Piven Theatre Workshop Records

Byrne and Joyce Piven founded the Piven Theatre Workshop in 1974, in Evanston, Ill. The Pivens, along with Mike Nichols, Elaine May and Paul Sills, were founding members of the Playwright’s Theatre, the group that spawned The Second City. Playwright’s Theatre disbanded in the early 1960s. The Pivens spent the next 13 years acting and taking drama classes in New York City with the renowned teachers of the Stanislavsky method, Uta Hagen and Mira Rostova.

Upon their return to the Chicago area, Byrne and Joyce Piven joined the Second City Repertory Company. They also began to teach children’s theater classes. Based on Viola Spolin’s theater games, and using Story Theatre, a directorial technique developed by Spolin’s son Paul Sills during his Playwright’s Theatre days, the Pivens’ philosophy was that theatrical performances can be explored in the same way as other art forms, such as music, painting or writing.

In Story Theatre, the notion is that that actor is telling the story to the audience in much the same way that fiction is read aloud. Joyce Piven explains it this way: “When you open a book with a child, you do so with great respect. ‘I’m not the Queen, I’m the player and I’m going to share this story with you.’ You must earn the right for the child’s involvement. How much you can actually become the Queen is something you must play by ear. You get to the heart of the story by mutual agreement (emphasis added).”

The Pivens’ first Young People’s Company included Ann and Joan Cusack. John Cusack and Aidan Quinn, who have gone on to successful careers in motion pictures, are also alumni of the Piven Theatre Workshop, as are Lili Taylor and Lecy Goranson, who found success in television. The Pivens’ children also followed in their parents’ footsteps, and made successful careers in the performing arts. Jeremy Piven is a well-known television actor. Shira Piven is a successful stage director, composer and actor, and has also taught classes at the Workshop.