The Magnet Theater is an

improvisational comedy Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv or impro in British English, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted, created spontaneously by the performers. In its ...

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

and

improv Improv may refer to: *Improvisation, an act of spontaneous invention **Improvisational theatre (includes improvisational comedy) **Musical improvisation Musical improvisation (also known as musical extemporization) is the creative activity of im ...

school in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. The Magnet Theater was founded in March 2005 by Armando Diaz, Ed Herbstman and Shannon Manning. Diaz, Manning and Herbstman were friends from

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, where they studied under improv guru

Del Close Del Close (March 9, 1934 – March 4, 1999) was an American actor, writer, and teacher who coached many of the best-known comedians and comic actors of the late twentieth century. In addition to an acting career in television and film, he was ...

at Improv Olympic. Diaz also co-founded the

Peoples Improv Theater The Peoples Improv Theater (PIT), also known as the PIT, is a comedy theater and training center in New York City, founded by comedian Ali Farahnakian in 2002. Shows combine improvisational comedy, sketch comedy, stand-up comedy, stand-up, theate ...

(PIT), where Herbstman taught. Armando Diaz and Sean Taylor currently own and operate Magnet Theater. The Magnet offers performance and writing classes to people of all experience levels. The Magnet, considered to be the world epicenter of musical improvisation, is also home to the New York Musical Improv Festival founded by T.J. Mannix and Co-Produced by Robin Rothman. Celebrating its 11th annual event virtually in July 2020, NYMIF brings together hundreds of musical improvisors and musicians from Austin to Boston, Chicago to L.A., Toronto to Vancouver and beyond. Performers have included Baby Wants Candy, Broadway's

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson ''Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson'' is a satirical historical rock musical with music and lyrics written by Michael Friedman and a book written by its director Alex Timbers. The show is about the founding of the Democratic Party. It redefines An ...

, The Improvised Sondheim Project, members of Freestyle Love Supreme and North Coast. Many Magnet instructors and performers write and lend their voices to ''The Truth''.

References

External links

Magnet Theater
{{coord, 40, 44, 55.6, N, 73, 59, 43, W, type:landmark_region:US-NY, display=title Theatres in Manhattan Performance art in New York City Improvisational theatre Chelsea, Manhattan

See also

References

External links