle of their feast the door flew open and the party of men and women entered. The frightened mice jumped from the table and scampered to the nearest hiding place. The mice clung to each other in terror until the party left. But as soon as they crept out again, the barking of a large dog drove them back in greater terror than before.

When the house was finally quiet, the Country Mouse scurried out from his hiding place. Bidding the Town Mouse good-bye, he said, "This life may be fine for you, but I would prefer beans and bacon in peace to cakes and ale in fear."

Moral: A simple life of peace and quiet is better than a luxurious life tortured by fear.