1

Improv Games & Descriptions

by Ike Butler

Broken up into Short Form, Long Form, Sexy Games, Warm Ups, Exercises, Harold Stuff. Games are organized alphabetically within each section. Musical Games are in italics *I did not make these games up. They are from various teachers and improv books.

2

SHORT FORM 1, 3, 5: 3 improvisors. Suggestion: a relationship or location. Each player can only say lines with the assigned # of words Alphabet Game: 2 improvisors. Suggestion: a location. Takes a given scene and requires the performers to exchange dialogue in which the first word they speak must begin with the next letter of the alphabet. The dialogue must further the action in the given scene. Blind Dub: Four improvisors. Suggestion: title of a nonexistent movie. Two players speak the scene, the other two mime it (the speakers can't see the mimers). Similar to Foreign Film and Foreign Film Dub. Bookends: 2 improvisors. Suggestion: two lines of dialogue. Two players do a scene, but they have to use the given first and last lines to bookend the scenes. Buzzer/Say it Again/Take that back: 2 improvisors. Suggestion: a word. Two players are performing a normal scene but at any point the caller can stop the scene by yelling "buzz" and the player must change what he just said or did until the caller is pleased. Exit: 3 improvisors. Suggestion: a location; 3 words related to that location. Players have to exit/enter the scene every time their assigned word is said. FIFO (Five In, Five Out): 5 improvisors. Suggestion: a word; order the improvisors 1-5. Person 1 does a scene until Person 2 claps. 1 freezes until 2 initiates a new scene. Same thing with 3 people, then 4, then 5. 5 claps out and the 4 person scene returns, then 4 claps out, then 3, then 2. Solo scene ends the game. Foreign Film: 2 improvisors. Suggestion: a location. 2 people do a scene speaking in gibberish, conveying tone and a sense of plot even though they cannot be understood. Similar to Foreign Film Dub and Blind Dub. Four Corners: See SLSR. Foreign Film Dub: 4 improvisors. Suggestion: a location. 2 people do a scene speaking in gibberish, conveying tone and a sense of plot even though they cannot be understood. The other 2 people each translate for one of the actors. Similar to Foreign Film and Blind Dub.

3

Freeze: At least 3 improvisors. Suggestion: a word, or positions for 2 people to start in. 2 people start a scene that they act out until someone watching has inspiration for another scene. That person yells “freeze!” and they tap someone out, assume their position, and start another scene. Repeat. Note: it’s best if the improvisors move around a lot and do physical scenes. Interrogation: 3 improvisors. Suggestion: a crime, a location, an accomplice. Two players are cops while the other is the perpetrator of a crime they don't know about. The "criminal" has to guess what they did, where and who they did it with by the "cops" helping them out with puns & sly hints Half-life: 2 improvisors. Suggestion: a location. Players perform a scene in 60 seconds, then repeat the same scene in 30 seconds, then 15, down to 1 second to end the game. Kaizer Soze: 6 improvisors. Suggestion: a word. This is Mama’s Pot Roast’s most complicated game. It’s based on the Academy Award winning film "The Usual Suspects." Think of a play divided into 3 acts. Each act is 1 minute. The first three players perform the first 30 seconds of the third act of the play. After they finish they freeze in place. The next three players tap out one of the original players and replace them. These new players perform the entire play from the beginning of the first act using the characters developed by the first three characters. When the first 30 seconds of the third act comes back around, they must re-enact what we saw originally and then finish the play off! Mad Libs: 2 improvisors. Suggestion: a word. Write down lines of dialogue beforehand. At any point, players can pick up pieces of paper on the ground and read them as lines. On Board: Can only be performed in a lecture hall. 2 improvisors leave the room. Suggestions: one line of dialogue, one object the improvisors have to use, and one crazy thing that has to happen in the scene. These suggestions are written on a blackboard and covered up with another sliding blackboard. Then the improvisors get a word and start a scene, at which point the board is revealed. They must incorporate the suggestions into the scene. Park Bench: 2 improvisors. Consisting of a "bench resident" and a newcomer, it is the job of each newcomer to find an imaginative way to, as the name of the game implies, scare the bench dweller off so as to assume their position (and so on). Party Quirks: 4-5 improvisors. Suggestion: characters for each guest (1 fictional, 1 historical, 1 celebrity); quirks for each guest. One player hosts a party at which

4

the others are guests. The host has to guess who the guests are and then what their quirks are. Note: this version takes a while. For a shorter version, only do characters or only do quirks. Pavlovian Response: 3 improvisors. Suggestion: location; a word and reaction for each player. Each player has a reaction to a specific word/action - the scene continues as if nothing happened. Quick Change: 2 improvisors. Suggestion: a location with a lot of people. Improvisors each play multiple characters in a crowded location that all interact. Each actor quickly establishes around 3 characters one by one that all exist in the same physical space, then the actors and each actor’s characters interact to build a scene. TIPS:

- If Actor A establishes a child talking to their mom then darts away, Actor B should later establish a mom that stands in the same physical space.

- It’s helpful to vary voice and physicality for each character, and remember where they are in the space, so it’s always clear who you’re playing.

- Only play the characters you’ve established, not your scene partner’s characters.

Space Jump: 3 improvisors. Suggestion of 3 locations. The three improvisors exist in three different spaces, and the caller can switch location anytime. When this happens, the improvisors have to justify their positions. Scripts: 2 improvisors. Suggestion of a relationship. One player must use a script from a play for all his/her lines and the other works to justify them. SLAS (Sounds Like A Song): 3 improvisors. Suggestion: a word. 2 players start onstage and do a scene, player 3 enters after first song. The caller interrupts with “that sounds like a song!” twice and “that sounds like a finale!” at the end. The player who spoke last has to sing. Note: split it up so each improvisor gets a song. TIPS:

- Create a chorus. The song doesn’t have to be entirely complex verses. - Feel free to provide vocal or physical support for the singer, but don’t steal

your scene partner’s thunder.

5

SLSR (Step Left, Step Right): 4 improvisors. Suggestions: 1 word for each of the 4 pairs. Players form a cube onstage. The two players nearest the audience are always doing a scene. At any point, the caller can tell them to step left or right, and it shifts to a new scene. Soda Jerk: 3 improvisors. Suggestion: 2 adjectives and 2 nouns. Two players can't talk, and must mime what flavor sodas they want. The store clerk guesses. TIPS: if the clerk isn’t getting it, the caller can phone in and give a hint. SSLD (Sit, Stand, Lie Down): 3 improvisors. Suggestion: a location. One player must be sitting, another standing and one lying down at all times. If one person switches, everyone switches. Stage Directions: 4 improvisors. Suggestion: anything. Two players do a scene. The other two improvisors read stage directions from audience-picked plays that the actors have to immediately incorporate into the scene. The Dating Game: 4 improvisors. Suggestion: 3 quirks. 3 improvisors, the contestants, get a quirk. Like party quirks but on a dating show. The bachelor(ette) has to figure out their quirks and naturally insert their guesses into conversation. The Name Game: Suggestion: name of a new improv game. Players create a new improv game as they go, based on an audience-given title. Note: there are guessing games, caller-oriented games, modified scene games, inhibiting players games... Two Phrases: 3 improvisors. Suggestion: Four phrases.Two players can only say two audience-given phrases each, while the third player justifies it all.

6

LONG FORM Since these descriptions are so long, here’s a short list of all the longform games listed below: Armando, BSM, Convergence, Duos, God, Harold, La Ronde, Living Room, Monoscene, Musical, Narrative Duos, Narrative Play, Nightmare, Non-form, Predestination, Repeat-O, Spokane, TV Pilot, Weirdass Armando: A monologist (who won’t improvise) speaks for 2-5 minutes typically inspired by an audience suggestion. When he/she is done, the players improvise for 10-20 minutes (3-5 scenes). When it’s time the monologist monologizes again (inspired by a scene or another suggestion) followed by another 10-20 minutes of improv. Monologist again. Improv again. OPTIONAL: If the monologist is experienced, sometimes they can come out and try to wrap up the theme of the performance in a sentence or two. TIPS:

- During the monologues, each improvisor should listen closely for details and premises for scenes.

- When I have an idea, I physically put it in my pocket to remember it, then I keep listening for more ideas. If every performer takes only 2 or 3 ideas away from the monologue, there’s more than enough scene material.

- It’s more acceptable in an Armando than other forms to enter a scene with a fully fledged premise that you expect your partner to play into. EXAMPLE: The monologist gets a laugh by saying their ski trip was “the scariest thing ever.” My scene partner rides in on skis saying they spotted a ghost. A great premise has been set up, and all I need to do is heighten the game of a haunted ski mountain.

Beer Shark Mice: Only two improvisors can be in a scene. The only edit allowed is a tag-out. If Carly and Abby are in a scene and I tap out Abby, then I am now in a scene with Carly’s same character, wherever and whenever I establish it to be. If Nina then taps out Carly, I retain my character and Nina initiates a new scene. Lasts 10-20 minutes. TIPS:

- BSM should be fast-paced. Tap outs should happen frequently. - Rapid taps are a fun minigame. EXAMPLE: Ike is playing a school nurse who

solves every problem with a band aid. Other improvisors tap each other out

7

with increasingly worse problems, and Ike offers them each a band aid. (This really happened in Ike’s MPR callback!)

- Bring characters back! But only play characters you previously played. Convergence: Three scenes, 1A/1B/1C take place, each taking the suggestion in a completely different way. They should all exist in the same world, though, and over the course of the set, the characters start to overlap and converge so that by the end we see how they all connect. Duos: A long form set that has only two improvisors. A suggestion inspires a scene, which is eventually wiped, and another scene follows. And another scene. And another. God (more of a Medium Form): The caller has the ability to edit the scenes by saying things like “Let’s see Abby’s character at work” or “Cut to a space shuttle orbiting Mars.” It’s perfectly acceptable to be a total asshole as the caller. Usually lasts 10-15 minutes. Harold: A structure created by Del Close at the Second City that tries to combine all aspects of improv. After taking a suggestion from the audience, improvisors personalize it and develop a theme/attitude in the opening game (see Harold Initiations). The harold structure has three beats, which tends to look something like this:

1. Opening game, then three improv scenes 2. Group game, then the three improv scenes are revisited in the same order. 3. Group game, then the scenes are revisited (not necessarily all of them)

a. It can end there, or with a group game “Revisiting” beat 1’s improv scenes is purposely vague.

- Typically, at least one character reappears. - Or, if the scene is about a cliff, it can be different people at the cliff. - Or, if the first scene is pilots who are afraid of heights, the revisited scene

could be zookeepers afraid of lions (game dash) - As long as the jump makes sense to you, it works.

There is no limit to how much time or space changes between the related scenes. For clarity, the scenes should appear in the same order in the first two beats: if beat 1’s three scenes are 1A, 1B, 1C, then beat 2’s order of revisiting them should be 2A, 2B, 2C.

8

It may sound complicated, but the goal is to generate laughs and have fun, not stick to a rigid format. There’s more than one good way to do a Harold. TIPS:

- The opening game should generate enough of a theme/attitude to inspire three unique scenes. If the audience suggestion is pumpkin, there shouldn’t be three scenes directly taken from the word pumpkin. The opening game helps performers achieve a group attitude or mindset stemming from pumpkin that influences the Harold.

- The group games should include every improvisor. - Each improvisor should only appear in one first beat scene. (if there are less

than six performers, some people may be in two. If there are more than six, some may not be in one at all.)

- Call back other people’s ideas from other scenes. - By the end of the Harold, it’s incredibly satisfying to have the worlds from

the different scenes connect. This may happen in beat two, or in some group game at the very end.

La Ronde: Only 2 people can be in any scene. After the first scene, a character is tapped out. The remaining actor keeps their character and a new scene starts, as in BSM. When it’s time to edit, the longer remaining actor must be tapped out. Everyone keeps track of who they are in a scene with, because the order remains exactly the same. When the actors have reached the end of the line, the first actor reenters to make it a circle of characters that each only interact with two others. TEN MINUTE VERSION: One cycle in which every actor is in two scenes. Or, after one cycle, there is another cycle where each scene is only a line or two. LONGER VERSION: Similar to a Harold, there are three complete cycles that mimic the scene structures of a Harold. The first is dedicated to building the world, the second is those characters dealing with whatever has been set up, and the third cycle is quicker and ties characters together. After the third cycle, there is typically some convergence scene where all the characters show up in the same location and tie it all together. Living Room: All the performers look as if they’re gathered in a living room: sitting on the floor, leaning on a table, etc. Everyone’s just being themselves. Anyone who is inspired by an audience suggestion starts telling a brief TRUE story. If it’s interesting, they can ask more questions about it. Or, it may inspire another performer to tell their own brief story. After sufficient inspiration (2-3 minutes) someone sweeps and a series of scenes begin based on the conversation. If there’s no more material, reconvene again in the living room and repeat.

9

Monoscene: A single scene that takes place in a single location that would fit onstage. At least one actor must be onstage at a time. Characters come and go, constructing a short narrative that involves everyone. Everyone plays one character. TIPS:

- Even if you play a supporting character, you’re just as important as someone with a central role.

- Share the scene. Give yourself a reason to leave and let other players interact.

- It’s best if there are only a few characters at a time in the beginning, and everyone meets at the end for the climax.

Musical: An improvised musical play. Audience suggestion: the title of a musical that doesn’t exist (Examples: Platonic Kissing; Super Babies). It can be narrative-based (see narrative play) with actors breaking out in song. Or it can be unrelated scenes with the same overarching theme or that are clearly derived from the title. TIPS:

- It helps to have someone who can improvise on piano and initiate songs. - Know beforehand if you’re doing a narrative musical or montage of scenes. - It’s fun to provide backup vocals from the sidelines if it’s not distracting. - Have most scenes be two or three performers, with some group numbers

that aren’t too complex. Narrative Duo: As far as I know, MPR has never done this. It’s a narrative play with two actors. Each actor plays more than one character (like the short form game Quick Change) but actors can swap characters. EXAMPLE: Natalie and Brandon are playing siblings named Jill and Jack, respectively. Natalie decides to enter the scene as their mother. Now there are three characters in a scene with two actors. If the mom addresses Jill, Brandon can assume the role of Jill and respond accordingly. If the mom leaves, Natalie can play Jack and the scene continues, but now with the actors playing each others’ characters. Other than this character swap system, it is the same as a narrative play. TIPS:

- Don’t overcomplicate it. Each actor should have one main character with a main objective.

- Establish names as well as distinguishing voices or physicalities for each character, and make note of everything your scene partner establishes for their characters for when you play them later.

10

- Prioritize your scene partner’s objectives! - Make your scene partner look great by creating opportunities for them.

Narrative Play: Best with 4-6 performers. Get a suggestion of the title of a play that doesn’t exist. Form a series of scenes that are narratively connected, with recurring characters and a plot that finds a resolution. The only edits are entrances, exits, and wipes. To play two characters that must appear in the same scene at once, hop back and forth in space. It only gets easier by doing it with the same people a lot, but here are some tips. STRUCTURE:

- Limit the first few scenes to mostly two person scenes of different characters, and be on the lookout for ways to tie their objectives into the same reality.

- Follow the characters’ objectives through scenes. Prioritize your partners’ objectives to service the plot.

- End with a big climactic scene that brings most or all characters together. TIPS:

- Everything (character entrances, whatever scene starts next, dialogue) should be focused on forming then resolving the PLOT.

- Establish names for your characters so people can reference you and call you into a scene. Establish physicalities for each character so people know who you are when you enter a scene.

- Contrary to normal scenes, foreshadowing, making plans, and mentioning offstage characters is important to world-building.

- Keep it SIMPLE. If there are too many characters and objectives, it’s difficult to find a resolution.

- Not everyone is going to be a main character. If you are, remember your goal is to work with others to build and resolve the plot. If you aren’t, your support work (as characters, or part of the environment) is vital.

Nightmare: Interview an audience member for a few minutes about a day they had recently. Ask them some personal questions too. Thank them, and say, “Now we’re going to show you their nightmare.” This can take two different forms: JAM NIGHTMARE: This is what we adopted for the 2017-18 year. After the interview everyone scene paints based on things the interviewee wouldn’t like (EXAMPLE: if they hate rain, say “it’s downpouring”). Use this to review what they mentioned. Wipe the scene painting to initiate a sequence of scenes loosely based around what you learned from the interview.

11

NIGHTMARE NIGHTMARE: Starts with scene painting. One person plays the interviewee in a series of scenes that capture ideas and scenarios taken from the interview. The actor who plays the interviewee should act scared when necessary, but it’s still perfectly fine to have a scene that isn’t designed to scare them. TIPS:

- Aside from the content of the interview, pull material from how the interviewee talks, or anything that happens during the interview.

- EXAMPLE: if the interviewee is really vague, make fun of them with a scene that intentionally has very little detail.

- EXAMPLE: if some annoying fucker from the audience keeps yelling stuff out during the interview, bring them in as a character.

- Listen intently to the interview to pick up what your scene partners are putting down!

“Nonform” Improv: Openers and scenes and group games just sorta flow into one another. Not a jam. This is just an abstract concept form of improv more than anything, with a different set of tools. Blended scenes, sound edits, fades, anything goes as long as you’re a good scene partner and you’re improvising. Predestination: Developed by Northeastern’s team, NU and Improv’d. Ask for an event or some way the audience wants the set to end. Then, get a word as a suggestion. Start doing scenes. Find a way to get to the event or occurrence. Repeat-O: Developed by John McGregor at Improv Asylum. Get a line of dialogue from the audience. Start a scene with it. Pretty soon, do tag-outs and expand the world. Then sweep, and do the exact same original scene, starting with the same line of dialogue. Heighten choices and use the tag-outs to inform the scene this time, but otherwise keep it identical. Get to the point when the tag-outs started last time but now keep going with the scene, learning a little more. Use the new information to inspire another series of tag-outs. Then, sweep and restart with the same line of dialogue. Do the exact same scene again, heightening and using the tag-outs to inform even more. Spokane/Delicate Pussy/Wagon Wheel: There is a central scene with all the characters in it. As they talk and reference stories or events, we cut to those events. When it’s time, cut back to the central scene. Do this a bunch of times. TV Pilot: Created by Shuffle, one of improv Asylum’s house teams in Boston. There are three parts.

12

1. PITCH: The caller seats an audience volunteer across from the performers. The caller explains that the audience volunteer is a TV producer and the performers are all writers who prepared show ideas, but the network demands that the show be about *audience suggestion*. Each performer briefly pitches an idea to the producer, who picks their favorite idea.

2. SHOW: Do a 20-30 minute improv set that is the pilot episode of that show (caller can play too).

3. FEEDBACK: The caller assembles the ensemble, who are now network executives that just finished watching the pilot for the first time. Caller asks what they thought. Everyone proceeds to make fun of all the parts that were bad (focusing on themselves or general ideas to avoid hurt feelings) and even add twists that weren’t there (They never addressed why the cashier was naked!). When they’re thoroughly annoyed at the pilot, the caller blames the decisions on the producer.

Weirdass: Similar structure to Armando, except that instead of monologues, two improvisers do an “interview” (different improvisers each time). Get an open ended question from the audience as inspiration for the first interview, and then the other interviews will be inspired by the sets that follow.

13

SEXY GAMES Awkward Truth Funeral: 3 improvisors. Suggestion: an audience member. Ask the audience member a couple personal questions. Tell everyone they died and have them lie down. Each improvisor plays someone that might appear at their funeral based on the questions. The first improvisor speaks to the body, explaining how they feel about the deceased. The caller yells out “AWKWARD TRUTH!” during the eulogy, prompting the actor to blurt out the first thing that comes to their mind. The next improvisor does the same thing. Each character comes back a second time, then a third time. Choose Your Own Adventure Porn: 2 improvisors. Suggestion of a profession. Pick an audience member to sit onstage. During the sexualized scene, the caller yells “FREEZE” and gives the audience member two options of the direction they want the scene to go in. The audience member tells them which one they’d prefer, and the scene continues. After three freezes, the performers should come close to kissing or mention sex, at which point the scene is called. ODEP: Stands for Oxygen Deprivation. 3 improvisors. Suggestion of a location that can fit onstage. Only two performers can be onstage at once. The third performer must be downstage to the side with their head fully submerged in a tank of water so they can’t see, hear, or breathe. When they need air, one of the other improvisors comes up with a reason to leave the scene, taps them out, and trades places. The soaked performer enters the scene as their own character and must justify why they’re soaking wet. Repeat. TIPS:

- Keep the same order - When you’re about to tap out your submerged partner, double back and

continue the scene. But, use this sparingly and don’t kill your friend. - When the person who started with their head submerged enters the scene for

the first time, their scene partner should name them and give as much information as possible naturally as their character.

Sexy Mad Libs: 2-3 improvisors. Suggestion of anything. Just like Mad Libs, but the lines of dialogue to pick up are really sexual. That’s What She Said: 2 improvisors. Suggestion of anything. The caller says “that’s what she said” after lines from the performers. The performer steps forward and has to quickly explain what they mean in a non-sexual way. The scene

14

continues with this justification in mind. It helps (once the location and characters are known) to use words like “it” and “them” so the caller has more material. TIPS:

- Toward the end of the scene, one of the explanations can be extremely sexual.

- The improvisors can set the caller up for jokes. Pearl Necklace: 6+ improvisors. Any suggestion. A group of improvisors tells a story one line at a time. To start, one person steps forward and says a line loosely based off the suggestion. A line like “All of a sudden, his girdle exploded” or “Yummy yummy in my tummy” or really anything. They keep repeating it until another improvisor steps forward, anywhere to their right or left, and says another line. One by one, improvisors fill in the gaps between the lines as the story keeps repeating left to right, until all improvisors are out and a cohesive story is formed. The story is repeated one last time with everyone out. TIPS:

- Make the first few lines pretty far apart from each other (in material and where people stand) so the convergence is more fun. Then focus on tying the story together.

- If most people are out and the first person gets a little bored, they can say their line with some accent or affect. If they do, everyone else better do it too. But if they don’t do something weird the next time, don’t keep trying to copy them. This can get old.

Porn Titles: 4+ improvisors. Caller gets a suggestion of two letters of the alphabet. 4 improvisors stand separated on the stage. One at a time the improvisors say the title of a porno that starts with those letters. If the suggestion is PM, one person might say Pirate MILFs and another might say Penis Mentor. If one gets a nice laugh, the caller can ask for the tagline of the porno, like “Swashbuckling? More like sex-buckling” or “Ralph Macchio stars in the Karate Kid remake you never knew you wanted to see.” If the caller likes one, they can say “Let’s see it!” and 2+ improvisors act out the beginning scene of the porno. They call it right before the heat starts and another suggestion is taken.

15

WARM UPS A Do Run Run: Circle Game. Animal Game: Circle Game. Bad Raps: Circle Game. Give Me Back My Son: Circle Game. Scream give me back my son very intensely to someone. They do it to someone else. Try not to laugh. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Cx5nPx3KXE Hot Spot: Circle Game. Someone steps into the middle and sings a song. Everyone around them sings along until someone taps them out and starts a new song. Repeat. Hey Fred Schneider: Circle game. Everyone chants “Hey Fred Schneider, what are ya doing?” and one person makes up a nonsense sentence to a specific tune I can’t convey here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ylye9JiqnuQ Idiot Circle: Circle Game. Nobody does anything except following what the others are doing. Start completely still and pay attention to everyone in your periphery. If anything happens, like a twitch or a sway or a cough, repeat it. Keep repeating it. It’ll inevitably grow and grow, and the group will have its own mind nobody is controlling. Irish Drinking Song: Circle Game. Watch this video. The last one is typically what happens. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icUU3MCrACc Knife game: Circle Game. Someone has a knife. They throw it at someone, who acts as if they’ve been stabbed. Then they take the knife out of their body and throw it at someone else. Repeat. Notes: get creative // keep it fast Mister Whiskers: Circle Game. To pass it to the left, say “whiskey mixers.” To pass it to the right, say “misty vistas.” To pass it to anyone else, say “mister whiskers.” If you laugh, you have to do a lap around the circle and come back. If it devolves into other phrases, that’s fine, whatever gets people to break. Pattern Game: Circle Game. Decide on a category like cereal or types of trees. Someone starts by pointing at another person and naming something that fits that category. The pointer keeps their hand up and the pointee points at someone else,

16

saying another example. The last person points at the first person, making a chain. Repeat the pattern in the same order with the same words without pointing. Then add a second pattern at the same time. Then a third. Playground Games: Someone says, “Hey everyone! Let’s play ___!” and the name of the game is some nonsense word. Everyone cheers and proceeds to make up how to play the game until someone else says the name of a different made-up game. Silly Walks: Two sidelines with everyone. Someone initiates a silly walk. Accompanying sounds are welcome too. When they make it to the other side, they tap someone who then does the walk to the other side. More walks get added and all the walks get passed until there’s too much going on. Sound and Clap: Circle Game. Someone makes a sound for them and the person to their left. That person makes a different sound for them and the next person, and so on around the circle. The rest is “pass the clap” but in addition to two people clapping in unison, they have to make their sound. Way more fun than it sounds. Sound and Motion Circle: Circle Game. Someone makes a sound and does a motion. An adjacent person copies exactly what the person before them did. Repeat. If everyone is paying attention to the person before them, the sound and motion will inevitably transform. Wah: Circle Game. Person A says wah and puts their arms up. The two adjacent people say wah and chop at their waists. Person A says wah and directs the wah to someone else. That person is now Person A. Repeat.

17

EXERCISES 60 Seconds of Silence: 2 people up. They get a suggestion and then assume a starting position. The people should be able to see each other. Then, they wait 60 seconds. No object work. After 60 seconds, the captain says “start” and they do. Explanation: “60 seconds on stage is a hugely long time. At first your brain is racing. You’re thinking of ideas of how you might start the scene. Then you’re just trying to guess what the other person is thinking. You become self-conscious about your posture and adjust it. Then you start to settle. You’re still thinking things, but it’s less frantic… Then, you’re calm. Ideas float into your brain, but now they’re like pieces of paper gently floating on a breeze, not gunshots at your feet commanding you to dance. And then the scene starts. You will be listening well for the first time. Don’t worry if the scenes begin a bit slowly. They will quickly become very compelling and good.” - Will Hines Accusations: Two people. Player 1 accuses player 2 of something. Player 2 must admit to the accusation and explain, in the most normal, rational way possible, why they would do such a thing. Don’t worry about being funny, just realistic. Birth to Death: Two improvisors are given a scenario that can be any significant event in their life between birth and death (first job, getting arrested, best friend telling you about their engagement) and they have to perform it. There can be no conflict and the performers must play two people that genuinely enjoy each other’s company. Just explore the world of the event. The goal is to realize how much comedy can be derived from a cooperative scene. Blow Them Away: This is simple to explain but difficult to pull off. Do a scene where the goal is to blow the audience away. Maybe someone wins roulette 12 times in a row. Maybe a whole team makes an improviser fly. Make interesting choices with more commitment than you think you’re allowed to. Get creative. Burglary: One person up at a time. They are a burglar. They break into a house, discover the environment, and find a precious jewel. Then, the alarm goes off (play any Cascada song on a phone) and they hide the jewel and leave the house. The next burglar has to interact with everything the previous burglar did, as well as discover a new thing to interact with, before finding the jewel. Upon finding it, the alarm goes off and they hide it somewhere. Next person. Next person. Keep going until everyone has gone, then call scene and feel great about yourselves and point out all the cool space object work and laugh about it.

18

Character Circle: Form a circle. One person steps into the center and makes up a character. Everyone mimics the character, speaking and adopting the physicality until another person steps in with a new character. Compliment/Boast: Split up into pairs. PHASE ONE: When the captain says go, one person in the pair starts complimenting the other on the improv: what they do, the way they do it, anything. After 45 seconds, captain says switch, and the person who was receiving now gives compliments. PHASE TWO: Everyone switches into a new pair. When the captain says go, one person boasts about their own strengths as an improviser to the other person. The person listening should nod along. After 45 seconds, switch. Donut Shop: One player is behind the counter at a donut shop. Another enters, buys donuts, and leaves. Keep it realistic and mundane. Then, the donut buyer becomes the employee and a new improviser is the buyer. Do the exact same scene, slightly heightening everything from last time (nervous twitches, buying more donuts, heightening content of small talk, etc). The buyer leaves and everyone rotates again. A third iteration solidifies patterns and games, and can bring back a couple things the second iteration missed. Then, keep rotating players and heightening the same scene until it’s crazy. It ends with the original employee as the donut buyer. Helps with heightening. Fuck The Actor: An actor sits in the center of a circle and tries not to laugh as other group members, one by one, approach the actor to try and make them laugh. Half-life: See Half-life under short form. 2 lines, 2 people at a time. Everyone does a minute long scene. Then everyone does a different scene that’s 30 seconds. Then 15 seconds. Then 5, then 3. Gets energy up, and gets you out of your head. Mirroring: Split up into pairs. PHASE ONE: Stand face to face. First, one person leads and the other copies. Then switch. Then, nobody leads and both people do the same movements and sounds at once (harder than it sounds). Then, they say more concrete sentences and do real actions, again with nobody leading. PHASE TWO: Do two person scenes with three people, meaning two of the actors play the same character, side by side, mirroring their actions and speaking in unison. Nobody should lead. Modified Two Person Scenes: Two people in each round of scenes. No comments until the end. Round 1: Improvisers must respond every time with “yes, because…”. Round 2: Improvisers must start every line with I, You, or We. Round 3: Improvisers cannot break eye contact the whole scene.

19

Round 4: Improvisers must make physical contact the whole time. Oh My God: Quick two person scenes. The first line can be anything you want. The second line has to start with “Oh my God…” Only Numbers: Two people up. No suggestion. Do a scene only saying numbers, in order, to each other. No repeating numbers. If someone goes “Eight, nine?” you don’t respond with “Eight, nine.” You respond with “Ten.”

- Don’t try to make specific points. Just start responding to each other’s tone. If “six” and “seven” are said in a soothing way, then you calm down and say, “Eight, nine, ten,” in a sort of “You’re right, you’re right” tone.

- Dialogue has music to it, and that music communicates a lot. Speaking Turns: Two people up. One person initiates. They indicate they’re done speaking (passing a card, ringing a bell) at which point the other person is allowed to speak. Three Line Scenes: Two at a time. One person says a line of dialogue. Another person responds. The first person responds. The goal is to establish who both of you are, where you are, and what you’re doing in those three lines. ALT: someone starts with an action, then the other person initiates the first of three lines of dialogue. To Be Frank: Circle game. Person A steps in the middle and says “to be frank, I…” as if they want to change something about themselves. (i.e. To be frank, I need a deeper voice.) Then they adapt that trait or description. Going around, the next 4 people in the circle add something starting with “To be frank, you…” and Person A adapts. Afterward, Person A says “Hi, my name is Frank. [1 new thing this Frank would like] [1 more thing this Frank would like], and I’d like to take you for dinner.” Skills it improves: Character, Yes-Anding, Heightening. Truthful At All Costs: Two people up. Whoever initiates makes a big choice (unusual, fantastical, or strange). The responder has to act exactly as they would in real life. Beware of people acting unrealistic just to say yes. If your best friend tells you he got abducted by aliens, you wouldn’t immediately be concerned. You probably wouldn’t believe them. Warm Up Scenes: Not really an exercise. Two at a time. A new suggestion for each scene. After a minute, edit. No walk-ons, tag-outs, no support, no notes. Yes, And: Two people up. Stand face to face. Get a suggestion of a word. Person A starts a scene with their words (no moving, just keep eye contact). Person B says

20

“yes, and…” directly responding to what they just heard. If what they say doesn’t directly respond, RC stops and repeats what Person A said before them. Tells them to say something else that directly responds. Keep going with this structure for a minute or two and see where they get. You Wanted to See Me: Two people up. One improviser enters saying, “You wanted to see me, *profession*?” like Wall Street CEO, Fire Chief, or farmer. Improviser 2 responds by making three reasonable requests, followed by a fourth that is the exact opposite of what we expect. The first player responds rationally to the unusual thing. (Helps with game. One improviser gets practice as the voice of reason, playing off an unusual thing. One improviser practices reasonably justifying the unusual thing.) EX: “You wanted to see me, Sergeant?”

“Yes, come in. We need to mop the barracks, assign a platoon to unload the new arms shipment, dig deeper foxholes on the western front, and we need to retreat immediately.” “Did you say retreat?” “Yes, it’s time to give up.” “But we’re so close to winning the war!” “I don’t want to lose any more soldiers. It’s time to pack up.” … etc.

21

HAROLD INITIATIONS Brief Monologues from Characters Brief Monologues from Actors (*suggestion* reminds me of:) Conducted Story Frustration Goon River Group Game Love/Hate Living Room Chat: tell short true stories Sales Pitch Scene Painting Word Association/Pattern Game