Charna Halpern
1952-present · Chicago, IL / Los Angeles, CA
Co-founder of iO Theater and keeper of the Del Close legacy; built the institution that trained Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Stephen Colbert, and most modern longform practitioners.
Known for
- Co-founded ImprovOlympic (now iO) in 1981; met Del Close that same year.
- Built iO Chicago and later iO West in Hollywood into the world's dominant longform training center.
- Co-authored Truth in Comedy (1994) and Art by Committee (2006).
- Carried on Close's teaching approach after his death in 1999, until iO's 2020 COVID-era closure and 2022 reopening.
Connected to
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truth in comedy
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