And here’s a warmup game that isn’t as easy as it might seem at first glance.
The Basics
Teams face off, and each provides one member (usually) on the playing field. Inspired by an audience prompt (at least initially), the featured pair improvise a narrated fast-paced story with each performer providing one word at a time. When the story falters (or, more rarely, reaches a satisfying conclusion), the audience makes a game show buzzer sound (or similar), and two new improvisers replace their teammates and repeat the process with a new story (possibly based on the initial suggestion or the prior offering or just the whim of the moment).
Example
Players A and B rush to the stage and craft a high-energy story based on the idea of “marshmallows.”
Player A: “Benji…”
Player B: “Skewered…”
Player A: “An…”
Player B: “Extra…”
Player A: “Large…”
Player B: “Marshmallow…”
Player A: “With…”
Player B: “His…”
Player A: “Stick. “
The Focus
Bravely following the story wherever it might want to go.
Traps and Tips
1.) Don’t forget… the basics. As a “word-at-a-time” game, all the basic rules apply for this outing. It’s generally advisable to avoid first-person narratives (although these are less problematic with just two players than many of the related games). Be wary of winding run-on sentences that have no end in sight. And, most important of all, attack each new word with gusto so as to keep the momentum building. See here for other pointers for this verbal dynamic.
2.) Don’t forget… the staging. While this is a storytelling game at its core, that doesn’t mean it should become static physically. Narrators should, at the very least, engage their bodies and liberally use gestures and body language to enrich the narrative. At the not so very least, the action can become partially enacted with players pantomiming their joint adventure. It’s advisable to loosely face each other (as opposed to link arms as a word-at-a-time expert or character might) as this facilitates a faster pace when players can see each other’s mouths and intentions.
3.) Don’t forget… the greater conceit. Standing face-to-face also elevates the overall competitive vibe of the warmup (although this is very much an illusion as players won’t create anything of any value if they aren’t rigorously and generously working together). The appearance of competitiveness, however, helps the performance. Players should rush to the stage to replace “eliminated” teammates and seek even greater attack and finesse than those who went before. If each story doesn’t build off the last – in terms of risk, fearlessness, tempo, and possibly even callbacks and reincorporations – your company is likely to lose interest and excitement rather than increase these pivotal energies. So, as you look to construct each individual story, don’t forget the greater arc of the game as a whole as well.
In performance
I’ve generally seen this game used as an all-play style warmup before an audience at the top of the show. When embraced with skillful abandon, it usually culminates in a particularly impressive feat of storytelling bravery, or equally delightful narrative disaster. It certainly could work as a decider, with the host quickly assigning a point for team members who didn’t drop the ball, although you’d want to make sure this didn’t slow the transition of players running on and off the stage as this adds a lot to the energy and charm of the piece. Similarly, it could easily function as a pre-show or workshop warmup.
This structure sporadically appears and then disappears from the show roster in my current home venue. I don’t tend to seek it out as a player as it’s trickier than it looks and requires a high level of attentiveness and commitment to create pleasing results right at the top of a show. If you (or your team) are personally a little off, there’s nowhere to hide in between each shared word. That being said, I have to confess that I nearly always enjoy this game more than I think I’m going to when heading into the experience. The key is to embrace the joy of really connecting with fellow players and following that excitement wherever it might take you.
Cheers, David Charles.
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Photo Credit: Olivia Skvarenina
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