I know this game primarily as a warm-up, but the malleable central dynamic could easily be expanded into a larger offering as well.
The Basics
Players form a line at the back of the performance space and are each assigned a number from stage left to right. (Player A becomes 1, B is 2, and so on.) A prompt – such as a theme, weird, or location – is obtained, and the host or emcee orchestrates a series of brief vignettes by providing various number combinations that bring the corresponding players to the foreground to play out an improvised scene. On a suitable button, the host signals each edit (perhaps with a whistle, musical sting, or quick blackout), the current players return to the backline, and a new random combination of numbers is provided.
Example
The actors stand in place and announce their assigned numbers. The host fields “anxiety” as the initial theme, and after explaining the basic premise, calls Players 1 and 2 to the forestage. Player 1 (A) quickly assumes a seated position on the ground, while player 2 (B) watches over them with concern.
Player 2: “I’m truly sorry. I didn’t realize you’d arranged your books in such a specific order.”
Player 1: (gently rocking) “It’s nothing. I know you were only trying to help…”
Player 2: “It clearly isn’t nothing. You’ve just been so generous, Ghina, letting me stay with you while I get back on my feet. I just wanted to do something to show my appreciation…”
Player 1: “So you decided to reorganize my entire library by book cover color?!”
Player 2: (looking at the shelves and reconsidering their gesture) “I just thought it would look nice this way…”
Player 1 rocks a little quicker and buries their head as the host signals the end of the vignette.
Host: “And scene. Players 3 and 6.”
The first two performers scurry back into the line while 3 and 6 spring into action.
Player 3: (holding an imaginary clipboard) “And all that’s left to do is give you a tour of the construction site.”
Player 6: (looking high into the sky with excitement and nervousness) “And I’d be working… up there?”
Player 3: “That’s right! Up on the 38th floor; that is, until we start building the 39th floor…”
The Focus
Bold, clear choices and getting to the point swiftly but without needlessly hurrying the improv will serve you. Much like a Freeze Tag game, the scenes will likely err on the shorter side, especially when you use the frame as a warm-up, but they should still feel like scenes (rather than gimmicks or punchlines).
Traps and Tips
1.) Consider transitions. Don’t meander between the various called scenes. When your number is called, leap into action. If players defer too politely to each other before making any substantive choice, the vignettes won’t amount to much of anything. Similarly, push to the button or out so that the caller can easily move on. You might find that quick blackouts between each scene can help but be wary that these don’t bog down the momentum. And when the caller offers an edit, make sure you leave the stage as spryly as you entered it so that the next scene can exit the gates without impediment.
2.) Consider combinations. As the caller, look for new and helpful player combinations. Pairs provide a nice default, at least initially, as the more characters in a scene, the more likely it is for the action to begin a little clumsily. Once you’re up and running, however, look for new dynamics and discovered games. A few solo scenes can raise the stakes and delight, especially when pitched to a player (number) that has successfully built rapport with the audience. Well-placed group scenes will add further spice, and repeating memorable actor combinations can invite joyful scenes and characters to reappear.
3.) Consider connections. You can handle the initial ask-for in numerous ways. It can serve as no more than the impetus for the original action with subsequent scenes having no obligation to explore that same conceit (other than, perhaps, tangentially using the prior vignettes to inspire the current offering). Or every new combination of players can strive to investigate the same core idea but from a new or unexpected angle. Often, the game exists organically somewhere between these two poles. Regardless of your stated intent, look for pleasing ways to weave prior details into the mix, especially if you’re looking to present a more robust experience.
4.) Consider the audience. In lieu of using a host to randomize the players, you can also hand this playful power over to the crowd (noting thar you may lose the ability to artistically manipulate and pace the resulting scenes a little). If you use judges and scorecards in your venue (and you’re playing with an appropriate number of improvisers), these spectators can be instructed to hold up one or more (or possibly none) of their cards on the host’s signal. The accumulated list of numbers is then announced, and the assigned players improvise accordingly. (If judges happen to hold up duplicate numbers, then they just count as “one” vote.) Alternatively, a few random spectators could just display a handful of fingers from one (or none) to the total number of players available. Appropriate sided dice can also serve this function. You’ll probably still want a host or designated player to help facilitate these “votes” so that they are crisp and elegant.
In Performance
Perhaps every warm-up exercise holds the risk of struggling if players lethargically hit the stage, but that’s particularly the case with Numbers due to the quick turnaround between scenes. On a related note, also make sure that the scenes themselves don’t become frantic, rushed, or approximated, or you’ll struggle to build the overall experience in an aesthetic fashion.
If you’re looking for a longer improv serving, it’s a simple matter to increase the length of the scenes, and if company members are instructed to take on the same persona as their first appearance, the format quickly takes on a “village full of characters” vibe as numerous different relationships define the action.
Looking for more games, exercises, and warm-ups? Go here.
Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: James Berkley
© 2024 David Charles/ImprovDr
Game Library Expansion Pack I
ImprovDr.com 