Groundlings

Type: Concept

As of November 2026, Groundlings has been mentioned in one podcast episode on Good Hang with Amy Poehler (Dec 2025). Mentioned as a formative experience for Maya Rudolph in her comedy career.

The Groundlings is an American 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, whose improv techniques were taught by Del Close and other members of the Second City, located in Chicago. They used these techniques 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, w