groundlings in los angeles
The Groundlings. The Groundlings are an improvisational and sketch comedy troupe and school based in Los Angeles, California. The troupe was formed by Gary Austin in 1974 and uses an improv format influenced by Viola Spolin, learning her improvisational theater techniques from the Second City's Del Close, to produce sketches and improvised scenes. Its name is taken from Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act III, Scene II: ...to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable