My next Game Library project is pulling from my latest experiments with the R&D Show where we take old improv games (and invent some new ones) and view them through a particular theme or lens. This addition comes from our recent December offering focused on “Beginnings” and provides a nice way to incorporate audience volunteers in a dubbing-styled dynamic.
The Basics
Two audience members (typically) volunteer to perform in the scene with two resident improvisers providing their voices from the side of the stage, ideally on microphones. The scene often utilizes the premise of a first date at a café, with the dubbed (audience) characters accepting the verbal offers from their offstage counterparts.
Example
Volunteers A and B are placed on chairs center stage while Players C and D sit on the edge of the stage.
Player C: “Sorry, I’m so nervous. I probably shouldn’t say that.”
Volunteer A (ideally) does their best to mouth the words and act accordingly.
Player D: “This is a very nice restaurant, with a fantastic view…”
Volunteer B (ideally) gestures accordingly.
The Focus
Part charm offensive, part potential shiv fest, the experienced improvisers should always strive to make their volunteer partners look and feel good, even if some playful mischief unfolds along the way.
Traps and Tips
1.) Honor the conventions. Overtalking and poor give and take are a perennial issue with dubbing games as the excitement and need for strong communication within and between each character pair can prove challenging. If your audience isn’t familiar with this device, taking twenty seconds to quickly model Player C talking for Volunteer A (and then D for B) while they move their lips can give everyone a bit more of a fighting chance. And sometimes a host can offer a few sidecoaching nudges, too, if the whole affair is rolling terribly off the scenic tracks (even if a little of this struggle is part of the delight). A fuller consideration of dubbing in general can be found here.
2.) Honor the story. It’s really tempting to immediately leap into schtick as the dubbers, but the long-term health and success of the scene will invariably suffer if every move becomes solely concerned with grabbing at a laugh. Let the story build gradually and organically. Remember that the dubbers need to also honor the scenic choices being provided by the dubbed. You’re less likely to pick up on subtle body language or energies if dialogue merely races from one punchline to the next. Verbal offers that reflect what is already happening onstage can easily provide much of the fuel for the scene. And if you don’t invest in the story fundamentals, you’ll often arrive at a juncture with no clear next step.
3.) Honor the volunteers. I’m of the mind that we have rather important responsibilities when we bring our audience onto the stage to play with us. If they’re immediately made to feel uncomfortable or are pimped into icky or inappropriate situations, the whole theatre can start to feel less welcoming and safe. Yes, the game invites misbehavior, but this can feel so much more delightful when it bubbles up from the volunteers rather than feels imposed upon them. So, if you’re a resident improviser facilitating the scene, look to make you guests the heroes or stars, and watch carefully for signals from them regarding their joy and abandon.
The R&D Twist
It’s the norm to place the audience in the dubbed positions as this keeps more of the scenic control in the hands of the resident improvisers. Our R&D twist was to invert that arrangement by allowing audience members to put the company through the ringer. I’d like a few more cracks at it in this orientation to better understand all the nuances, but it was fun to explore clear focus gives and takes as the dubbed player while unlocking the creativity of our guests which is a little more hampered (by design) in the usual configuration.
New to ImprovDr.com or the Game Library? You can find the ever-expanding collection of games, exercises, and warm-ups here.
Cheers, David Charles.
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Photo Credit: James Berkley
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