Viola Spolin (November 7, 1906 - November 22, 1994) was an American drama teacher and author. She is considered by many to be the American Grandmother of Improvisation. She influenced the first generation of Improv at the Second City in Chicago in the late 50's, as her son, Paul Sills, was one of the co-founders. Spolin developed new games that focused upon creativity, adapting and focusing the concept of play to unlock the individual's capacity for creative self-expression. Viola Spolin's use of recreational games in theatre came from her background with the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression where she studied under Neva Boyd.
Spolin is the author of a number of improv texts, her most famous being Improvisation for the Theatre,published by Northwestern University Press, which has since become the "bible of the movement" .
