Improv arrived in Argentina in 1988 through the Frenchman Claude Bazin, who led an Improvisation Match workshop at the General San Martín Cultural Center in Buenos Aires. That same year, the first match in Spanish took place, with participants such as Ricardo Behrens (future director of the LPI), Pedro Cano, Eduardo Calvo, and Mosquito Sancineto, which led to the founding of the Argentine Improvisation League. From Buenos Aires, it spread to other provinces: Mosquito Sancineto trained figures such as Romina Coccio, Osqui Guzmán, Marcelo Savignone, and Omar Galván, who founded Sucesos Argentinos in 1997; in La Plata, it arrived via Roberto “Cabe” Mallo around 1987-1988, leading to the creation of the LILP in 2000. Mendoza had its league in 2011….
If you want to learn more about Argentine theatrical improvisation, your essential book is Impro Argentina by Gustavo Caletti (Ed. Coop. Chilavert, 2009), a work based on interviews with key figures in the history of Argentine improv, compiling the first 20 years of improv history in Argentina.
Also explore the improv perspective through the works of Argentine improvisers with the greatest international reach: Omar Galván (Improtour), Feña Ortalli (Global Impro), and Pau Farias. Additionally, Hernán Gené‘s work on clowning and Jorge Holovatuck‘s work on theatrical play are also worth reading:
- Del salto al vuelo, Manual de impro (Omar Galván). An essential. A work that is prose poetry about improv.
- Yes, but… (Omar Galván). A short essay on where improv is headed.
- Impro. Dinámica de lo impensado (Feña Ortalli). Improvisation told from a football fan’s perspective.
- IMPRO Dinámica de lo impensado II (Feña Ortalli). New reflections on Feña’s improvisation through the lens of football.
- IN THEORY · Reflections of an Impronerd (Feña Ortalli). An interesting essay on the fundamentals of improvisation.
- Manual de clases de Improvisación teatral (Pau Farías). A practical and playful approach.
- Clown e Improvisación (Hernán Gené).
- Manual de juegos y ejercicios teatrales (Jorge Holovatuck, Débora Astrosky). Recommended for expanding your repertoire of theatrical games for practice.
- Una fábrica de juegos y ejercicios teatrales (Jorge Holovatuck).
I would also like to mention the evident affection for improvisation in Argentina, judging by the number of works translated from other languages into Spanish by Argentine publishers.
Does the list convince you? Would you add or remove any? Which one would you recommend starting with?
Sources: laimpro.blogspot | sedici.unlp.edu | Wikipedia
One Comment
Libros de impro en España – Libros de Impro