What is licensing?

The Theatresports™, Micetro Impro™, Gorilla Theatre™ and Life Game™ improvisation formats (a.k.a. “the Formats”) are all registered trademarks and copyrights. This means that, similar to main-stage productions such as “Les Misérables”, you need to have permission to use any of the Formats.

Keith Johnstone, creator of the Formats, founded The International Theatresports™ Institute (ITI) in 1998 to manage the international rights to the Formats. To get permission to use Theatresports™, Micetro Impro™, Gorilla Theatre™ or the Life Game™, you need to obtain a license agreement from the ITI.

How do I obtain a license?

To obtain a license agreement, you can send us an email at inquiry@theatresports.org. Once we receive your inquiry, we will send you a copy of our license application form.

To apply for a license, you can fill out this form and either fax or mail it to us along with a one-time, non-refundable $50.00 CAD application fee (groups in Canada need to include $3.00 GST). We accept VISA, MasterCard, AMEX, electronic fund transfer, international money order and personal cheque (from Can & U.S. only). Contact us if you would like specifics on how to make each type of payment.

Once we receive the application and fee, we will begin processing your application. This process generally takes between 2 and 3 weeks, but sometimes can take longer. Generally you should apply at least one month before your first planned performance of the format. If your application is accepted, we will then walk you through the licensing process. Be aware that the application itself does not authorize you to use the format. It is only once you have completed the licensing process that you can hold performances and workshops.

How much does a license cost?

The licensing fees for all of our formats is set at 3% of your gross revenue of your performances, workshops and classes, with a small advanced payment. These fees help us to cover the cost of administering the license and managing the Theatresports™, Micetro Impro™, Gorilla Theatre™ and Life Game™ trademarks and copyrights.

Can I teach the Formats with a license agreement?

Yes. Our license agreements allow you to use our formats for performances, workshops and classes. For further details, please contact us.

I am a K-12 / college institution. Do I still need a license to the Formats?

Yep. Even if you are an educational institution, you still need a license agreement from the ITI to use our improvisation formats. To help make our licensing fees more affordable for schools, we offer a special educational discount on our advanced royalty fees for K-12 and college institutions. Make sure to tell us you are associated with an educational institution when you apply.

I am not located in North America. Do I still need a license?

You sure do. The ITI manages the licensing for the Theatresports™, Micetro Impro™, Gorilla Theatre™ and Life Game™ formats worldwide. Whether you are in Germany, Australia, Norway, South Africa, Brazil or even Latvia, you need a license to use any of our formats.

I am planning an improvisation performance that includes many of the improvisation games that are found in Theatresports™. Do I need a License?

That depends. If you are just performing improvisation games like ‘Word at a Time’, ‘Death in a Minute’ or ‘Yes, let’s!’, in no structured format or with a different improvisation format than Theatresports™, then you can use them without a license. If, however, you are using the improvisation games in a Theatresports™-style competition, then you need a license. Think of it as the same distinction as playing a game of football, which has specific rules, roles and regulations, versus throwing a ball around with your friends.

There is already a Theatresports™ group in my city. Can I also get a license?

Generally, the ITI has a policy of only one group per city. However, occasionally we are able to make exceptions to this rule. If you are interested, contact us and we will see what we can do.

Can I apply for both Theatresports™ and another format at the same time?

Unfortunately, we are only able to grant one format to new licensees at a time. We feel that it is important for our new groups to master a format before attempting others. Once a group has been licensed for one of our formats for a year, we will be able to add additional formats to their license.

Who owns the ITI?

The ITI is a not-for-profit organization that was created by Keith Johnstone to manage the licensing of the Theatresports™, Micetro Impro™, Gorilla Theatre™ and Life Game™ improvisation formats. No one owns the ITI. Instead, it is run by our Board of Directors, which is presided over by Keith Johnstone.

If you have any further inquiries, please feel free to contact us.