Game Library: “Foreign Poet”

This is a fun language/narrative game that will add a nice departure from scenic work that tends to dominate most short-form playlists.

The Basics

One player, A, serves as the host of a poetry evening (perhaps with finger clicking and a smoky persona). They introduce a visiting poet, Player B, who will perform their original poem (with an audience inspired title) in its original language (Gibberish). After each line or two of verse, Player A translates the content into the local tongue (in my case, English). The give and take between the poet and host continues until the poem reaches its culmination.

Example

Player A steps forward and establishes a coffee house feel. 

Player A: “Welcome everyone to our special evening of poetry.” (They lead everyone in a finger-snapping ritual.) “It is my pleasure tonight to welcome a very special international voice that we all know and love…”

Player B enters and acknowledges their adoring fans.

Player B: “Kasneeka du vala nexceeta.”

Player A: (translating) “It is my honor to back here tonight with you all.”

Player B: (with a grand gesture) “Zha taloola… mi tanequa.”

Player A: “I present to you… the lonely hat stand.”

Player B: (takes a deep breath and then begins with the utmost seriousness) “Nepiti gasheen falalabe.”

Player A: “The dark room waits beneath a shroud of silence…”

The Focus

Create a poem! There are a lot of gimmicks and comedic bits that can appear in this elegant little game (sadly, often by rote), but they’re not needed (at all) to craft a successful and entertaining experience.

Traps and Tips

1.) Pursue fidelity. As noted below, there will be plenty of opportunities for playful mischief that emerge organically if the players are paying close attention to each other. When the translator endeavors to faithfully and poetically communicate the intended meaning of the poet, this tends to create a more powerful foundation for later earnest or roguish misbehavior. It’s helpful to generally match the vocal cadence, line lengths, and gestural beats of each “stanza,” for example, even if your eventual content is wildly unexpected.

2.) Pursue communication. In the poet position, follow good gibberish etiquette. Don’t let your language and offers become “empty,” and then expect your scene partner to fabricate all the content alone. If they’re listening closely, and you keep circling around one or two sounds/words, they should probably be similarly sparse. This can be fun for a moment or two, but not for the entirety of the poem, so deploy poetically diverse and emotional language (and gestures). When you fight to tell a particular story, the fun increases exponentially for the audience as they recognize mistranslations and unexpected inversions.

3.) Pursue poetry. In the translator position, the game takes on a different vibe when you embrace the rich language of poetry with its metaphors, imagery, word play, and perhaps even a little rhyme. Avoid meandering through first-person narratives that essentially describe a plot in the most denotative of terms – “I woke up. I got dressed. I opened the window…” It’s often helpful to think of the least efficient way to describe the story elements and actions – “Oh cruel sun with your piercing rays beating mercilessly against my eyelids…” I’m a verbose fella, and it’s fine for that not to be your default approach, but seek to find a way to assume a language style that feels elevated in some way so your poem doesn’t start to feel like mundane dialogue.

4.) Pursue play. And then, once the connection is well established, and the poem has a voice and focus, enjoy the mutual creative process. Look for pleasingly unique ways to justify the poet’s energy and offers, explore a specific relationship between the characters and their material, invert expectations or cadences in surprising ways that still honor the storytelling needs – perhaps a long Gibberish line has a starkly short translation (or vice versa), or the poet spends the whole poem flirting with the host (or audience, or both), or the original poem involves a lot of highly specific gestures that the translator must work to honor. Again, I don’t believe this game needs a deluge of these types of choices to succeed, but a little shivving can add delight, especially when the players are clearly enjoying the process.

In Performance

On occasion, I’ve played and seen this game with a third improviser who creates a “modern dance” piece inspired by the translation, often staged between the poet and their host. If your company includes particularly adept (or fearless) movement improvisers, this can be a nice way to feature them. I oscillate between loving and not really loving this variant – the presence of a dancer can tend to make the poet and translator less physical so as not to step on this third element’s toes, which can, unfortunately, lessen their energy and contribution, perhaps even making them resemble talking heads. It can take a little practice to strike a helpful balance of you decide to go this route.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: Leesa Brown
© 2024 David Charles/ImprovDr

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Freeze Tag”

The Game Library includes several Freeze Tag variants – Blind Freeze Tag, Conducted Freeze Tag, Environmental Freeze Tag – but it seemed odd not to include the original version as well, so here it is in all its glory! This is the base model, if you will. Key advice also applies to the variants listed above, so forgive the repetition if you end up reading these back-to-back…

The Basics

Players (six to eight works well) form a line, usually at the rear of the stage or wherever your particular sightlines deem practical. Two improvisers volunteer to begin a scene downstage based on an audience prompt. (It’s typical for only the first scene to feel obliged to incorporate this idea in any perceivable way.) Players watching from the backline can halt the action by calling, “Freeze.” Onstage players hold their physical positions until one of them is tagged out by the entering actor (who initiated the freeze). This new player assumes the exact pose and replaces their tagged teammate who quickly strikes and returns to the awaiting actor bank. A new scene begins that justifies the old positions in a completely different way.

Example

Players A and B begin a scene as pirates. The rest of the company forms a line upstage.

Player A: (looking through a spyglass) “A ship approaches on the horizon, captain.”

Player B: (while patting their trusty parrot) “Be they friends or foe, Benji?”

Player A: “They fly a flag that I have never seen before…”

Player B reaches for the spyglass only to be paused by Player E calling freeze. E quickly steps onstage, assess A’s position, and then tags them out before sliding into the same spot. A new scene begins that hopefully isn’t jazzercize, a game of Twister, or both characters involved in a hilarious super glue accident…

The Focus

Brave calls, swift transitions, and creative new justifications provide the lifeblood of this and all Freeze Tag variations.

Traps and Tips

1.) See an opportunity rather than a fully formed choice. One of the reasons I tend to favor the conducted or blind versions of this game is that when players can see the action and make their own entrance calls, they can have a tendency to unhelpfully hum and haw and stall as they look for the “perfect” pose that they already know how they’ll justify. Formerly well-paced Freeze Tags will grind to a standstill when played with this level of wimping forethought. Instead, just look for something dynamic, interesting, or new, freeze it, and then jump in without the pressure of believing you need to have solved the image beforehand.

2.) Leap into the fray rather than amble or saunter. Physical ability and limitations accounted for, strive to attack the stage. Especially if you’re playing this perennial improv game in front of an audience, lethargic transitions will drastically dilute the potential for lasting entertainment. Move swiftly to the stage, decisively make your choice, and contort your body to the needed position. The only moment I’d advise a smidgen of patience is right before you tag your partner out as you’ll want to make sure you’ve caught all the nuances of their pose so that you can mirror them. It’s always a bummer for the audience when a really cool or challenging pose becomes simplified by the entering player (or just quickly dropped or ignored as the scene takes shape).

3.) Risk the imperfect and partially formed rather than recycling stale bits. If you play any improv game a lot (and Freeze Tag games tend to get played a lot), it’s difficult not to develop a ledger of bygone choices or tropes that have felt successful in the past. Relying on previously improvised material pulls the rug out from under the whole exercise a little as the audience is sentenced to watch players scramble to be the first to reuse “that cool bit” that was really funny five months ago. The same goes for over deploying stock scenarios – jazzercize, Twister games, superglue accidents. When this Freeze Tag becomes just one more installment of a longstanding serial of previous iterations rather than a unique and specific exploration of the unknown, boredom will soon follow. Use the poses to become inspired rather than as obstacles to be forced into familiar and safe premises.

4.) Think small or detailed rather than big or punchlines. I’ve written elsewhere about connecting this type of exercise with the concept of CROW, and the benefits of striving to efficiently construct scenic given circumstances in a playful and pleasing manner. With that in mind, unspecified “its,” “thats,” and “yous” rarely gift much for your partner to embellish (remembering that any remaining players must also justify their new context as well). It’s good etiquette to allow the entering player the first crack at justifying the premise, but that doesn’t mean they’re required to do all the work. Acknowledging that some out-of-left-field ideas might benefit from a little extra space and generosity, tags should still typically result in albeit brief scenes as opposed to inelegant monologues. A tendency towards the latter also can make the game feel like a punchline competition rather than a series of energetic scenes.

In Performance

Other advice worth repeating includes looking to shake up the physical poses (to avoid a string of talking heads scenes), avoiding having similar content or ideas back-to-back (so one ballroom dancing scene isn’t followed by a hip hop dancing scene), and maintaining vigilant so that no one is left out – or possibly in – for too long (an offstage caller nominating be players after they announce a “Freeze” can serve as a safety measure to nudge fearful players into the game).

In my books (and blogs), the only thing worse than overplaying Freeze Tag is playing it in a manner that everyone knows you’ve overplayed it. Consider experimenting with some of the other versions listed above if this base model needs an upgrade so as to renew your passion.

Find out about how you can get your copy of The Improv Dictionary (Routledge, April 2024) now on sale here.

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

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Five Things”

I know two vastly different games that go by this title. The first, a ComedySportz mainstay, is a high-octane charades-style contest that has performers trying to decipher five ludicrously ornate activities. (Bungee jumping off the Eiffel Tower into a vat of a variable Jello flavor was an oppressively common audience favorite during my tenure in the early 90s.) The second, outlined below, provides an only slightly lower octane brainstorming exercise for exploring archetypes, dialogue, and generating spontaneous content.

The Basics

There are several ways you can tinker with the game basics (explicated below). Typically, players form a circle, and one performer challenges another by offering the prompt, “Five Things a [blank] might say…” Improvisers must then quickly concoct five answers to that implied question. The ensemble boisterously counts off each response, “One!” “Two!” “Three…!” Each round culminates with a celebratory chant of “And that’s five things!” And then a new suggestion is offered so that the joyful process can continue.

Variation One

Play moves sequentially around the circle. Player A turns to Player B and offers inspiration, such as “Five things an astronaut might say…” Player B provides the first response – “Houston, we have a problem…,” and the ensemble counts off, “One!” Player C then provides a second possibility – “It’s a pleasure to talk to all of you in Ms. Dygan’s third grade class from 250 miles above the earth!” A lively “Two” follows… After the fifth improviser provides the fifth original line of dialogue, the round is capped with the joyful “And that’s five things,” and the next player (G in this case) begins a new round. Alternatively, depending on your number of participants or available time to play, you might return to Player B to imitate the next sequence so that everyone gets to play in every position.

Variation Two

The mechanics from above remain the same; however, one player must now provide all five unique responses in a row, pausing only briefly between each sentence to allow for their teammates’ supportive counting. When they’ve completed the challenge, they issue the next original role to a different player (so, nothing space related if Player B has just been an astronaut for five one-line vignettes). Play can just continue sequentially around the circle with Player B now inspiring Player C’s flight of fancy, or the previous player in the hot seat can point to a random participant across the circle to even further increase the unpredictability of the whole experience (though making sure everyone gets a turn in the listing position eventually).

Example

The ensemble forms a circle and Player A turns to Player B to issue the first challenge. 

Player A: “Five things an improv teacher might say…”

Player B: “Alright, everyone, let’s get into a circle for a warm-up…”

Everyone: “One!”

Player B: “Whatever you do, team, go out there and have fun tonight!”

Everyone: “Two!”

Player B: “I’m going to the Celt and Harp after class today if anyone wants  to join me to hear more of my stories about when I studied in Chicago with…”

Everyone: “Three!”

Player B: (with a bold arm movement) “Zip…”

Everyone: “Four!”

Player B: “That scene showed promise, but let’s be careful of rehashng needlessly insular and theatre-y material as it tends to alternate an audience.”

Everyone: “Five! And that’s five things!”

Player B now turns to offer an identity to Player C…

The Focus

This fast-paced game invites players to immediately adopt a clear character and point of view through the use of confident and specific dialogue. If you’re working on a genre-based piece or a performance that utilizes stock characters or archetypes, this exercise is a great way to get your company into the right frame of mind in terms of show-appropriate content. “Five things a Shakespearean king might say,” “Five things a star fleet caption might say,” “Five things a werewolf might say…,” and the like.

Traps and Tips

1.) One. Take a breath, but then leap. It can be daunting to face the gauntlet, especially if you’re playing the second variant, but you don’t want to retreat into your head. Say your first word – any first word – trusting that you’ll formulate the second and then third… Accept the messiness of spontaneity and that your fellow teammates will delight in seeing you figure out your idea externally and in real time.

2.) Two. Embrace specificity. This exercise snugs nicely with the concept of experts – characters that use language with confidence and precision. You may need to slow down your vocal patterns initially to accomplish this level of finesse but avoid mundane dialogue that doesn’t incorporate some unique aspect of the proffered identity.  “I like broccoli” could likely be said by any character, so it probably isn’t the most full-throated acceptance of the challenge. (Unless you’re a butcher, in which case that might be quite novel and playful.)

3.) Three. Consider archetypes. In many ways, this game invites incorporating well-known tropes and familiar caricatures. It’s fine to start there, mining what you know or think you know about a personality type as a way of launching your vignette. That being said, be sure you’re playing at the top of your intelligence (creatively, emotionally, politically, socially…), while also allowing your own experiences to infuse your dialogue. If you treat your five things as “five punchlines” or “five gags” then you’re probably not pushing yourself out of limiting comfort zones.

4.) Four. Question archetypes. This drill is a uniquely powerful way to launch a strong character with a stated deal, energy, or attitude towards life. Subsequently, it’s a shame to settle for five similar astronauts, or improv teachers, or politicians, or “whatevers” in a row. Seek variety within your characters. By doing so, an inelegant or clichéd first choice can lead you into a less expected or less stereotypical second or third choice (hence the necessity for working in a playful and judgment free environment). In my incredibly self-indulgent improv teacher example above, it’s tempting to make every choice creepier or sillier or more satirical than its predecessor, but you’ll get more out of the experience if you truly endeavor to discover the widest possible assortment of people who could belong in that category.

5.) Five. Play the scene. Sure, these are generally incredibly brief one-line vignettes, but it’ll further enrich your turn at bat if you don’t just think of these as five panicked and rattled off disembodied lines devoid of any context or physicality. You can inspire and focus your creativity (that can easily become jangled by this challenge) simply through the incorporation of a defining activity, or the endowing of a suitable scene partner, or consideration of the potentials or restrictions of any paradigmatic clothing or location. Perform your five things rather than just reciting them.

In Performance

I love that this swift exercise allows you to quickly leap from one character to another with the liberating knowledge that they will all live and die in that one sentence. It is disposable improv at its finest. When you’re in the setup position, be wary of needlessly modifying the prompt as this can limit the resulting diversity of characters. Facts tend to be more helpful than feelings or emotions – so “a third-grade math teacher” will promote more playful variety than “an out-of-their depth” or “past-their-prime teacher.” Allow the latter types of energies to become discovered by the player organically. (Unless, that is, you’re workshopping a particular set of characters defined by emotional climates and textures, in which case Five Things can help you find varied launching points within a smaller archetype subset.)

I’ve talked a little about the potential for stereotypical portrayals above and would advise being vigilant for recurring and problematic patterns of performance (as always) while also acknowledging that some first instincts may not be the most nuanced and savvy. If any small perceived infraction is pounced upon, the game will struggle to breathe and grow, so be judicious with the timing and tone of any content critique.

Thanks to my improv colleague Chelsea Hilend for helping me recall some of the details of this game as it had fallen out of my regular teaching rotation.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: Sarasota Improv Fest
© 2024 David Charles/ImprovDr

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Five Letter Word”

This short-form language game provides a helpful variation of the mainstay Alphabet Game (which you can find here).

The Basics

The team acquires a five-letter word from the audience – ideally, with five unique letters. For the duration of the scene, players move through the letters in sequence (repeatedly) to begin each sequential sentence. A traditional ask-for, such as a location or relationship, can also be used to ground the action.

Example

The word “amber” and the scenario of “loud chewing” are taken. Players A and B sit at a restaurant table….

Player A: “Another great meal awaits us at my favorite Greek restaurant!”

Player B: “My amazing best friend gets whatever they want for surviving their senior year of grad school!”

Player A: “Brad, you really are too kind to me!”

A member of the waitstaff provides a dish of pita and dips, and Player B braces for the symphony of chewing that is about to follow.

Player B: “Every hurdle life has thrown at you, you have ably leaped…”

B cringes at the first loud smacking and chomping.

Player A: “Random question: are you feeling alright tonight? You seem a little jumpy…”

Player B: (looking for the waiter) “All is well – I just want to get us fresh drinks…”

The Focus

Stay in the moment even as your brain scrambles to remember the next letter and use these somewhat random prompts to help you discover less well-worn paths and dialogue.

Traps and Tips

1.) Alternate speakers. There will always be exceptions discovered from the needs of the moment, but the game is easier to follow when each starting letter comes from a different player as it’ll tend to confuse everyone if you embed two or more letters in a row during what might appear to be one speech act. If there has been a significant action between sentences (such as the arrival off the waiter above), you are onstage alone for a significant period of time, or your scene partner is clearly at a loss, then ignore this guideline but hit the next letter with a little extra oomph so that everyone knows what you’re doing.

2.) Monitor dialogue length. Related to the above observation, huge meandering monologues can prove problematic if they become the norm. If the distance between each featured starting letter becomes extensive, the players and audience will struggle to know what should come next. Obviously, a little of this complexity can be delightful when it’s strategic and appears in a scene that is thriving; but generally, the give and take feels less strained when each character’s dialogue defaults to one sentence or so. Odd pauses… within… a line… don’t help in this regard, either.

3.) Be wary of lazy recycling. Unlike Alphabet Game, characters need to craft dialogue with a much less varied array of starting letters. There can be comedic fun found from playfully repeating the launch word occasionally – in the restaurant premise, “Brad” might become intoned each time “B” rolls around. However, if every letter just cues an echo of an earlier choice, the finesse and challenge of the game will suffer in a way that’s unlikely to appeal to your spectators. So, whenever possible, attempt to grab at a new and unexpected starting point rather than just going to the same well again and again.

4.) Err toward physicality. This is standard advice for all frames with a verbal restriction as it’s easy for players to become talking heads while they consider what word that begins with an “E” hasn’t been used yet. Something as simple as getting a physical habit, a hobby, or activity can be enough to keep the potential for movement alive.

5.) Robots needn’t apply. Finally, as you invariably fumble with your words a little, don’t neglect subtext and nuanced delivery. In many ways, the more earnest and passionate you appear when you deliver those strained words necessitated by the language handle, the greater fun everyone will have. If every line begins to feel robotic or inhuman, the scene won’t develop meaningfully.

In Performance

The pointers for Alphabet Game certainly apply here, too, so give that entry a quick review if this is unfamiliar improv terrain for you. As I was reminded during the recent outing of this game for an R&D Show, I also like the thematic potentials of this handle. On the simplest level, you can elicit a five-letter word that reflects the overall tone or spirit of your show or evening. On a slightly more complex level, you can allow the five-letter word itself to become an important underlying theme or influence on the scene as a whole.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: Gontran Durocher
© 2024 David Charles/ImprovDr

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “First Line, Last Line”

This game provides a quick hit as players must create a minute-long scene based upon two lines (or texts) obtained from the audience.

The Basics

Players elicit two disconnected lines, phrases, or texts from the audience and use these as the spoken bookends for a scene.

Example

The audience provides “You won’t believe who I just ran into” and “Just another endless day of work,” as the inspiration. Two players begin the scene huddled by a work photocopier as the lights rise. A third player, C, runs into the workroom.

Player C: “You won’t believe who I just ran into!”

Player A: (looks up from the photocopier) “Please tell me our boss isn’t wearing a disguise again to spy on us…”

Player C: “You guessed it – this time she’s posing as a photocopier technician. Shall we have a little fun at her expense…?”

Player B: (with great excitement) “Please!”

Approximately 40 seconds later, the undercover boss, Player D, has their hand stuck in the photocopier and is on the phone to the district manager…

Player D: “Nothing unusual to report here… Just another endless day of work.”

Blackout.

The Focus

This is a justification game at heart as players work to make two disparate lines connect and make sense. In case it doesn’t go without saying, the more context and rationale for the unrelated second line you can offer, the more fulfilling the ending will feel.

Traps and Tips

1.) Say the first line. While there can (should) be stage action prior to the first line – that establishes the setting and CROW elements perhaps – be cautious that no dialogue precedes the phrase obtained from the audience. This happens with surprising frequency as players find inspiration from the innate offers contained in the audience’s offer and then launch joyfully into the scene while forgetting this basic contract. If you’re not accustomed to an “I’ll start” mentality, it is particularly helpful in a short game such as this so that there’s no confusion in the critical opening moments.

2.) Walk, don’t run. Enjoy the scene and make sure you’re fully utilizing the offers of your teammates and following where they might go. As everyone knows (and hopefully remembers) the ending line, it can be tempting to just sprint to that idea without really mining the riches that are organically emerging. As I note with the related format Famous Last Words (see here) you also want to avoid inelegantly dragging elements you deem necessary for the final moment prematurely into the action or any coherent story will quickly evaporate.

3.) Run, don’t walk. That being written, this is typically played as a one-minute scene, so you’ll also want to be mindful that your scene has energy, stakes, and momentum. If characters are just standing around as little more than talking heads, even if you manage to get the scene to the finish line, it’s highly unlikely that the ending will feel fulfilling and serve as the culmination of a well-crafted story arc. Starting in the middle of the rising action can help in this regard, as can making strong and grounded assumptions (as Player A did in the example above rather than spending time asking unloaded or generic questions).

4.) Say the last line. Sell that final line and moment. Again, while there might be a sliver of action after the final line has been offered that helps stick the landing, generally the scene is designed to go out on the second line of dialogue garnered from the audience. Be wary of throwing it away, muttering it when you’re out of focus in the background, or delivering it with an energy that isn’t worthy of a scenic climax. A small finesse that can prove helpful when the time is ticking toward that final sixty second mark it to work towards pitching the line to another teammate. In addition to just being generous and supportive, such an approach has the added advantage of framing the closing line.

In Performance

The time limit certainly invites a compressed scene, but don’t mistake this for a rushed or frantic one. A measured approach with a team actively listening and accepting each new offer boldly can result in a pleasantly bracing story arc; there just isn’t time for meandering and vagaries.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: Rollins Improv Players
© 2024 David Charles/ImprovDr

Connected Concept: Story Series for Improv I

Game Library: “Family Drive”

I like this game so much that I took its essence and constructed an improvised musical bearing the same name. Family Drive playfully assigns relationships and emotional centers to a carload of characters, resulting in surprisingly complex and rich journeys that can really go the distance.

The Basics

Four players serve as the norm as this configuration also easily fits into an improv car. For the setup, each improviser obtains a random role in the family (broadly and inclusively defined). Each character then receives an unrelated emotion or mental state, and a unifying destination or reason for the drive can also be elicited. A scene is played in which this patchwork of personae all shares a car and hits the road.

Example

Four chairs are deployed to construct a basic sedan as the lights rise to reveal Player A doing one last maintenance check. 

Player A: (an irritated grandfather) “Where is everyone? We agreed to be out of here by 10 am, sharp.”

Player B bounds onstage holding their backpack and a teddy bear – they are a giddy grandchild.

Player B: “I cannot wait! Five whole hours with you in the car, grandpa!”

Player A: (seeing B’s backpack) “I explicitly told everyone to bring their luggage downstairs last night.” (He begrudgingly goes to open the trunk.)

Player B: “I’ll just put it under my feet, grandpa. I don’t mind. It’s full of joke books for the trip anyway. I know how much you love my jokes.”

Player A grumbles while Player C, a lovesick middle-aged parent, dawdles to the driver’s seat.

Player A: “I thought we agreed last night that I’d do the driving. I’ve mapped out the fastest route that should keep us out of any traffic jams…”

The Focus

While you might acquire a destination for your passengers, as is the case with all improvisation, this scene is really about the journey first and foremost. When the characters are vivid and reactive, it’s unlikely your audience will care if the car makes it to the Saint Louis Gateway Arch or not!

Traps and Tips

1.) When getting the relationships…. it’s useful for someone to keep an eye on the big picture. If possible, it’s advisable for a host or other non-playing cast member to assist with this duty. Don’t be overly literal or restrictive with your definition of family but do be wary of constructing a carload of characters with too many unhelpfully missing links. In this way, having a grandparent without anyone they are a grandparent to can prove challenging, or not having anyone who could legally operate the car, or having a cast of complete strangers. Strategic mischief is another matter entirely. If you have three strong and clear relationships, for example, it can be nice to throw in a little curve ball as the fourth, such as a hitchhiker, a foreign exchange student, or random Uber passenger.

2.) When getting the emotions… endeavor to err on the side of contrast and variety. These scenes can easily expand into lengthier explorations, and it’s nice not to have several characters painting with a similar set of colors – happy, jolly, and excited, for example, might feel oddly alike as you roll into your third minute. You can explicitly have your audience help you avoid this issue by carefully phrasing your ask-for prompts: “OK, the grandfather has an emotion that feels a little negative. What’s something on the more positive side of life for this next character?” More than one internally focused choice (perhaps lovesick in our framing illustration) can discourage energized interactions as well, which are key to building scenic energy and longevity.

3.) When playing the emotions… seek to exploit variety in intensity, tactics, and tones. Player B’s giddiness toward their irritable grandfather should probably feel at least a little different than the way they engage with their lovesick patent. Don’t fall into the trap of playing your one emotion in the same one way – at least let it have peaks and valleys. Also, avoid naming your or anyone else’s state of being – “Grandpa, why are you always so irritable?” – as this will feel like bringing a sledgehammer to a sushi bar. I wouldn’t strictly consider this game as an endowment exercise, but it shares some foundational techniques. So, if I know the grandparent skews irritable, it’s fun to offer this improviser some obvious (and not-so-obvious) opportunities to model that energy. Complementary offers are extremely helpful in this regard.

4.) When staging your car… show care where you place each chair. Be mindful of inherent sight lines and any subsequent challenges. Even if you place the car on an aesthetically pleasing angle or extend the distance between the two back seats, there will usually be at least one chair that is a little problematic. Select and adjust your stage picture accordingly. It’s unkind to stick your smallest or least vocal emotion in the bad seat (likely our lovesick character) and then just leave them there. If you’ve received a larger or more aggressive energy, taking a weaker position will probably still serve you and the scene as your emotion will more easily prompt an array of reasons to make yourself seen and heard. And don’t forget that you can at least occasionally swap seats around (and even tag out the driver), especially if this will help more evenly share the focus and fun and therefore help tell a more cohesive and polished story.

In Performance

For my Family Drive: The Musical, I inserted some various song structures and opportunities into the mix and kept the basic inspirational frame intact. If you’re aiming to craft a fuller one-act, there’s plenty of room for the characters to evolve beyond their initial temperament (and the story will probably demand at least one significant inversion or transformation). Actually, that same philosophy holds true just to a lesser degree for the end of a smaller single scene as well. In either case, the deceptively simple combination of a strong relationship and emotion can jumpstart surprisingly exciting road trips.

(I think I may have used the above image before for another blog entry but it’s sadly the only good photo I have from Family Drive: The Musical!)

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

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Family Dinner”

Here’s a fun game that I’ve rediscovered while poring through old teaching notes in my ongoing quest to expand the ImprovDr Game Library. Although this particular frame has fallen out of my personal rotation, the premise shares a great deal with On the Right Track (which I hope to cover in a future entry), and this is a regular feature of our weekend shows at Sak Comedy Lab.

The Basics

An audience member volunteers to provide the raw material of the scene and is interviewed by a company member or the host of the show. Questions should center around the immediate members of the volunteer’s family (broadly and inclusively defined). Players then improvise a typical family dinner featuring a stand-in for the audience member and all the memorable characters they’ve described. The interviewee has the option, at any time, to ring a bell to indicate that a “correct” offer has been made (in relation to their described family) or making a buzzer sound when an incorrect assumption was made. In this latter case, the players in question must quickly rewind and erase the failed offer and make a new choice until the audience volunteer is satisfied.

Example

After the initial interview, players construct a table setting for the volunteer’s family of roommates. The audience member sits at the edge of the stage with their bell and microphone (for buzzing) as their doppelganger, Player A, begins to set the table.

Player A: (placing plates and silverware on the table) “This is really unlike everyone to be late for our Wednesday dinner together…”

The audience member buzzes, marking the choice as inaccurate, prompting Player A to try again.

Player A: (placing plates and silverware on the table) “Looks like everyone is running a little late again. I’ll just pull the lasagne out of the oven so it doesn’t burn…”

The volunteer rings their bell, and PlayerA continues with their stated activity.

Player A’s roommate, B, who was described as extroverted and boisterous, explodes through the door.

Player B: “Let the fun begin! I’ve brought wine…”

The volunteer buzzes.

Player B: (resetting) “I’ve brought beer…”

The volunteer buzzes.

Player B: (resetting) “I’ve brought myself as that’s all that’s needed for fun…!”

The Focus

Craft bold characters, make brave choices, and actively invite the volunteer’s ongoing involvement and critique.

Traps and Tips

1.) For the interviewer. Interviews can tend to go long if you’re not mindful (or, frankly, even when you are) especially if you have a reluctant (or overly eager) volunteer. This iteration is about characters and relationships gathering around the dinner table (or an equivalent), so tailor your questions with this in mind. Endeavor to get rich descriptive words or story fragments for each important member of the cast (including the protagonist themselves). Qualities such as nice and kind are generally less helpful and playful than peculiar quirks, mannerisms, or that “thing” the family member always says or does. A lot of the fun stems from the in-the-moment corrections, so don’t feel the need to acquire bucketloads of details, but each improvise should at least have a starting point. Also, don’t forget that the interview is part of the event as well, so keep this energized, moving, and playful.

2.) For the volunteer. Don’t forget that the volunteer’s presence and reactions are an integral part of the entertainment equation. If it’s possible, stage them in such a way that they can be easily seen by the players and audience during the scene. If they’re a little reluctant to provide the requisite bells and buzzes, it can prove helpful to have a fellow company member chaperone them a little, at least initially. If the logistics of your venue allow, it’s nice to bring the volunteer onto the stage for the interview as well so that everyone can see their body language and subtext. Often, what they don’t say, or perhaps how they say what they do say, is equally as revealing as their more measured responses. Take a second to rehearse the bell and buzzer mechanics, too, before the scene launches just so that they know what’s expected of them.

3.) For the audience member’s actor. This isn’t by any means a strict rule, but it can prove effective to allow the improviser assuming the volunteer’s identity a little space at the top of the scene. A sparser stage allows them some time to build rapport with the volunteer and model the basic premise of making choices and then getting immediate feedback. If there’s a rush of characters immediately hitting the stage together, there can be a tendency to overtalk and, subsequently, overwhelm your featured author. This can discourage their feedback, which both robs the game of its central dynamic but also reduces important information that can help players shape and sharpen their characterizations.

4.) For the family members. Be wary of half choices. It’s difficult for the volunteer to quickly assess ideas that are vague or guarded. Be gloriously wrong so that you can then have another shot at being gloriously right (or wrong again in a gloriously new way). It can take a little getting used to, but make sure you’re leaving windows for the volunteer to respond. (If the scene is getting cluttered, a performative look to the audience member can help cut through the chaos.) Too many choices overwhelming the stage all at once won’t empower the volunteer to help you with strategic adjustments. To this end, it’s wise to gently pacing entrances so that each new character has an individual moment to receive coaching, as is checking in with the teller’s actor – in the parlance of Playback Theatre – as they are often best situated to assist the arc and rhythms of the scene.

In Performance

It can be tricky to embody real people in front of those real people. This game invites playful ribbing and lambasting, but you’ll want to make sure the portrayals don’t veer into mean-spirited caricatures. (This is doubly so for the improviser embodying the volunteer as they’ve taken the additional risk of sharing personal information.) Play fearlessly, but with joyfulness and love.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: Tony Firriolo
© 2024 David Charles/ImprovDr

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Factory Line”

This simple series of exercises used to be a staple in my university Improv I course until I had to edit the accompanying lesson for time, but I still like the way it introduces different ways to combine activity and dialogue.

The Basics

Divide the class or ensemble into roughly equal sized groups (four or five players works well).

Round One

Players work in a team and mutually agree upon an object or product that might be constructed in a factory line. Students assume consecutive positions in the assembly process with each worker providing one action or component towards crafting or piecing together the final item. Each team can privately rehearse this process, seeking the greatest level of nuance and fidelity possible before groups silently perform one “production cycle” before an audience who then guesses the identity of the product. Feedback from this first effort should then be applied to the future iterations below.

Round Two

Teams of players repeat their factory positions but now add dialogue that only pertains to the activity at hand. A scene is created that consists of both the established detailed physical process and conversation connected to that specific physical reality.

Round Three

As players continue assembling their given product with focused mimetic detail, they must now craft dialogue exclusively about some discovered past event and refrain from talking about their work at all.

Round Four

Once again, the factory line is set in motion. Workers may now talk about some common event and the current activity as the needs and whims of the scene dictates.

Example

A team decides upon a bicycle assembly plant and assigns four workstations accordingly…

The Focus

While each iteration provides a slightly different focus and lesson, the sequence offers a gentle entry into the world of crafting activity (the factory line) and improvising dialogue that may or may not be connected to that activity. Improv students are often warned against talking exclusively about the past (or future, for that matter), but this accessible game reveals the pleasant and helpful characters and relationships that can emerge from such banter.

Traps and Tips

1.) For round one… encourage players to really take their time on the physical elements of their factory line. Where do components and tools come from in the space? How does the product change in mass and shape as it moves from worker to worker? Most of us won’t necessarily understand the minutiae of assembling a bicycle, for example, but make bold and detailed choices regardless. How would you install or test a wheel to the best of your current knowledge and ability? If this first stage is half-hearted or approximated, the series will tend to feel juvenile. Players might find themselves organically helping each other or exchanging duties so it’s smart to pay close attention to other’s tasks as well as your own.

2.) For round two... it’s a little unnatural to talk exclusively about your activity, and the scene can become a little stilted after a sequence of “pass the wrenches.” An intriguing scene can emerge, especially in the hands of savvy players who place deeper meanings and more interesting shades in the subtext but, in my mind, this phase serves primarily to accentuate that dialogue rarely sizzles when it just announces what the audience can see for themselves. In this way, this step can provide a via negativa lesson (although I do like that it offers a chance for teams to use their language to solidify and clarify the production process). Generally, however, this stage reinforces the difference between activity (in this case, building and talking about making something) and action, which usually consists of the dramatic fight for something of personal value and worth. These scenes will usually achieve the former but not much of the latter.

3.) For round three... really embrace that the scenic dialogue will now only loosely (if at all) connect to the physical choices of the improvisers. It’s helpful for the past event to be something that everyone was at least tangentially involved in (even if it was a party, for instance, that one co-worker was pointedly not invited to attend). Scenes will struggle if every character chats about something that only they individually can riff on. If you’re sidecoaching the exploration, nudge players from activity talk if they slip into this as one of the neatest gifts of this version is how the emotions and context gained from the conversation can now infuse and enrich the previously mundane activity. If our “non-invited” coworker is forced to listen to how much their colleagues loved the party event of the year, that would likely affect the way they attach the bicycle handlebars and any other work-related interactions…

4.) For round four… enjoy putting the pieces back together at will. Hopefully, players will retain the wherewithal to avoid needlessly just talking about what they’re doing (a near cousin to the trap of commenting) but they can now naturally include work-adjacent chatter when it serves the arc of the scene: “We’re out of shipping boxes – I’ll be back in a moment with some more from the warehouse…” Obviously the focus of the dialogue could be a future event or some other obtained or found topic, but there is something helpfully unifying about setting a more singular goal, especially if you’re using this as an early foray into dialogue construction. A past event helps mightily in this regard as it usually provides a relatively level playing field in which every character can find an “in” and point of view. If scenes feel too mundane, encourage exploring more dynamic or emotionally charged character and relationship energies and objectives.

In Performance

If you or your improv troupe tends toward talking heads scenes, this is a nice and palatable way to introduce at least a little activity and (ideally) will remind players of the doors that open as a result of an increased commitment to embodied work in terms of subtext, staging, and organic focus shifts as the produced item moves from one set of hands to the next.

For a recent R&D Show our lab assistants performed the third version of the game with the ask-for of a jack-in-the-box. In addition to crafting humorous physicalities and strong characterizations, I was pleasantly reminded that this device can also elegantly help focus transfers when you’re creating a larger group scene.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: Scott Cook
© 2024 David Charles/ImprovDr

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Everybody’s It”

This is probably a better fit for a more homogeneous group rather than an ensemble with a wide variety of energies and mobility considerations (and requires a decent sized space), but it can provide a fast warm-up to get everyone’s blood flowing.

The Basics

A traditional game of tag is played; however, in this version, everybody is it (or in) at the same time. Any player that is successfully tagged by another must remain frozen in place until the end of the game when only one unfrozen player remains. Alternatively, if you want to add a little heat and prolong the game, tagged players can be given a target number which they must (slowly) count to aloud – such as 30 or 40. If they reach the target (without being re-tagged) they may rejoin the hunt.

The Focus

This is a rather high energy warm-up that I’ve become increasingly reluctant to play as I personally get older! As is the case with all games, players often focus on the “winning” aspect, so make sure this doesn’t overshadow the other gifts such an energetic exercise can offer.

Traps and Tips

1.) Focus (a little) on winning. The game will lose any sense of vibrancy if players do not embrace the core challenge and accept the objective of catching and tagging out others in the field of play. In this sense, the game can model stakes and the need to fully commit to your objective, no matter how seemingly absurd it may be.

2.) Focus (a little more) on playing. Don’t let the desire to win eclipse the joy of playing (and probably losing) well. Take appropriate risks (that don’t put yourself or others in any form of physical danger). Explore the delights of both offensive and defensive strategies. In doing so, the game can also illuminate the importance of changing up your tactics on stage so as to ultimately get what you want.

3.) Focus (most of all) on accepting. Be careful of allowing the warm-up to devolve into a series of contestations or arguments about what was or wasn’t a successful tag. If you feel someone making (appropriate) contact, accept the offer, and just freeze. Improv requires risk-taking winners and good-natured losers. Creating a climate where both are embraced and celebrated reminds players that the only path to success of any meaningfulness is when we all agree to play generously together.

In Performance

With younger participants (or over-eager older participants for that matter), it can prove wise to quickly review what are acceptable tag types/strengths and bodily locations – such a limbs, shoulder, and backs. No one should get hurt. Or be made to feel icky. There are plenty of other fun warm-ups if you suspect that either of these things might happen. Also, it’s nice to acknowledge the winner briefly, but I think it’s also in the spirit of this particular game to equally and joyously acknowledge the losers!

Another variant consists of a caller changing up the movement quality that everyone must explore, so one moment everyone is running at full speed, the next they’re on tippy toes, and then they’re crawling on all fours…

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: Scott Cook
© 2024 David Charles/ImprovDr

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Epistolaries”

Two characters created by the players from two different teams exchange letters in this narrative all-play.

The Basics

Team members stand shoulder to shoulder (or similar) to embody two letter writers, one on either side of the stage. A relationship or reason to correspond is obtained, and the host assigns each “character” a style of communicating – generally one team collaborates by constructing their sentences “one,” “word,” “at,” “a,” “time,” Double Speak style, while the opposing team must sound out their response simultaneously in One Voice. The lighting improviser or host shifts focus from one author to the other to enable a series of letters and responses.

Example

The lights rise first on Players A and B who have been assigned to write in one voice as a long-distance lover.

Player A/B: (sounding out each word together) “Dear Ani, it has been too long since I have held you in my empty arms…”

Several sentences later, the first author signs their letter, and the lights move to Players C and D, who must use “word at a time” technique...

Player C: “Dear…”

Player D: “Vern…,”

Player C: “it…”

Player D: “gave…”

Player C: “me…”

Player D: “great…”

Player C: “joy…”

Soon, the lights shift again…

The Focus

Pursue fearless and detailed narratives. I’ve most often played this game in a two-on-two configuration, which tends to allow attack and a decent tempo, especially when the paired players know each other well. Using larger teams of authors unquestionably increases the level of challenge.

Traps and Tips

1.) Err on the side of brevity. There’s a lot of latent fun awaiting in the letter exchanges, so be careful not to luxuriate too long in any one correspondence. While the host or lighting technician will likely call the shifts, these should typically come after resolute buttons from the team (often the farewell or postscript). There’s something innately pleasing about each writer getting three letters apiece (though this is by no means mandatory). If you pace each writing moment with this target in mind, however, it will tend to encourage helpful conciseness. 

2.) Err on the side of speediness. Both communicative techniques are rife with playful challenges but avoid overly careful or laborious sentence construction. Often, the most out-of-the-box discoveries and choices emerge from the improvisers’ efforts to fruitfully combine disparate ideas and words. Embrace and justify “mistakes” rather than dwelling on them or allowing such moments to sap your steam.

3.) Err on the side of collaboration. A common trap in these types of language- restriction games is for players to seek ways to “solve” the innate challenge. It can prove tempting, in the One Voice position in particular, for one player to (well intentionally) bulldoze a little in order to keep the narrative moving. (Or, alternatively, for one player to assume a passenger stance and cede all the decision making to another in the name of expediency.) Make sure no one player dominates the lead, remembering that a little messiness and struggle add to the overall entertainment.

4.) Err on the side of physicality. This game can tend to become a stand and deliver scene, and, frankly, this will still usually appeal to an audience. Adding committed physicality, however, allows for more fully fleshed out characters and stories. On the simplest level, I like one improviser to provide the “writing hand,” and there can be other potentials for fun when it comes to folding or sending away each missive. Consider other factors as well, such as your character’s gait, mannerisms, and surroundings, as these facets of the game shouldn’t be overlooked or underestimated. And just because the scene begins with the two characters writing to each other from afar doesn’t necessitate that this is how the scene should end as well…

In Performance

Visit the two related games linked above in the basic definition for more boiler plate advice on the requisite narrative techniques (such as being sure to write and speak from a first-person singular perspective). This game is often played in Sak Comedy Lab’s King of the Hill when the host is tight on time for a full round of games and so wants to feature both competing teams together (or just to shake up the rhythm and look of the show). I’ve also used the format successfully in the R&D Show, both with audience volunteers and then again with trained lab assistants who participated in the corresponding workshop.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: James Berkley
© 2024 David Charles/ImprovDr

Game Library Expansion Pack I