Paul Sills
| Paul Sills | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Paul Silverberg 18 November 1927 Chicago, Illinois |
| Died | 2 June 2008 (aged 80) Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin |
| Cause of death | Pneumonia |
| Residence | Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois |
| Nationality | American |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | B.A. from the University of Chicago |
| Alma mater | University of Chicago |
| Occupation | Director, teacher |
| Known for | Founding Director of The Second City and creator of Story Theater |
| Home town | Chicago, Illinois |
| Board member of |
The Second City, Founded or co-founded: Playwrights Theater Club, Compass Players, The Second City, Game Theater, Story Theater, Sills & Co., Paul Sills' Wisconsin Theater Game Center, The Parents School |
| Spouse(s) | Dorothea Horton (? – ?; divorced), Barbara Harris (1955 – 1958; divorced), Carol Sills (? – 2008; his death) |
| Children | 1 son, 4 daughters |
| Parent(s) | Viola Spolin and Wilmer Silverberg |
| Family | 4 Grandchildren, 5 Great-Grandchildren |
| Awards | Theater Hall of Fame |
| Website | paulsills.com |
| Notes | |
Paul Silverberg (November 18, 1927 – June 2, 2008), better known as Paul Sills, was an American director and improvisation teacher, and the original director of Chicago's The Second City.
Sills was born Paul Silverberg on November 18, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois, to family who believed in the teachings of modern-day Judaism. His mother was teacher and writer Viola Spolin, who authored the first book on improvisation techniques, Improvisation for the Theater. Spolin in turn was the student of play therapy theorist Neva Boyd.
In 1948, Sills enrolled in the University of Chicago, where he established himself as a director, co-founding Playwright's Theater Club. There, with fellow actors Edward Asner, Byrne Piven and Zohra Lampert, they blended Spolin's improvisational techniques with established theater training.
In 1955, Sills and David Shepherd founded the Compass Players, the first improvisational theater in the US, where he directed Shelley Berman, Mike Nichols and Elaine May. In 1959, Sills, along with partners Howard Alk and Bernie Sahlins, opened a theatre called The Second City where revues developed improvisationally were presented under Sills's direction. With early cast members Alan Arkin, Barbara Harris, Severn Darden, Mina Kolb and Paul Sand, success led to New York (a brief run on Broadway and a long one off-Broadway), London and world recognition.
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