A monologue-driven longform format where a monologist tells true personal stories that inspire improvised scenes. The most widely performed longform structure after the Harold.
Origin: Created in 1995 at iO Chicago by Adam McKay and Dave Koechner, directed by Del Close, with Armando Diaz as the original monologist. The full name: "The Armando Diaz Experience, Theatrical Movement and Hootenanny." Diaz confirms: "I didn't start it. Dave Koechner and Adam McKay started that, and they named it." The format directly inspired UCB's ASSSSCAT, where the UCB Four brought it to New York in 1996 with rotating guest monologists.
How it works:
- The monologist receives a single word from the audience
- They tell a true personal story inspired by that word (3-5 minutes)
- The ensemble performs several scenes inspired by the monologue — some directly recreating elements, some tangential, some exploring themes abstractly
- Early scenes tend to be close to the monologue; later scenes grow more abstract
- The monologist returns every few scenes with a new story, sometimes inspired by the scenes themselves
- The cycle repeats for the duration of the show
What makes a good monologist: Authenticity over comedy. Dan Grimm: "You're not here to be a comedian. Just be yourself and tell your story." Specific, vivid details fuel scenes better than generic narratives. Keep it to 3-5 minutes — give performers space.
What it demands: The ensemble must listen at two levels — to the monologue's content (names, locations, objects) AND its emotional undercurrent (what the story is really about). The best Armando scenes don't recreate the monologue; they find the feeling underneath and put it in a new context.