A bevy is a group, a flock, a swarm—a bursting, bubbling, sweeping, crackling collective. This sense of energy and abundance perfectly captures the essence of Bevy, an all-female improvisation group known for its whip-smart humor and vibrant creativity. Performing together in the early 2000s, Bevy brought a fresh, dynamic force to the Chicago improv scene. 

More than just a group, Bevy is a form—a distinctive style of improvisation—that endures beyond the original performers. Bevy’s style of play relies on the rapid adoption and amplification of other team members’ ideas and initiations, characterized by an almost immediate, full-body commitment from the entire group. One player might stomp her foot, and in an instant, nine women would join in, transforming that small action into something exhilarating and powerful. A high level of trust and group-mind allowed the ensemble to craft moments that felt both organic and choreographed. Though the original ensemble no longer performs together, the spirit of Bevy lives on, continuing to influence improvisers who seek a deeply collaborative and supportive aesthetic.

Starting from a suggestion of an object, the ensemble would physically "become the object"—behaving as the object might, anthropomorphizing it, presenting its point of view, or morphing into its environment. (For comparison, a common and popular opening at the time involved a team standing in a line, verbally brainstorming from the one-word suggestion).

A highly physical, non-verbal opening gave players time to discover sounds and gestures that could inspire characters, emotions, relationships, and themes. If the suggestion was "fire poker," the scenes that followed might explore characters who poke and prod each other or who find themselves in combustible situations. Alternatively, they might examine the paradox of comfort and danger, moving from a cozy scene by a hearth to a fling with a smoldering old flame to a careless campfire ravaging a forest.

Bevy’s unique style of supportive play and group work naturally lent itself to developing distinctive transitions. At the time, most teams used a simple “swipe” to clear a scene. In a Bevy show, a scene between two firemen could seamlessly transform into a game where the entire group physically embodied sprinklers. Two of those sprinklers might stay as background for the next scene. Later, the entire cast might sweep across the stage like wisps of smoke. What set Bevy apart was that the whole team would often participate in transitions calling back elements from the opening.

Though playful and silly on the surface, Bevy’s shows didn’t shy away from exploring dark or uncomfortable human traits and situations. Characters and scenes from earlier in the show would often return, but unlike in a Harold, these call-backs had no formal structure. The result was a melee of free association, where themes, ideas, and characters wove in and out with dream-like fluidity.