Game Library: “Dub Our Musical”

Here’s one last Dubbing variation that warranted its own featured entry.

The Basics

A cast of improvisers creates an original theatrical production with original staging, characters, and dialogue. When the action builds to a song, offstage counterparts “dub” the actors’ singing voices. After each (typically brief) song concludes, actors provide their own speaking voices once again… until the music restarts. Think Milli Vanilli but in a full-fledged musical!

Example

Players A and B begin a scene at a county fair. A holds a large stick of cotton candy (candy floss) while B steers then both towards the Ferris wheel.

Player B: “There’s barely a line! I can’t believe our luck.”

Player A: “I’m not so sure about this. I’ve eaten a lot of carnival food, and I’m not on the best terms with heights…”

Player B: (lovingly) “I’ll be with you the whole time. It’s meant to be the best – the most romantic – view from the top of the wheel.”

Player B hands their tickets to a fair worker and helps A into the swinging cabin. The worker fastens the chain across the opening and signals to the ride operator. The musician begins a vamp…

Player B: “Don’t worry, I’ve got you. And there’s something important I want to ask you when we get to the top.”

Player E (standing in view but offstage) begins to provide A’s singing voice as they mouth and act out the lyrics as best they’re able.

Player E (singing) and Player A (acting):

“I think I know the question. There’s no need to guess,
But for the life of me, I just can’t quite say ‘yes.’
We’ve just been dating weeks. It’s all moving so quick,
It’s not this rocking Ferris wheel that’s making me feel sick…”

Player B stands, signaling to their offstage voice (F) and the musician that they’re ready to join the song…

The Focus

This dynamic offers rich potentials for playful contrasts and juxtapositions. Enjoy the larger-than-life tropes and conventions of the musical theatre canon.

Traps and Tips

1.) For the onstage actors. Be wary of deferring all the scenic power to the offstage singers. If you meander through the dialogue sections, you’ll quickly become a passenger. Instead, use the spoken moments to make and set strong choices and character points of view. It’s critical for the singers (and musician) that you playfully but clearly craft resolute song launches. Otherwise, the scene will likely struggle to result in meaningful or useful songs. When your singing voice emerges, be sure to really sell the content and emotion with fully embodied staging. Having your dubber located at least partially in your field of vision will further help in this regard. Don’t forget that you can also offer an occasional (and helpful) spoken line within a song as well, although strive to do so in a moment that structurally makes sense so that you don’t accidentally grind the number to a halt.

2.) For the offstage singers. As is the temptation with all dubbing formats, be wary of immediately leaning into pimping territory, trying to get your actor to sing or do the most ridiculous thing you can imagine. (The actors can also certainly pitch similarly dubious material to their singers.) Some joyful shivving will undoubtedly emerge of its own volition, so focus instead on active listening, generous accepting, and crafting lyrics that will support the inherent story and current relationships. Gives and takes can prove challenging, especially as musical numbers start to include more bodies and voices. You’ll be well served to make sure you can visually communicate with the other actors and singers so that every song doesn’t just become a clutter of voices. And give your actor a definitive and memorable voice – whether it’s just your own typical singing voice, something pitched to match their unique character energy, or (judiciously) a tonality that provides a whimsical contrast or commentary.

3.) For the overall story. Lean into the tropes of musical theatre storytelling but don’t feel the need to push all of these features and gimmicks to the stage immediately and at the same time. It’s great to get some big group numbers into the mix – our Ferris wheel number above might organically evolve in such a way – but if your time parameters allow, don’t forget the power of including a ballad and duet (or two) into the mix, even if they’re very brief affairs. Such songs also allow actors and their assigned singers to find and set their combined voice and deal before attempting a more freewheeling choral number. Similarly, it’s fun to mix up songs that are more simply staged “park and barks” with those that feature attempts at group choreography! The short-form game, Diamond Dance, can provide a simple mechanism for crafting movement that looks at least a little unified and finessed.

4.) For the overall technique. General dubbing etiquette and techniques apply. (See my earlier Game Library post here.) This format thrives with a larger cast – a team of four or more actors voiced by an equally robust offstage ensemble. Such numbers allow for a wide array of playful choices, such as using the briefly establishing fair worker as a background singer with their own disembodied voice. (My strong preference is for everyone onstage, no matter how marginally featured, to have anything sung provided by an offstage counterpart.) With so many people involved – and at least one musician – the chances for confusion increase exponentially. So, take your time to find and establish each unique vocal combination and physical connection before putting everyone onstage together for a full company and fully choreographed showstopping climax. Or at least wade into these waters gradually and knowingly, giving each new singer a verse or featured opportunity to find themselves.

In Performance

I don’t see this dubbing variant played often. It’s a dynastic way to craft an all-play if you’ve got uneven teams in terms of musical ability. That being said, the game can quickly feel imbalanced if the acting squad views their contributions as less crucial in any way or, alternatively, the singing team treats the game as their opus alone and gives little space and attention to the non-singing components.  Make sure the ensemble leaves room for acting, physical, and perhaps even dancing discoveries as well.

You can also play this with one (overworked) singer providing all the onstage voices. This moves the game more fully into a “torture” and “shining” dynamic, and so you’ll want to exert even greater cognizance when it comes to rigorous listening and generous accepting (and making each sung voice as distinctive as you can). What you lose in harmonies and a fuller group sound can be amply replaced by an able singer if they exude fearless attack as they face the gauntlet. But it’s probably not a particularly kind variant to spring on an unsuspecting and unprepared troupe member!

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
© 2023 David Charles/ImprovDr

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Dubbing”

Other players literally put words into your mouth in this challenging group of improv games.

The Basics

There are several related varieties of this dynamic that I outline below. The central conceit, however, remains the same: players do not provide their own speaking voices. Instead, they mouth or imitate the mechanics of talking (while providing fully developed emotional, gestural, and staging choices) as another (offstage or onstage teammate) crafts their dialogue.

Example

Two players (A and B) begin a scene as a young couple shuffling into their seats at an orchestral concert…

The Focus

Explore all the facets of effective communication in this often-whacky dynamic. Yes, a great deal of fun can be engineered from getting your dubbing partner into playfully challenging situations, but don’t underestimate the impressiveness of voices and bodies finding seamless moments of agreement. My favorite experiences in a dubbing scene are when the audience (and perhaps the players, too!) forgets that a character isn’t providing their own speaking voice.

Traps and Tips

1.) Dubbing. The “basic” version of this game consists of offstage players being assigned onstage counterparts for whom they speak. If you play in teams of four or more, you might partner with one of your own teammates or enlist another team to serve this purpose. (There are variants of this game, such as Audience Cafe, where a volunteer or two might actually play in the scene alongside cast members and have their voice provided for them.) It’s really important to clearly set before the game begins who is providing which voice or the scene will launch in a messy state of confusion. Make sure you follow normal scenic speaking etiquette and don’t just randomly talk all over each other. Those being dubbed should remember to move their mouths (perhaps a little exaggeratedly) when they hear their assigned dubber while also taking each vocalized choice fully into their body. Dubbers should also remember that speech can (and should) be prompted by the dubbed player moving their mouth, so don’t think of this as a one-way street in terms of initiations.

Player E: (providing A’s voice from offstage as they nudge past another patron and while A accentuates moving their mouth) “I’m terribly sorry to disturb you. We couldn’t find parking.”

Player B shuffles behind them while looking for their assigned seating.

Player F: (providing B’s voice from offstage while B accentuates moving their mouth) “That wouldn’t have been an issue if someone just prepaid for event parking like I suggested…”

2.) Double Dubbing. The next level of challenge occurs when actors pair up and provide voices for each other. In Sak Comedy Lab’s King of the Hill, we’ll often play this just as a two-hander so that the scene consists of only two characters being voiced by their onstage counterpart. This dynamic is sufficiently challenging to work in this more contained manner as the device will keep both players extremely busy. In larger teams, you have the potential for more personae, which adds to the glorious chaos and fun. Again, it’s helpful to set (and perhaps even briefly preview for the audience) the pertinent voice combinations. As the level of difficulty increases, you’ll also want to be extra mindful of player sight lines as the dubber will struggle to meet their dubbed’s needs if they can’t even see that they’re striving to communicate. If you’re playing with four improvisers, it can prove helpful to at least start the scene with only one member of each pair so that there’s a better chance of getting the ball rolling successfully. While onstage dubbers will want to fully invest in the emotions of their gifted dialogue, they should be cautious not to perform the text as their own. Rather, they should seek to maintain their own character’s world and activities while giving voice to their assigned partner. (It’s an added challenge not to make direct eye contact when you’re providing another’s voice, too.) This attention to physical detail also helps to sell the often-baffling conceit to the audience. This is how the two-hander version might start…

Player B: (discreetly providing A’s voice from onstage as they nudge past another patron and while A accentuates moving their mouth) “I’m terribly sorry to disturb you. We couldn’t find parking.”

Player B shuffles behind them while looking for their assigned seating.

Player A: (providing B’s voice from onstage while B accentuates moving their mouth) “That wouldn’t have been an issue if someone just prepaid for event parking like I suggested…”

3.) Round Dubbing. If you’re playing in a team of three or four, this variant provides another fun and mind-bending stumper! In a trio, Player A provides B’s voice, B voices C’s dialogue, and C returns the favor for A (forming a communicative circle or “round,” hence the name). It’s easy to forget this critical pattern (and that’s part of the delight), so the game demands a heightened level of vigilance. Don’t rush or overcrowd the story, especially during the first few moves. Take some time to clearly introduce and establish each character and their voice. There’s an implicit expectation in these games that all characters at some point will appear onstage together, but this is a better place to end than start as it’s nearly impossible to successfully dial back the chaos once you’ve let it loose. I’m assuming a three-player team below…

Player C: (providing A’s voice from offstage as they nudge past another patron and while A accentuates moving their mouth) “I’m terribly sorry to disturb you. We couldn’t find parking.”

Player B shuffles behind them while looking for their assigned seating.

Player A: (providing B’s voice from onstage while B accentuates moving their mouth) “That wouldn’t have been an issue if someone just prepaid for event parking like I suggested…”

4.) Solo Dubbing. This last variant focuses the lion’s share of the torture on one player, as the title suggests. Here, an individual player must provide the voices for all their teammates (as well as their own). It invites a level of shining that might not suit all troupes or styles of play but can serve as a playful reward (punishment?) for a winning (misbehaving?) performer or someone who’s been inadvertently underfeatured. There’s value in either starting with the dubbing player onstage as a protagonist of sorts in the thick of the action or saving their entrance as the climax of the piece. Regardless of your preferred approach, consider having the whole cast of characters onstage together eventually as this is a particularly pleasing finesse. Crafting distinct and instantly recognizable voices for each dubbed player is a must for all these iterations, but it’s a crucial strategy when one player provides all the dialogue!

Player D (providing A’s distinct voice from offstage as they nudge past another patron and while A accentuates moving their mouth) “I’m terribly sorry to disturb you. We couldn’t find parking.”

Player B shuffles behind them while looking for their assigned seating.

Player D: (providing B’s very different voice from offstage while B accentuates moving their mouth) “That wouldn’t have been an issue if someone just prepaid for event parking like I suggested…”

In Performance

Some improvisers consider these games as almost requiring a high level of pimping and shivving to excel – forcing teammates to engage in or squirmily evade unsavory actions, for example, when providing their dialogue. I do not share this particular opinion! Often, some shivving-adjacent silliness will emerge of its own accord, but I don’t think players need to aggressively seek it out for the dynamic to prove wonderfully successful.

Dub Our Musical offers yet another variation that I give its own treatment here.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: Tony Firriolo
© 2023 David Charles/ImprovDr

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Double Gibberish Scene”

Here’s an entry about another game whose name provides much of what you need to know.

The Basics

A scene is performed in which two different gibberish languages are used that may or may not be understood by one or more onstage characters. Think in terms of two foreigners (or two clumps of foreigners) meeting but not knowing much (if anything at all) of each other’s language.

Example

A scene takes place at a Parisian street café. Two players (A and B) are sitting at an outdoor table as two tourists (C and D) arrive with a crumpled city map. 

Player C: (speaking in C/D gibberish while apologizing profusely for interrupting) “Tau nooti pa needu shaveen?”

Players A and B exchange a confused look, not having understood a word.

Player A: (to B in A/B gibberish, trying to solve the riddle of C’s request) “Kaneeca kee chazinga?”

Player B: (in response to A who they understood in regards to C who they did not) “Ikka nu bapa?”

Much to C’s confusion, Player B offers them some bread from the café table…

The Focus

A sense of character confusion is perhaps inevitable when exploring this dynamic. However, don’t let that diffuse your desire to communicate clearly. Make big choices and brave assumptions.

Traps and Tips

1.) Remember that you’re speaking a language… even if it happens to be a language that no one else can understand! Don’t let your speech acts become under-energized or contentless. It’s an important part of the concept that characters should want to understand each other. Using your full emotional and gestural range will help in this regard as well. Don’t fall into the trap of just being a (gibberish) talking head.

2.) Remember which language you’re speaking… even though it’s completely made up. I love playing in the configuration illustrated above as this gives each speaker a scene partner who does understand them (even while the audience does not). Player A’s tone and inflection while talking to their fellow countryman B should feel markedly different than when they’re trying to chat with C as a foreigner. It’s also a nice and helpful finesse for characters to use similar sounding gibberish as other speakers talking in the same “language” whenever you can.

3.) Remember that most of us recognize a few words in many different languages… even if that knowledge is limited, ill-informed, or just plain incorrect. Allow your characters this level of playful grace in the scene. When Player B randomly offers up some bread, does this word (or prop) provide a small opportunity for understanding or moving the exchange along a step. Be wary of turning the scene exclusively into a teaching dynamic and little more, even if a dash of this energy can prove useful. It’s also possible for characters to have different levels of familiarity with each other’s language. In this spirit, the previously silent Player D might later reveal that they know enough of A and B’s language to (correctly or otherwise) recognize a whispered insult or secret between the dining pair.

In Performance

I’ve seen this elegant yet simple conceit unlock some really engaging commentary on how we communicate (and don’t communicate) across language barriers. It can also level the playing field in terms of putting both “languages” on the same footing, which can diffuse the possibility of layering an “other” with xenophobic overtones.

If you’re less experienced with gibberish performance, consider mining my other blog posts for helpful strategies.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: Tony Firriolo
© 2023 David Charles/ImprovDr

Game Library Expansion Pack I

My First Fully Realized Long-Form: The Lost Comedies

After completing my undergraduate studies at Roosevelt University, I jumped on a train and started my graduate studies at Western Illinois University in Macomb. I had made my first valiant effort at an original long-form before leaving Chicago in 1995 (read about it here if you’d like), and I was certainly still inspired by this style of play. In my second year of graduate studies, I pitched the idea of a full-length improvised Shakespearean comedy. It took some cajoling – I still recall some faculty questioning why an improv show would even need a spot in the season and access to one of our stages – but I eventually secured a time and venue. Like musical improv, spontaneous Shakespeare was just one of those sub-genres of improv that intuitively called to me. I enlisted the help of many fellow graduate student friends and the result was The Lost Comedies of William Shakespeare: An Improvisational Romp Through the Land of the Bard. I think this still holds the record for my longest title, and I’ve come up with some long titles in my efforts to weave “improv” into the mix somehow!

The Basic Premise: Four roaming members of the King’s Men (and their ever-faithful minstrel companions) anxiously await delivery of Shakespeare’s newest unseen comedy in celebration of his birthday on this, the 23rd of April, 1616. Unbeknownst to the company, however, fate has intervened, and their favored poet is not to make it to this fine premiere. News of his untimely death and the presence of the assembled audience demand an extemporized performance in an effort to raise the spirits of all in attendance. Cobbling together their knowledge of his earlier works and the audience’s generous memories and suggestions, the King’s Men create a one-of-a-kind improvisational romp—a lost comedy of William Shakespeare!

While my first effort at long-form construction had been rough around the edges, one of the incredible happenstances of this production was access to a team of designers who generously applied a can-do (and will-do!) attitude and created a really dynamic world to play within. Key members included Matthew Hallock on set, Jacob Welch on lights, Monica Mazzaro on costumes, and Ken St. Peter as music director. Among the many lovely touches I recall were a four-person band of live minstrels providing musical underscoring and Foley effects, a dynamic multi-layered set assembled from any and all platforms we could get our hands on, a lovely array of Shakespearean costume pieces to inspire our characters, and a light-bulb on a pull cord in a cavernous nook created by a center stage overhang which actors could just activate as needed. This little touch still makes me smile when I think of it. The technical and design elements far surpassed the meager means we had to mount the piece. I think this collaboration also reinforced in me the belief that improv gains so much when it fully utilizes all the design means of traditional live theatre.

Lessons

The four of us donning the roles of the King’s Men were all friends and fellow MFA students studying performance, and I think this jump-started the project in terms of trust and providing us with at least a common foundational Shakespearean knowledge (this was less-so in terms of improv training ironically.) I’m really fond of the frame of this piece, and the central conceit of the assembled company scrambling to come up with an extemporized play when Shakespeare’s newest work didn’t arrive as expected. I’m also fond of the (perhaps a little too long) opening song that summarizes this antecedent action, “Oh the King’s Men are we three (four!) with a hey nonny hey nonny no…” Other central conceits that have remained through later iterations include the use of Shakespeare’s basic five-act structure, the device of improvised sonnets as prologues between the acts to help paraphrase past events and steer future actions, the incorporation of a huge slate of audience suggestions displayed in full view including both period-appropriate and deliberately anachronistic elements, and the interplay between the company and a live Foley Artist to enrich the ambient world of the piece.

—
The Company:

David Charles (player)
Tom Galassi (minstrel)
Jim Hutchison (minstrel)
Adam Lewis (player)
Katrina Meares (minstrel)
Kimmarie Rosa (player)
Doug Rosenheim (player)
Ken St. Peter (minstrel)
Jacob Welch (lights)
—

Memories can tend to be fickle but I recall really boisterous full houses completely embracing the concept and abandon of the piece. Our department chair, Gene Kozlowski, a brilliant practitioner who was extremely reserved in his praise of anything, uncharacteristically noted that the experience made him rethink what theatre could or should do, which obviously so struck me that I still remember that nod all these years later. We were so nervous as players as this was wildly outside all of our comfort zones. Doug perhaps put it best during the rehearsal process when he noted that there really wasn’t a moment you could tune out in the piece as our company of four would no sooner leave the stage than be needed in a different costume in a different locale for the next beat. Kimmarie’s role was responsible for starting the first scene coming out of the opening prologue and she brainstormed a huge list of possible activities – I want to say that swabbing the deck of a ship was one of the more memorable ones. As was typically the case in most things – at least on the exterior – Adam was chill, and we engaged in a lot of duels and bawdy word play battles on stage.

Those improvising in view (with apologies to the improvising designers)

I’ve revisited this piece twice since that debut in 1997, each time trying to build on and expand the core model. In 2006, I brought the piece to Sak Comedy Lab as my second long-form work there with a larger cast of nine performers rotating into the four player positions on any given night. We had engaged in some modest dramaturgical work in the original WIU show, looking at a handful of emblematic scenes and breaking down how they worked, but we all drew on our general Shakespearean studies in the department. No longer on a campus, I endeavored to work through some of the plays more systematically with the Sak company for this second installment, but I think this didn’t quite materialize the way I had hoped. But the improv was brave, and bold, and joyous.

The third version occurred on the stage of the Annie Russell Theatre in 2014 with a much enlarged ensemble: every performance involved fifteen players, including myself as the Player King, the role I’d played in both prior runs. This was in addition to a live Foley Artist, professional improv musician, and all the live designers, stage management, and crew members. This was one of the most heavily researched pieces I have undertaken, and involved a companion semester-long class co-taught with my dramaturgical colleague Jenn-Scott Mobley in which every Shakespearean play was explored or mined (although about half were assigned to only a couple of students to study rather than the class as a whole.) Some students might argue that it was too much research – perhaps fairly – but each night the company entered the stage with a treasure trove of period-appropriate details at their fingertips alongside a good dose of whimsy and abandon. If you’ve visited my website, you’ll see ample photos of this production everywhere as it was gorgeous in its design elements, stunningly photographed, and there was some palpable creative magic flowing between the performers.

If someone was to ask me to name a project that defined my course as an improvisational deviser and practitioner, that WIU production in 1997 would stand as a top contender. Until that moment, I had imagined what an interesting type of long-form might look like when framed with a heightened sense of theatricality, but this was my first opportunity to see such an idea become a fully materialized reality. I’m deeply indebted to all those initial collaborators for that opportunity and experience.

First produced in 1997, then nine years later in 2006, then eight years later in 2014… if the pattern is to hold (and allowing for the lost covid years) that would make the time ripe for a new production! Any takers?

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
© 2023 David Charles/ImprovDr

Game Library: “Documentary”

This performance frame can easily adjust to suit your long-form or short-form needs as it essentially consists of a malleable conceit for housing a veritable smorgasbord of improv handles and dynamics.

The Basics

The team or troupe obtains an item, historical figure, or important event (real or fictitious) that inspires a documentary treatment, often narrated by an omnipresent figure who moves the action forward by connecting various vignettes and games.

Example

“Indoor plumbing” serves as the inspiration. After the lights fade, a narrator’s voice over begins...

The Focus

Explore non-linearity or storytelling that incorporates a wide variety of devices and styles. Many documentaries are defined by a scrapbook approach to recreating and contextualizing history, so mirroring this quality fuels much of the creative spark.

Traps and Tips

1.) Consider experts. A mainstay of most documentaries consists of interviews with witnesses, pundits, and historians. These may serve as discrete units with their own well-crafted arcs or as a collage of quick hits (with a cast of characters that might sporadically reappear throughout the rising action). Interviews could occur in a studio or on-site, with the interviewer fully present or as an unseen producer feeding questions only when necessary. Regardless of the packaging, experts should concentrate on one smaller facet of the proffered subject at a time rather than strive to fully summarize the issue or answer the foundational question. In this way, the documentary can continue into new tangential pastures.

Player A: (as a voice over) “As the popular children’s book so clearly articulates, Everyone Poops! Author, Taro Gomi, discusses this age-old fascination…”

Player B: (sitting in a comfy chair and assuming the guise of an expert) “Detritus, excrement, poop… no matter what you call it, humanity has always needed to deal with it…”

2.) Consider archival footage. Depending on the time period involved, documentaries frequently deploy footage to tell their story which opens up all kinds of fun for the ensemble. Whether you utilize a series of rediscovered photographs or painted pottery fragments that are embodied as tableaux with narrated descriptions (Freeze Frame style), incorporate early soundless choppy film stock with lush musical accompaniment (Soundtrack style), or cut to more recent edited footage featuring the key historical players themselves (Chapters or Typewriter style), there’s ample room for playfully contextualizing and narrating carefully chosen – or completely random – excerpts. It can be helpful for these calls to at least initially originate from a host or producer (Demonstration Video style), but ideally the next scenic idea could come from anyone, including the indispensable musician, technician, or perhaps even audience.

Player A: (as a voice over) “Early Mediterranean mosaics illustrate archaic attempts to dispose of human refuse, many of which were creative but woefully inadequate. Here, we see an image initially lost to history in the eruption of Vesuvius…”

Teammates assume various books poses that are described by a series of guest experts.

3.) Consider reenactments. Another fun possibility consists of all manner of staged recreations of unrecorded events. Essentially, these can operate as traditional improv scenes in their own right, perhaps with an inspiring throw from a prior vignette or the head documentarian. If you’re looking to present a bite-sized game (rather than a more expansive one act), it’s important to keep these short and sweet with clear and distinct gifts and discoveries. In longer explorations, you could easily insert short-form structures wholesale into the mix (such as Creation Myth Scene, Famous Last Words, or Expert Double Figures). Consider using the same improvisers in key positions (the inventor or historical protagonist, for example) to add another playful level of finesse.

Player A: (as a voice over) “Though the exact date remains uncertain, recently unearthed papyrus belonging to the lesser known Roman philosopher, Excretus the Younger, recalls a heated exchange between the gluttonous man and his servant…”

Player C and D assume the offered roles and begin performing the aforementioned heated exchange.

Player C: “Master, I beg of you, consume no more…”

4.) Consider artworks. Obviously virtually anything can serve as an historical artifact that could be worthy of inclusion, but if you’re looking to make a full meal out of the format, utilizing an art product or two can level up the whole affair and provide a strong performative climax. Again, the library of well-loved short-form overlays provides countless potentials, and it’s a relatively simple matter to engineer a suitable lead in (or suitably bad and thinly veiled justification!) Perhaps archivists tracked down a Radio Play episode from the 1920s that used the titular prop in pop culture for the first time, or a popular song broke into the top 20 that featured a particularly notable and pertinent lyric, or a grand Russian ballet found inspiration from the current topic.

Player A: (as a voice over) “Indoor plumbing soon became an esteemed sign of status and wealth. For those living in Elizabethan England, this pressure was immortalized in an oft-excised scene from Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona…”

Player E and F strike theatrical poses and begin.

Player E: “I would not live in such a filthy state: To smell all you have done makes me irate…”

In Performance

I tend to assume the conceit of one directorial hand at the wheel of this format as empowering a singular and confident player to facilitate at least the majority of the edits tends to keep the action moving and allow for some more aerial design – such as the use of a recurring expert, motif, or game. There’s no reason that this function can’t be shared across the whole company (or a smaller subset inclined to this playwriting skill set), especially if you’re aiming for a lengthier offering. Just be careful that there’s some clear method in place for claiming the next segue as it’s easy for the documentary to flail if no one accepts the responsibility for crafting the next element.

Most of the games mentioned above can be found in the ImprovDr Game Library for your convenience. You can find the ever-expanding collection of games, exercises, and warm-ups here.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: Tony Firriolo
© 2023 David Charles/ImprovDr

Game Library Expansion Pack I

A Peek Inside: Astors’ Beechwood

When I trained into the company of Astors’ Beechwood, part of our rehearsal process consisted of spending an uninterrupted day in the shoes of our 1890s character on the estate. I will freely confess that this was a rather different undertaking depending on whether you were an upstairs or downstairs persona. While some cast mates polished (my) shoes and prepared (my) meals, as a well-to-do newlywed summering with the Astors, much of my day consisted of just trying to keep myself busy and entertained. #upperclassproblems

I’d certainly recommend engaging in a similar intensive living history enactment, given the chance, but I assume many won’t have the time or resources for such an enterprise. Instead, I offer here a character-based exercise inspired by this experience and shaped by some of my own experiments with the work of Augusto Boal. I refer to the hour-long (or so) game as Day in the Life.

Here’s a peek inside the mechanics:

The Basics

Prior to the exercise, each participant is instructed to find a private area of the rehearsal space that will serve as their home base. Players are given a slip of paper that provides a particular occupation, such as athlete, farmer, artist, or accountant. (Actors could also just assume a scripted role of you wanted to use the same conceit to explore a company of characters and their backstories.) The following experiential exploration tracks each concocted character for one typical weekday as they engage in morning preparations, work assignments, and evening activities. A caller (the facilitator or instructor) provides frequent time updates as well as questions and prompts to gently help shape and guide the play.

The Details

This exercise allows some rather intensive empathizing and imagining as it really requires players to step into the realities of their dramatic creations. It may be unavoidable if you’re assigned an unfamiliar occupation for the exploration to begin with rather broad assumptions or stereotypical actions. The hope, however, is that as the day gradually clicks through the hours that these actions will become enriched and questioned as participants make more grounded and embodied discoveries. The exercise is designed to function largely as a coached solo experience with players only briefly interacting with imagined scene partners as needed (as opposed to other improvisers in the space) with the notable exception of the climactic gathering that finally brings everyone together.

Example

Players have scattered throughout the space and begin the exercise in a state of recline, as if asleep, while the general instructions are relayed. If possible, the lights may be dimmed or similar to provide a greater sense of privacy and isolation. Throughout, the caller provides time updates and questions to elicit activity and deeper connections.

Caller: “It’s 6am. Are you still asleep? What are your surroundings? When do you usually get up? Is anyone else sharing your space…?”

A minute or so passes with (probably) the majority of the participants still asleep…

Caller: “It’s 6:15. Do you generally sleep well? Are there any stresses from your day or job that followed you to bed last night? What can you hear or see outside your bedroom window…?”

The exercise continues as players experience the events of an imagined typical day…

Traps and Tips

As this is a rather epic coached exploration, my observations largely pertain to the role of the facilitator…

1.) Question rather than mandate. Part of the premise of this game is that a character’s occupation can have profound influences on their given circumstances and how they live their lives. While it’s foreseeable that our farmer or athlete might rise at the crack of dawn to tend to their obligations or training regiment, our artist or accountant might sleep in considerably longer (unless they have young children!) If the sidecoach mandates action – “It’s time to get up!” – as opposed to proffers questions – “Do you have time for breakfast?” – then much of this variety and nuance might quickly become lost. To this end, I like to provide rather broad occupation categories that also allow for individualization: the farmer might be employed on an industrial-level scale megafarm, or work on a family plot of land or more boutique scale; an athlete might be at the top of their game and competing on an Olympic or professional level complete with a full support team, or working feverishly but alone just to break into the minors…

2.) Embrace specific ambiguity. As each individual will experience their day on a different timeline and at a different pace, pursue broad questions – albeit provocative ones – as the coach. I like that the randomness of the occupation assignments can invite players to step wildly out of their comfort zones and knowledge bases. A reasonably benign activity such as consuming breakfast can look quite different for each emerging character. Do they have time to prepare and sit down to enjoy a proper meal? Do they need this level of sustenance for the day ahead? Or does their workflow demand that they grab something on the run if they have time for anything at all? It’s helpful to pepper the experiment with such questions to encourage players to consciously interrogate their choices and assumptions. Complicating factors such as family circumstances, age, and health status – which have little to do with many occupations – are also fruitful areas to question and examine.

3.) Don’t be afraid of the silence. I’ve experienced that participants find a gentle narrative of the timeline and day as helpful, but also don’t be afraid of deliberate silence. If you’re new to the dynamic, it can prove tempting as the sidecoach to want to fill most moments with language, but it’s okay to primarily announce the time markers and then just offer a few sparse questions to guide the play (especially if improvisers are clearly immersed and engaged in the process). It’s also helpful to establish that characters should relish the silence, too. Many occupations require some level of prolonged interaction with co-workers, but for the purpose of the exercise, it’s helpful to lean into more solitary tasks. Most players will tend to use much of the greater space as they explore different components of their paradigmatic day, but it’s generally advisable for them to politely ignore other bodies they might bump into as characters will generally occupy conflicting realities that will only implode the requisite concentration: one player’s law office won’t easily coexist with another’s farmland. 

4.) Encourage movement and activity. If you’re not careful, the tone of the exercise can take on a less-than-helpful cerebral energy, with players largely contemplating what their day might feel like rather than actually putting the reality into their bodies. Whenever possible, as the coach, use your questions to gently spur on action. How do the various personae get to and from work – their own vehicle, public transportation, walking…? What is their grooming or clothing regiment in the morning? Do they tend to eat lunch in their workspace, or do they have another preferred location? While I also like to ask questions that invite players to investigate their emotional journey and truth – “What are you looking forward to today,” “Who do you see in your day that gives you joy…?” – sometimes it’s equally vital to prod activity with the likes of “There is a task you need to complete before your workday is through…”

5.) Consider the climax. As the day moves into the early evening, I’ll place an important social gathering on everyone’s calendar. (I generally allude to this gently at least a little earlier in the exercise just to plant the seeds.) Depending on the space you’re occupying, I might stealthily move a few furniture pieces around to approximate an art gallery, reception hall, or similar as the evening calls draw close. Around 8pm I’ll start nudging characters to make their way to this occasion that has some special significance to them: perhaps they are showing their artwork, or networking to find an investor, or accompanying a loved one or spouse out of obligation, or working the evening to make some extra cash. For the last phase of the game, I’ll now encourage players to gently interact with each other (although my strong preference is for this to remain largely silent, perhaps with utterances or the like so that characters don’t wander around just announcing their jobs and prior choices).

Final Thoughts

It’s important to allow sufficient time for a debrief so that players can share their feelings, discoveries, and experiences. It can be quite striking to truly embody a character through the lens of occupation that is different than your own lived or projected life choices. I like to end the journey at an all-play party and usually ask characters after they’ve had some time to wander to finally settle on a fellow partygoer with whom they feel a connection or rapport. If you’re a current student of mine, stop reading now! I like the small finesse of actually creating a stock of papers that have each occupation listed twice, and it’s striking how often these compadres find each other in the final mull. Regardless of whether or not this particular outcome materializes, it’s fascinating to see which characters group together and what assumptions – both similar and different – players made when provided with a simple but common prompt and starting point.

While this particular exercise isn’t a carbon copy of my training experience at Astors’ Beechwood in the mid ’90s (all those years ago!) it certainly gives you a small peek into the ethos and rigor of the process. It was a true pleasure to spend a summer of my life as Alfred Gordon Forster and I’m saddened that this unique Newport entertainment opportunity has closed.

You can read a little more about this venue and experience in my companion blog post here.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
© 2023 David Charles/ImprovDr

My First Immersive Improv Show: Astors’ Beechwood

Although I didn’t realize it at the time, an undergraduate summer gig in 1994 at Astors’ Beechwood in Newport, Rhode Island, was a theatrical gem of an opportunity that encouraged certain artistic proclivities which still shape and inform my improv devising to this day.

The Basic Premise: Servants, peers, and members of the Astor family welcome “guests” to the Newport estate, providing them with an opportunity to tour various rooms while learning stories of the prestigious family, catching glimpses of the trials and tribulations of the various characters, and experiencing life in Victorian America.

For the longest time I would tell friends that I spent that summer in 1891, and this description wasn’t far from the truth. Astors’ Beechwood was a rare and peculiar mix of a gig combining historical research, living history, and improvisational tour guiding. Company members (except for some locals) lived in the actual servants’ quarters on the third story of the Estate – though they had been somewhat modernized. And boy did we do research. The directing team provided robust binders full of information, and we spent time in the local library adding to these tomes. Some of us adopted historical figures connected to the Astor family – prior owners of the “modest” estate. Others, including myself, crafted fictional characters who were guests or servants. I became Alfred Gordon Forster, a newly wed Englishman who was summering with his bride, Magdalena (Traci Crouch). This was before the internet made almost anything easily available, so I remember picking my English mother’s brain over the phone as to possible details to include in my backstory. There are a lot of impressive mansions in Newport, and Beechwood was modest by comparison especially in terms of décor and preserved furniture; however, this was the only Estate that offered the hook of an interactive living history experience.

—
1994 (Partial) Company:

Traci L. Crouch
Mike Sears
Allyn Woghin
David Charles
Sharon Forsher
Thomas Meier
Michael Roeschlein
Lori Johnson
John Butterfield
Lucy Hunter Poland
Lisa Nanni
—

With apologies to anyone omitted as these names were drawn from the Murder Mystery program. I was unable to find a more exhaustive list for the 1994 summer company.

Lessons

I have such fond and random memories of this summer: I was working to complete my science competency at Roosevelt University so was slogging my way through a geography workbook in my off-time; there was a great local pizza place and I could make one of their huge pizzas last for many days if I was careful; and at times it felt like there was as much romantic drama and intrigue between the company living in the upstairs quarters as there was in the fictitious worlds of our characters downstairs. One of the cooler parts of the experience was a true “day in the life” exercise where we moved through the rituals of our characters. It’s perhaps important to note that as a guest character, this was probably much more fun than it was for the servants who had to stand and serve us an approximation of a 7-course meal.

This was one of those rare occasions that a gig appealed to me on multiple levels: my history geek got to dive into the specifics of 1891 and Victorian etiquette; my actor geek got to really sink his teeth into a character of my own design; and my improv geek got to play daily on an amazing Estate-sized set. Now in reality, once you layered on the tour guide elements and responsibilities, this was quite a structured affair with performers picking up a group of tourists in one room, hitting important facts from their character’s point of view, and then moving through several spaces until they were essentially tagged out by another improviser. During this brief interaction, you’d get to play a little bit of status – “what is a servant doing on the grand staircase?!” – or perhaps move a bigger story arc a little step forward. It was an ornate and complexly orchestrated affair, with many moving parts. I still remember the phrase MUBADI, which was an abbreviation for the room combination of the Music Room, Ballroom, and Dining Room. I think LIFOMO was the antecedent downstairs combination of the Library, Foyer where Lady Astor’s portrait was prominently displayed, and the Morning Room, followed by the circle of upstairs bedrooms, and then finally the servant’s quarters, staircase, and kitchen where anachronistic disposable cups of lemonade awaited our guests. If you were really lucky, you might also get to play as a “drop-in” character whose primary function was to just provide atmospheric life to the house and grounds.

No one used the term at the time, but this was certainly dramaturgical improv. The commitment level to the historical underpinnings of our tours quite likely varied from actor to actor and season to season, but the company was deeply vested as a whole in a shared historical knowledge and it was from this base that we played and breathed life into our characters and central relationships. A major lesson was that the more that we cared and invested in our characters and their arcs, the more we ultimately gained from the experience. Our hardworking directing team, Julia Murphy, Sheli Beck, and Lisa Nanni also judiciously planted character secrets that they activated over the course of the summer as little drama bombs ready to explode. I remember that a standard piece of shtick I had as Alfred in the Morning Room was to joke about how I wanted a whole “cricket team” of children with my new bride, and as the summer drew to a close her secret of possible infertility was unveiled which provided a whole new emotional truth as I escorted Lady Astor’s guests through the house. I have deployed similar strategies of carefully constructed secrets in many of my projects since, although I’m not sure if I’ve always made the conscious connection back to this initial experience with the device.

Other seeds that were planted and nurtured include a palpable joy and belief in research for the simple sake of research, a calling for crafting a context that is rich and nuanced even if only a sliver of this background might make it to an audience in any given performance or tour, and a desire to imagine and embody characters and scenarios of weight and import. I think these tropes would ring familiar for many of my collaborators since those days in 1891, especially those involved in Upton Abbey: An Improvised Comedy of English Manors that certainly explored some similar upstairs/downstairs ideas and dynamics.

I’m truly grateful I had an opportunity to explore this historical playground and it’s a little strange to think that I probably haven’t spent more time occupying any other character save, perhaps, my short-form persona. Sadly, this venue no longer serves as the home to a resident theatre company. (In addition to the daily Living History tours, we also performed a site-specific murder mystery and other specialty events.) It’s not every day that you get to step back into history!

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
© 2023 David Charles/ImprovDr

The Improv Dictionary

An A to Z of Improvisational Terms, Techniques, and Tools

UPDATED ORDERING OPTIONS BELOW!!!

Where has the online archive of “A to Z” entries gone, you may wonder? I’m excited to announce that this extensive series of definitions and performance tips is now available in PRINT with Routledge!

In addition to 150 deeper dives into core improv techniques that you’ve come to love, with helpful strategies and curated games (found here on ImprovDr.com), this new edited and expanded edition includes over 100 new sleeker short definitions and cross references to help build your improv vocabulary, and 40 or so beautiful improv production shots. In pre-orders. the book routinely featured on Amazon’s #1 New Releases and Best Seller lists (see below)! Check out this lovely feature (here) in Winter Park Magazine that digs into the writing process and goals.

Currently, the paperback is 33% off with Amazon, and 25% off on the Routledge website.

If you take your improv fun seriously, then this is the book for you…

Here are some options for getting your hands on a digital or print copy of this labor of love… All prices are in US dollars. (Publishers set list prices in case you were wondering!) The email link might not work if you have a popup blocker: you can email me at David@improvdr.com if that happens.

IF YOU WANT A SIGNED COPY…

If you’re local (as in Orlando, USA local) and we see each other with some frequency, I’m offering a limited number of autographed/personalized paperback copies for a limited time at list price ($46). Email me here to reserve yours ASAP with your request (and any specific dedication language), and I’ll send you payment details. I have a small stock of copies and in most cases can get it to you in about a week. If you’ve opted for hand delivery, it’s incumbent upon you to find me and not vice versa 🙂 You can generally find my performance schedule at Sak Comedy lab on my homepage here.

If you’re stateside (as in the contiguous USA) and want an autographed/personalized paperback copy, it’ll cost me about $7 to pack and mail it via USPS media rate ($5.61 postage, $1.69 packaging), so that’d bring the price point up to $53. Email me here if you like the sound of that with your request (and any specific dedication language), and I’ll send you payment details.

If you live outside the USA there really aren’t cost effective ways for me to sign and get a copy to you without really upping the price (the USPS doesn’t have an international media rate so, depending on the country, it’d be around $32 to get a copy from me to you). If that’s something you REALLY want, email me here, and we’ll figure it out, but that’d bring the price to somewhere in the ballpark of $75. I get it if that’s too rich for your blood. It’s MUCH cheaper to use one of the methods below, and I’ll happily sign your copy for a drink when I next see you at an improv conference or festival!!

IF YOU JUST WANT A WAY TO GET A PRINT OR EBOOK COPY EASILY…

If you have access to Amazon.com for your book orders, then you can order a Kindle or Paperback copy here. The hardcover version is archival quality intended for libraries, hence the much steeper price, but the other two versions are currently at or below the list price of $46. You can also access a sample of the first 8 or so pages if you click on the icon to the left below the cover image. That’s mainly my intro comments, alas, but it gives you a sense of the look and feel. (In the first month of sales The Improv Dictionary was listed – on and off – as the #1 Best Seller in Theater – Paperback, the #1 New Release in Theater Direction & Production – Kindle and Paperback, the #1 New Release in Theatre History and Criticism – Kindle, the #1 New Release in Acting & Auditioning – Paperback and Top New Release in Performing Arts History and Criticism – Kindle and Paperback)

For international readers in particular, your most cost-effective choice (if not Amazon) will likely be buying through Routledge directly as they offer “free standard shipping on every order across the globe.” They sell the paperback and hardback versions and offer both eBook purchases and rentals. You can find The Improv Dictionary listed here. This site offers a preview as well (although it’s formatted for a digital reader), so look at the one on the Amazon site above if you want a better sense of the final printed product. If you’re affiliated with a theatre, university, training center, or festival and are interested in a larger order, I might be able to get a bulk discount for you through the publisher. Just reach out here. (Due to the weight of the book, it’s not really feasible for me to travel with any substantial number of copies.)

If you are still reading, thank you! I imagine you’ll also find this in bookstores and libraries with decent theatre selections eventually, too!

Regardless of your interest in The Improv Dictionary, continue enjoying the extensive ImprovDr Game Library (with approximately 200 improv games and exercises) that you can access here.

Game Library: “Contagious Hitchhiker”

There is contagious fun to be had in this scenic dynamic that invites players to closely watch and mirror their scene partners.

The Basics

The scene takes place in a car so arrange some chairs or blocks accordingly (being aware of audience sightlines). The action usually begins with those traveling “in neutral;” that is, without providing any deliberate quirks or idiosyncrasies. Soon, the passengers pick up a hitchhiker who brings a peculiar (and generally subtle) mannerism with them. Gradually, others in the car take on (and generally heighten) this contagious behavior. The journey continues with the addition of multiple hitchhikers at strategic intervals.

Example

One player (A) begins the scene in the driver’s seat. They establish their destination (perhaps elicited from the audience as the ask-for) and happily listen to their favorite station on the radio. After a few moments, they notice a hitchhiker on the side of the road (B) and pull over to offer them a ride.

Player A: (lowering their window) “Where are you heading today?”

Player B: “I’m trying to meet up with my friends at the beach. You going that way?”

Player A: “I can get you close… Jump in!”

Player B circles the car, opens the passenger door, gets in, and fastens their seatbelt, discreetly scratching their neck as they situate themselves.

Player A: (restarting the car) “It’s a nice day for it!”

Player B: “It’d be a shame to waste this weather.” (B scratches a little more) “What are your plans for the day?”

Player A: “It’s a workday for me, alas. I’m off to a sales meeting.” (A starts to experience an itch of their own…)

The Focus

I’m including several helpful variations below, each of which tends to adjust the focus and the gift of the scene a little. Generally, this exercise is great for developing close listening and observing, gently building a curve of absurdity, and using quirks or mannerisms to create energy and character.

Traps and Tips

1.) Individual or group. The scene can begin with either an individual driver or a carload of passengers (perhaps the whole team except for one player on reserve to enter as the first hitchhiker). In the first iteration, the scene tends to naturally conclude once the car is full, and every team member has entered (usually four or five unless your stage can fit a minivan!). In the second version, players tend to cycle through the car, leaving and then returning with a new peculiar behavior. Regardless of the approach, be mindful where you seat the character offering up the new dynamic. If the audience and, more importantly, other players can’t easily see and hear them, there is little likelihood their quirk will be recognized and incorporated. To this end, it can be helpful to shuffle characters with each entrance, perhaps placing the unknown entity in the front passenger seat (or even have them drive).

2.) Consistent or changing. There is also fun to be had with how you approach characterization in the game. Players may remain as the same character for the duration of the scene (this tends to be the norm for the slower starting “individual” version described and modeled above). If you’re cycling through a larger cast of players – seven or eight – this will be the most workable option as well. However, if you’re up for a challenge, players can rotate through the car, exiting after a while, only to return as a new character with a new mannerism for their carmates to adopt. This steers the game towards a faster style of play, with characters being broader and quirks become mirrored more immediately; but, if you’re looking for an exercise to encourage players to make big character choices off the bat, this variation will fit that bill.

3.) Discrete or cumulative. A third variable consists of how players treat the introduced behaviors. A “discrete” dynamic encourages improvisers to identify and then exaggerate one quirk at a time, with previous idiosyncrasies vanishing when a new character and mannerism emerges. This style tends to privilege nuance, patience, and subtlety (remembering that players needn’t play the same quirk in the same way). Alternatively, a “cumulative” attitude keeps all prior silliness in play, so as one quirk reaches its crescendo, a different behavior gradually joins the fray with the arrival of a new hitchhiker. Exploring a variety of behaviors is important in any of these versions, but it’s particularly crucial if you’re inclined to this last technique. If Player B introduces scratching, Player C then brings in picking lint off their sweater, and then Player D offers straightening their blouse, the activity in the car will likely start to merge in unhelpful ways. To avoid this, look for contrasting categories of behavior: Player B has introduced something physical, so perhaps Player C joins with a distinct verbal tick or language game, and D adds a contrasting emotion…

In Performance

Don’t forget to pace and justify the various choices – characters needn’t be engaged in the same peculiar action for the same reason, for example. I enjoy the challenge of trying to maintain the recognizable humanity of the world as long as possible. In this manner, the game can nicely embody the curve of absurdity ethos. Sure, if you’re all simultaneously exploring five or six weird character traits, the scene is likely to be wonderfully ludicrous. But it’s even better if everyone savored the road to get there and doesn’t just rush to ridiculousness for the sake of ridiculousness!

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.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: Tony Firriolo
© 2023 David Charles/ImprovDr

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Compulsive Liars”

I love the central premise of this game but will freely confess it’s a seldom played offering in my own repertoire. The conceit is delightfully elegant but tends to become a bit of a stumper. Compulsive Liars, nonetheless, offers great lessons for the training lab even if you also find yourself a little reluctant to bring it to the public stage.

The Basics

For the duration of a scene, every major offer is assumed to be a lie by the other players (and characters) and is immediately called out as such.

Example

Characters sit around a table and prepare for their weekly poker game.

Player A: (shuffling the cards) “It’s so nice that we can have the escape of this friendly Wednesday night game…”

Teammates amp up the intensity of their preparations, assuming that the “friendliness” offer was a lie. 

Player B: (miming that their arm is in a sling) “You still owe me for my hospital bill from our last game when I caught you cheating…”

Teammates assume the source of the injury is a lie.

Player C: “I saw you at the tennis club yesterday. You weren’t injured then….”

Players assume that C was not at the tennis club.

Player A: (as they start dealing cards out) “So that wasn’t you I saw doing community service on the side of the highway when I was delivering meals on wheels?”

The Focus

Bold choices, rich specifics, and active listening are all a must.

Traps and Tips

1.) Do something. As the featured dynamic tends towards the verbal, it’s incredibly helpful to establish and explore a rich physical world. It’s likely that you’ll find moments when the current thread of conversation runs dry, so a detailed action or activity can readily inspire a new angle: “I always love the snacks when we play at your house…” However, be cautious of exclusively talking about the activity itself as this will quickly pose content challenges. There are only so many lies our poker plays will likely be able to conjure about the cards…

2.) Pick something. There will often be multiple possibilities when it comes to identifying the lie in each offer. Don’t waste your time trying to decipher the “best” option – just trust your instinct and quickly pick one fact or facet and run with it. For example, in the opening line above, fellow players could also assume that it isn’t Wednesday, or nighttime… It can work to have various players reveal these different lies in the same offer in a pile on fashion, and this can certainly give an energy boost. I’ve found that such an approach can make finding the next move or lie problematic, so regardless of whether you tend towards a chain (as I’ve illustrated above), or a series of clumps (as I’ve described here), be mindful that you also…

3.) Offer something. The first obligation of the dynamic is to discover, call out, and then heighten the false claims of your scene partners. The second – equally crucial – component consists of then offering up your own detailed choices that others can similarly shape and endow. When Player A states that they were delivering meals on wheels while exploding their teammate’s untruth, they have given the poker table something new and rich with potential. It’s certainly fun to uncover unexpected angles and untruths in unlikely elements of a choice, but if accusations don’t include previously untilled material, players will probably struggle to continue the game. So, whether or not you’re mindfully revealing your own trap for someone else to spring, bravely offer specifics.

In Performance

While it can be tricky to find and maintain a jaunty and stage worthy tempo, the central requirements of this game all lean into critical improv competencies; namely, building detailed worlds, quickly embracing and heightening the choices of your partners and explicitly using them to craft you own, and bringing colorful details to your scene work. Not to mention that this game also unlocks the delightful power of lies!

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: Leesa Brown
© 2023 David Charles/ImprovDr

Game Library Expansion Pack I