The foundational longform improv structure. Invented by Del Close in 1967 with The Committee in San Francisco, codified by Close and Charna Halpern through the 1980s at iO Chicago, further refined by the Upright Citizens Brigade. Described in Truth in Comedy (1994) as "a collage of scenes inspired by a single suggestion which are interwoven and connected."
The 3x3 structure (the "training wheels Harold"):
- Opening (3-5 min) — the ensemble transforms one audience suggestion into multiple themes and premises
- First beat — three unrelated two-person scenes, each discovering a distinct game
- Group game #1 — the full ensemble explores a concept together
- Second beat — three scenes revisiting first-beat worlds with heightened games
- Group game #2 — another ensemble piece
- Third beat — scenes connect themes, characters, and games from the whole piece; often shorter, often merging worlds
Typically performed by 6-9 improvisers, running 25-40 minutes.
The three acts correspond to three moves:
- Discovery — first beats find the games
- Heightening — second beats escalate them
- Connection — third beats reveal that it was all one thing
Why the Harold matters: It is designed to demonstrate that an ensemble can create a unified artistic statement without planning. The connections that emerge in the third beat — unplanned, unforced, felt — are the proof of group mind in action. When a Harold works, the audience experiences coherence emerging from chaos.
The critique: Will Hines, a longtime UCB teacher and Harold advocate, has argued: "The main problem with the Harold is that there are too many scenes — way too many." He calls it "a GREAT training regimen for initiations" and "decent at teaching connections" but questions whether it's the best performance form. Many experienced teams graduate from Harold to montage or organic longform, using Harold's lessons without its structural overhead.
Del Close on the Harold: "Follow the fear." And: "Work at the top of your intelligence — not making the obvious choice, but making the choice that comes from honesty."
The Harold is simultaneously a training format (it forces you to practice every core skill — initiation, game, heightening, editing, support, group mind, connections) and a philosophy (the ensemble can create something larger than any individual could plan).