A Second City alum reflects on the legacy of Del Close and improv acting
written by Thomas J. McFeeley
When I first visited the American Writers Museum, after spending much time with all the interesting and informative exhibits, I finished, as most do with the Wintrust Chicago Gallery, which highlights the life and works of dozens of the unique voices this city has produced.
One name jumped out at me. Seeing Del Close in the exhibit was a pleasant surprise. Del Close was a legend in improvisational entertainment. While he did write a book and contributed to countless comic books through the years, his inclusion here is largely based on his influence of improv in Chicago. From John Belushi to Bill Murray to Tina Fey to Steven Colbert to Bob Odenkirk (and hundreds of others), he coached scores of the comedy legends of this generation.
As a graduate of the Second City improvisational program, seeing Close’s name here reminded me of the variety of writing the AWM offers. We perhaps too often think of “writing” as a novelist struggling to string together a sentence on a keyboard. But the truth is writing is so much more—from song writing to comic strips to poetry to political speeches and to improv—it is all writing and the museum celebrates it all.
In celebrating Close, the AWM helps visitors learn that he worked with groups like The Second City and iO Theater and invented the long-form improv structure called “The Harold.” Instead of having a script, Del taught students to work together, listen, and, perhaps most importantly, trust the ideas we write in our head. Every improv performance is different because it is built around what the group came up with in the moment. Every scene on stage is a story, even if it disappears when the show is over.
Close belongs in the American Writers Museum with the others because he changed the way people think about storytelling.
We often think of improv as silly scenes from Whose Line Is It Anyway?, but what most people don’t see or realize is that it is an art and a discipline. Central to improvisation is the notion of “Yes, and…” in which you accept what your scene partners hand you and build upon it. So often your natural human reaction is, “No way, that is ridiculous, we need to try something else.” But the discipline of accepting a premise and building upon it is actually so useful in so many areas of life.
Improv also teaches you to pay attention to the details. If you’re holding an imaginary glass of milk, for example, it can’t just disappear. You must either hold onto it or put it down. Stephen Colbert often does “object work” in his monologues and always sees it through. That discipline is also handy in life. Remember the details and take care of them before you move on.
Close belongs in the American Writers Museum with the others because he changed the way people think about storytelling. He showed that writing isn’t just about putting words on a page, but about sharing ideas in the moment. In our world today we should probably share more with one another, accept what people offer us, and make it better. Without Del Close so many fewer people would use improvisational skills in the real world and, let’s face it, wouldn’t put that milk glass back in the sink.
Thomas J. McFeeley is a Chicago-based writer whose work is rooted in a career spanning newspaper reporting, column writing, sports journalism, fantasy sports analytics, and executive speechwriting. A former Capitol bureau chief and columnist, he covered government, politics, and public life with a style defined by clarity, narrative drive, and an authoritative tone. His work reflects a deep commitment to making complex ideas accessible and compelling, whether on the page, in print, or behind the podium.