Get ready to restart this one a few times!
The Basics
Played in a circle (surprise!), players establish a steady rhythm – I use two thigh slaps, followed by two finger snaps. The first player offers a word to their right (on the third beat or first finger snap). The tagged player then offers a new word that begins with the last letter of the prior word to the next improviser in the circle. Words continue to move around in this manner with two notable exceptions. If a new word ends in a vowel, then the direction changes so that now the prior player goes next (see below). Secondly, (and perhaps optionally), if a word ends in “y,” the speaking player can throw the focus to someone across the circle, who then passes the next inspired word in the direction of their choosing.
Example
The beat begins with each new word being provided on the “three.”
Player A: (to their right) “Profit”
Player B: (to their right) “Teacher”
Player C: (to their right) “Recoil”
Player D: (to their left due to the vowel ending) “Love”
Player C: (to their left) “Ecstatic”
Player B: (to their left) “Colorful”
Player A: (across the circle to “H” due to the “y” ending) “Lazy”
Player H: (to their right) “Yum…”
The Focus
This exercise has a word association on steroids vibe to it, although the spelling element adds a level of challenge and self-awareness that some may find joyful while others initially will not. If you’re looking to expand your vocabulary, warm-up for games like Alphabet Game, Alliteration, and Last Letter, First Letter, or develop a sense of poetic or genre-specific style, this frame will serve well as a brainstorming device.
Traps and Tips
1.) Start slowly. I’ve found most students (understandably) struggle with the competing mechanics at play, so give everyone a fighting chance by setting (and maintaining) a modest tempo, at least when the game is new. When words appear anywhere in the rhythmic accompaniment, it’s easy to throw each other off. In the example above, it appears as if players know which direction they will send the focus before they say their word, but in reality, this is rarely the case, so you’ll want to give each player the full four beats to get their word out and then direct the flow. It’s also important for players to get in the habit of saying something on the appropriate bat so the association chain remains unbroken, even if their word in no way honors the other rules of the game.
2.) Think small. I model most new games in one all-inclusive circle, but if you’re playing in a larger ensemble (more than eight or so players), you might want to break into smaller groups for the actual explorations. With newer players – and more experienced improvisers too, for that matter – the direction of the word passes is generally rather random and left up to chance. Subsequently, it’s easy for a section of the circle to become over- or under-featured. The “y” rule can also help in this regard, but such deliberate throws are few and far between when players are still just struggling to say any word on the beat. “Think small” is also helpful advice in terms of your initial word choices too, especially when you’re learning the game fundamentals. It’s more helpful to confidently over a two- or three-letter word on time than flub over something polysyllabic a moment or two too late. Gibberish or invented utterances are also problematic as they’ll invariably cause stalling spelling questions.
3.) Avoid homonyms. This is probably another “higher level” piece of advice, but the game can quickly grind to a halt if players aren’t sure which there/their/they’re is being used. When they do pop up – or when a player isn’t 100% sure of a word’s spelling, make your educated best guess – and just move on with a clear focus give. (The original speaker can help, too, by making a bold direction choice – “there” and “they’re” end in a vowel so will reverse the flow; “their” ends in a consonant, and so would keep the flow going.) It’s tempting to allow “dictionary police” to enter the game, and critique spelling errors, but don’t get distracted by the minutiae. If every offer is put under the microscope, you’ll quickly create the conditions where players will be afraid to say anything, and the game is challenging enough without the pressure of always being right. To that end…
4.) Embrace slips. Say the next word that appears to meet the current needs of the game, and then continue with playfulness and confidence; applaud wildly when breakdowns occur that require a deep breath and fresh start.
In Performance
Once the basics of the game are known and don’t feel too overwhelming, you can also add an overlay of a category (“words fit for a poem”), time period (“words fit for the ancient Greeks”), or show-specific style (“words you might use in a crime procedural”). In this way, the game can be used as a way of deepening your vocabulary bank or exploring less mundane word choices.
Cheers, David Charles.
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Photo Credit: Tony Firriolo
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