You see them all over Chicago; small bands of young people chanting in a circle. You see them on street corners asking you to come to one of their rallies or "shows." Some of your favorite celebrities are connected to organizations that claim them as one of their own. That temp in your office is secretly a member and will talk your ear off once you engage them in the topic.
People involved in improvisation tend to try to recruit those who are not; either to come see a show or to join a class.
In a very odd connection, improv pioneer Del Close spent some time with L. Ron Hubbard. The book, "The Funniest One in the Room" by Kim Johnson states,
I guess in the long-run it doesn't matter. As long as it does more good than harm, as long as people feel better and bettered by their participation.
- Play at the top of your intelligence.
- Support your friends.
- Say Yes.
- Accept and Add.
- Love the moment you're in.
There are worse commandments.
Filed under: classes, Del Close
Tags: cult, Del Close, Dianetics, Kim Johnson, L. Ron Hubbard, psychohistory, religion
Del Close's role and intent can only be left to interpretation. The more pertinent question is how are the respective heads of the established guard treating those people that walk through their doors? Is it a symbiotic relationship, or is it more one-sided?
That's open to a lot of interpretation, but there are some key elements missing.
Cult members are often discouraged from affiliating outside the social limits of the cult. See Moonies. Never once have I seen this happen in an improv circle.
Cult membership can also be driven by the promise of reward for recruiting other members. See Amway or DirecTV. Not a practice openly employed by anyone in the Chicago scene (to my knowledge)
Cult members are often subject to severe indoctrination upon entrance. Improv's rules are established to prevent other people from getting hurt, but they don't limit behavior.
Cult members drink Kool-Aid, get married in mass weddings, and have theo-sophist arguments about the meaning of symbolic objects. Well, come to think of it, improv folk do all those things too.
The desire for fame/recognition/accomplishment is a common motivator in both cults and the arts. Cults play upon those desires to lure people in. Improv theaters survive off the fact that they sell the opportunity to perhaps be seen. While that can at times seem to be a duplicitous existence, the scene has a long way to go before it reaches cult status.
Chin and Danny Mora aren't snatching people off the street in an unmarked Econoline van. Yet...
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