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We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Donald Keith Johnstone, age 90. Keith, as he was known since childhood, was an internationally recognized pioneer of improvisation theatre, co-founder of The Loose Moose Theatre Company, creator of Theatresports, an important playwright, director, and most importantly, a beloved teacher. Keith passed away peacefully at Rockyview Hospital in Calgary, Canada, on Saturday, March 11, 2023. He is survived by his sons Benjamin Johnstone and Dan Vantari and by his grandson Cort Dawnne. Per Keith’s request, a festive “wake” will be held in his honor at a future date. When information is available, it will be posted on https://www.keithjohnstone.com/

A Docuseries on Keith Johnstone

On Keith is a YouTube released docuseries on the pioneer of impro Keith Johnstone, featuring interviews with international artists who share stories on how Keith and his improvisational methods support their creative processes. Keith has been teaching and creating continuously for over six decades. He is the creator of Theatresports, an improvised format now played in 29 countries and in 20 languages. Because of Theatresports’ popularity, it has sometimes been difficult to articulate why Keith matters in other contexts like, for instance, traditional actor training programs. Therefore, the directors of On Keith, Alicia Robbins and Theresa Robbins Dudeck, have endeavored to include multigenerational voices working across artistic disciplines in order to distinguish Keith Johnstone as a groundbreaking teacher and inventor of simple yet profound theatrical tools for spontaneous, inspired creativity. On Keith began filming in 2017 and will continue to grow as a digital resource serving Johnstonians for years to come.

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