Game Library: “Circular Scene”

Perhaps more of a scenic structure than a short-form game per se, Circular Scene provides a pleasing way of shaping the narrative arc.

The Basics

I tend to teach this format through a Spolin lens, with players having a brief planning session to come up with a common who, what, and where. The hope is that once they understand the logistics involved, they can recognize and apply the technique to other improv scenes when the potential organically emerges. Players prepare by quickly determining the basic components of a scene that will eventually loop back around on itself so that the story essentially ends where it began. This may take the form of one large loop (think in terms of a conclusion that neatly replicates the opening beats), or it can feel more like a tightly wound coil (think in terms of a slinky with many smaller circles that is finally connected at both ends). In either case, the scene is improvised and culminates when the audience has a sense that the pattern is about to repeat itself (again).

Examples

A college student who has sworn off dating reluctantly prepares themselves for one last attempt. We see them go out on a blind date, which quickly reveals itself to be yet another disaster. As the thwarted student leaves, they recommit to never date again, only to check a notification from a dating app and then agree to go out with a new contender the next night...

OR

A goldfish – a species renowned for its short memory span – awakes in a vast ocean, unsure who they are or their purpose in life. They approach various marine life, asking if they can help solve the riddle of their identity, but no one can seem to help, until the fish finally approaches a friendly barracuda who, kindly, answers their question. The goldfish happily swims away, content in their newfound knowledge, only to have their memory suddenly reset seconds later. The fish, once again, finds itself swimming in an unfamiliar ocean and is filled with the insatiable need to know who they are...

The Focus

Lean into the structure, as the satisfaction of the scene largely derives from the audience’s sense of déjà-vu when the scene turns back in on itself.

Traps and Tips

1.) Remain flexible. I always give this advice when working with the Spolin “preplanning” model but avoid considering the “how” of the scene when you’re brainstorming. When you’re exploring the dynamic for the first time, it’s helpful to have a general sense that your scenario has an innate potential for circularity but allow the specifics to emerge as you play, or the scene can start to feel “approximated.”

2.) Remain diligent. As is the case with almost every improv scene, the most interesting dynamic often bubbles up on the way to the thing that you thought the scene was going to be about. If you’re using a brief template, also remember that the audience isn’t privy to your planning session, so you won’t want to leap over the foundational elements of the story. Give every moment its due.

3.) Remain united. Be wary of working at cross purposes with your teammates when it comes to the central dynamic. If one improviser is exploring the goldfish short memory angle, and another pursues the circuitous nature of the seasons, and yet another wants to examine the oceanic food chain, it’s likely that none of these dynamics will land for the audience in a pleasing manner. Build on the choice of another and amplify their game rather than clinging doggedly and unhelpfully to your own.

4.) Repeat. These scenes benefit from a clear overlap, so look to repeat at least a few of the initial steps in order to sell the ending. In this way, our dating scene might benefit from continuing on to the beginning of the next night so that we see that the doomed student is about to suffer the exact same fate all over again. If you’re playing with the “slinky” variation, this can go even further, with the student going on a second, and third date that all end up the same (therefore, deploying the comedy of threes as well…)

In Performance

If you’re inclined towards a more linear style of story construction, this simple variation offers a nice way to mix things up.

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

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Circle of Knots”

I’m not always able to track where I’ve learnt a game with any certainty, but this ensemble-building warm-up comes from Augusto Boal’s treasure trove of improv exercises, Games for Actors and Non-actors.

The Basics

The conceit of the game remains the same even if the details shift a little in the variations listed below: players stand in a circle and hold hands, then messily rearrange themselves to form a large knot cluster. The group must then work together to untangle the tumult and return to their original positions in the circle without letting go of their partners’ hands (or talking).

Variation One:

After players have formed the initial circle and held hands, Boal offers a beginning ritual in which they then expand into the space as far as they can until only their fingertips are touching, and then contract the circle as tightly as they can so that they’re occupying the least amount of space as possible. I tend to omit this step, but it’s a good way to start building some comfort amongst the group, especially if they’re playing together for the first time. Play then continues with one of the following…

Variation Two:

While still holding hands, one self-selecting player begins the entanglement process by moving across or into the circle and then traveling over or under the hands of another pair (while taking care not to loosen their grips with their own partners on each side). New players then perform the same process, randomly creating a denser clump of knots, until no more such moves can be made. The ensemble then attempts to collaboratively return to the original circle slowly, safely, and in silence (and without breaking any of the links).

Variation Three:

Rather than beginning the process with players already holding hands in one large circle, participants create the tangle by randomly reaching across the circle and holding hands with two other random players. (You can coach the process with “everyone take your right hand, reach out and take someone else’s excluding those players on either side; now do the same with your left…”) After everyone has forged two connections in this manner, the group seeks to untangle through the same careful process. It’s possible in this iteration that an untangled group might actually form several smaller circles!

The Focus

Players must work together closely (literally and figuratively) in order to declutter the group.

Traps and Tips

1.) Know your group. As is the case with most warm-ups designed to build ensemble, there is a certain element of trust that already needs to be present for the game to feel safe and inclusive. Players should be aware of mobility issues and limitations, and comfort levels in general. For those who need a wide personal sphere, this exercise might prove wildly uncomfortable or just completely inappropriate, so don’t assume every ensemble will enjoy this highly physical game without having built some rapport beforehand. It’s also nice to warn players that they’ll be exploring a game that involves such close proximity so that they can dress appropriately.

2.) Pace the untangling. If everyone starts twisting and pulling and seeking their own extraction all at the same time, you’ll increase the likelihood of strain or injury, so make sure the desire to solve the riddle of the knots doesn’t eclipse the more important goal of keeping everyone safe. This can become a particular concern if you’re using the warm-up with younger players who can have a tendency to inadvertently introduce a level of competitiveness that can work against the greater good of the group. Especially in the third iteration, there may be moments when players need to briefly break and reconnect their grips so that they’re not bending each other’s wrists in dubious ways.

3.) Consider a leader. This is another variation on the variations, but I’ve also seen the game utilize a designated leader (perhaps standing part from the circle) who assumes the job of conducting the disentanglement (with or without the use of speech). This changes the central dynamic of the exercise a little, but if you’re stuck, or your group includes a player that would prefer not to be in the thick of the knots, this allows a different form of involvement. It can also provide a chance to positively single out a (willing) participant for a leadership position who might not normally step into such a role.

In Performance

If your ensemble is hesitant to play (appropriately) in each other’s space, this game can help to break the ice a little!

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: “The Chair”

As a decider or skills drill, The Chair offers an opportunity to polish your justifying and accepting.

The Basics

Players are divided into two teams and stand on either side of the stage or workshop space. One volunteer sits in a chair placed in the middle of the playing field, and a time limit is set (usually a couple of minutes, but definitely sufficient for everyone to get at least one turn each). One at a time, members of the opposing team try to provide offers that will result in the sitting player revoking their position in the seat. (No overt physical moves are allowed such as shoving or lifting the chair itself.) While all offers must be accepted in terms of the premise and details, the seated player may artfully justify their ongoing position when they’re able. If the challenger ultimately proves successful, they occupy the chair and the other team becomes activated. If the challenger is skillfully and appropriately foiled, they return to their side, and a fellow teammate enters the gauntlet. Whichever team occupies the chair when the countdown ends wins the game.

Example

Player A sits in the central chair as the countdown begins.

Player B: (entering in a frenzy) “Your house is on fire. We need to put it out!”

Player A: (not budging) “I know. I’m the one who set it on fire…”

Player B: (after a moment’s thought) “But the flames are spreading to your neighbors’ houses…”

Player A: “Just as I hoped…”

Player B returns to their “side,” perhaps prompted by a caller or instructor. A fellow team member, D, steps forward, miming that they are an octogenarian looking for a seat on a public bus…

Player D: “Would you mind terribly if I sat there? I have been on my legs all day.”

Player A: “Then maybe you should have gotten to the bus stop sooner, grandpa…”

The Focus

The seated player should earnestly cling to their objective of remaining seated but also vigorously accept the endowments and scenarios of their fellow players. If participants become lackluster or uninvested, the game will quickly sag.

Traps and Tips

1.) Use a caller. There are likely to be many close calls in the game, so it’s helpful to have a designated judge who’s empowered to quickly and resolutely determine ownership of the chair and provide time warnings. If in doubt, I tend to defer to the incoming challenger just to keep both teams engaged in the action.

2.) Accept each premise. It’s incumbent upon Player A to accept that their house is on fire and then that they are occupying the last seat on a bus. That being said, it’s up to them to frame those choices however they see fit, so it’s in the spirit of the game for them to become an arsonist or a disrespectful youth. The game becomes more exciting when these justifications are nuanced and strongly connected to the initiations rather than just some tepid or generic attitude of “I don’t care.” Eliminating players for reusing exact tactics or phrases can help in this regard, too.

3.) Limit the exchanges. The power to win can be strong in many, so it’s helpful to set some agreed upon limits to each improv parlay. I’ve found that giving the challenger one right of response (and their opponent a second counter) generally provides a nice balance and flow. Challengers need to accept and justify the seated player’s stated reality too, so it’s not in the spirit of the game to insist that Player A is not an arsonist or that they are a very well brought up teenager who loves their grandparents.

4.) Play to play. Don’t play to win. Explore the unformed idea, accept the inexplicable judge’s call, and embrace each elimination with good cheer (pun intended). No one really wants to watch a group of angry improvisers care too much about a silly warm-up.

In Performance

Keep the flow of entrances strong and energized. It can become tempting to recycle old motivations and premises, but this will do little to sharpen and enhance your spontaneity.

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

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Chain Murder Endowment”

This short-form classic embodies the central device of the childhood game of telephone, but here information potentially becomes warped and misunderstood as it passes from one improviser to another in front of an audience that is all delightfully in the know.

The Basics

I prefer this game with four players (so that you get a total of three discrete vignettes). If time is too tight, a cast of three can prove workable as well. One player (A) remains in the theatre while their teammates leave the space so they can’t hear. Player A gathers three random and unconnected elements – a location, occupation, and prop. These suggestions combine to form the features of a crime, with the prop now becoming an unlikely weapon of sorts. Player B returns to the stage, and a scene is played in which Player A must endow the obtained elements, while both players only use gibberish and body language. When the incoming player believes they know the selected components, they perform the crime in the pertinent location, against their scene partner (who represents the occupation), and with the peculiar choice of weapon. The victim dies dramatically and then strikes silently to the side of the stage, as the next potential criminal enters the theatre with Player B now serving as the gibberish clue-giving partner for Player C. When four players are used, the process then repeats one last time for Player C and D.

Example

Player A obtains “pyramids of Giza,’ “phlebotomist,” and “slinky,” as the elements before the absent Player B returns.

Player A: (welcoming their teammate while wiping away the sweat from their brow) “Shiminy popo!”

Player B, intuiting that they might be in a dense jungle or similar, starts slashing through imaginary scrub.

Player B: “Fashega taneeka jay.”

Player A nods in agreement that it has been hard going before kindly removing the machete from their partner’s hand and gesturing towards their new mode of transportation while offering them a leg up.

Player B: (with excitement) “Kaneep sha a nay-nay!”

Player A: (gently correcting the horse assumption while miming fastening the cumbersome saddle over a gigantic hump) “Gah, nay-nay! Shalee paplincha gavine!”

The scene continues with Player B ascending the unspecified creature. After the location becomes clear, Player A suddenly feels the urge to donate blood and starts to communicate as much to their scene partner…

The Focus

Enjoy the party game element but also strive to construct a (probably) simple story that justifies the need and appearance of each component. Avoid devolving into outright charades, or taking on any of the critical of the crime yourself when you are in the endower position (or essentially showing or demonstrating rather than creating the conditions under which the pertinent item would be needed).

Traps and Tips

1.) Know your order. The game will get off to a rocky start if the endower and endowee are on different pages and working at cross purposes. I advise working through the elements in the order they were obtained above – we use the acronym LOW in my current home venue, which stands for location, occupation, and weapon. This also allows you to accumulate the needed pieces of the puzzle in a helpful way onstage, beginning with the largest immovable item and ending with the typically most portable.

2.) Give clear feedback. All endowment games have to walk the tenuous path of accepting ideas the endowee offers up and sending unequivocal signals when a choice is wildly off base. Whenever possible, the endower (Player A) should acknowledge the endowee’s intent even if they then quickly move on – putting aside the machete or laughing that their friend has mistaken a camel for a horse! Inversely, don’t be needlessly opaque when the guesser is on the right track, or they might accidentally throw out the good with the bad. Similarly, if the endowee has all the needed information (or is as close as they’ll get in the time limit), joyfully invite the playful murderous climax of the vignette.

3.) Exploit your gibberish. While most would consider it poor form for the improviser who is in possession of the missing informative to fudge their gibberish to include known words or sounds, it’s a common tactic for the endowee to judiciously utilize creative signs to confirm their suspicions. In this way, “nay-nay” is a reasonably transparent approximation of a horse sounding gibberish word (at least for English speakers). If Player A used such a device first (or early in the scene), it would likely feel like a cheat. When such a move comes from the endowee, it can help narrow the focus a little. I wouldn’t advocate using this carelessly or as a default, but it’s a helpful tool if players are becoming unhelpfully stuck.

4.) Reinvent the wheel. Much of the fun of this game, in my opinion, is the chain element that places three scenic attempts in quick succession. While the elements of the crime (as best as they were communicated and understood) should remain the same, players shouldn’t mindlessly repeat their former partner’s tactics. If Player A uses a camel as an entry point to the pyramids, Player B should ideally begin somewhere else. In the worst-case scenario, players can recycle earlier clues when they find themselves at a dead end, but the audience enjoys the challenge of seeing new takes on a common problem.

5.) Sell the ending. Enjoy the silly deaths that punctuate each round (this also reduces the potential for ickiness, especially when the elements are wonderfully ludicrous). The game usually culminates with the players forming a line on the lip of the stage and the host beginning with the final criminal (our as yet unseen Player D in my example) and reviewing the understood facts of the crime. (It can be fun to coach the audience to provide loud “noes” or similar for each incorrect assumption). The host can then travel back through the line as needed until the desired answer emerges – even if this might mean returning all the way to the source, Player A! If you’re playing in a competitive show, this recap can occur before or after the scores are obtained. I like getting scores prior to the review as the overall enjoyment and quality of the scene often have little to do with its success, and there can be a nice bump in audience energy immediately after the last murder which can serve as a helpful throw to the scores.

In Performance

It’s admittedly a risk, but I’ve enjoyed weaving an audience volunteer into the chain. Typically, Player C (the second endowee) provides a strong position as this requires the volunteer to both receive and then give clues. Such a position also grants them a little time offstage with a (hopefully) confident improviser who can walk the guest through the basics, such as using the LOW acronym described above.

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: “Can I Talk to You for a Second?”

A delightful modern twist on the classic tradition of asides, Can I Talk to You for a Second offers characters a playful and highly theatrical device for creating mischief.

The Basics

During the course of a suggestion-inspired improv scene, players may self-select to pull another to the side of the action for a private “talking to” by using the titular phrase in a typically high-pitched cadence. Once the unsolicited advice has been proffered, players return to the scene in progress.

Example

Players explore the scenic promise of a 20th wedding anniversary. Player A assumes the role of one of the celebrants as the lights rise and is in the middle of an impassioned speech.

Player A: “… and I didn’t believe the poets when they said that you could grow to love someone even more with each passing day. But as I look now at my amazing spouse of 20 years, I will happily admit that the pessimist of my youth was wrong.” (Raising a glass) “So, I’d like you all to join me in a toast to…”

Player B: (who has been standing beside the speaker all this time, and in a quiet bit high intoned voice) “Can I talk to you for a second?”

Player A: “Of course, sweetie. If you’ll all hold that thought for a moment…”

Player A and B step to the side for their private exchange.

Player B: (in hushed tones) “You promised me you weren’t going to drink tonight. You know how you get with a few wines in you…”

Player A: “And that’s why I explicitly told the bartender to serve me sparkling grape juice for the whole evening, darling.”

Player B: “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have doubted you…”

Player A: “I know you only want the best for me, for us… May I continue with my speech?”

Player B: “Of course. Forgive me.”

Player A returns to their prior position and raises their glass.

Player A: “So I’d like to toast my better half who always has my back!” (They raise their glass and drink as the guests do the same.)

A nervous looking member of the wait staff, Player C, approaches the jubilant speaker.

Player C: “I’m terribly sorry to interrupt, but…” (Their pitch rises) “…can I talk to you for a second?”

The new pairing crosses to the edge of the performance space.

Player A: (confidentially) “How can I help you?”

Player C: “Well, I just learnt from my manager that all those refills I’ve been giving you tonight should have been…”

The Focus

Capitalize on the fun shifts in tone and staging and keep an eye (and ear) out for games lurking in the secretive asides.

Traps and Tips

1.) Build your world. It’s easier and more effective to introduce the novel device after the audience understands the basic premise of the scene, so put your energy there first. Once strong and grounded relationships have been established, you’ll have more to playfully upend and tilt. (I’ve needed to leap ahead in my example a little to showcase the unique dynamic in play.)

2.) Pace your ruptures. The frequency of the asides tends to escalate on its own, so exert patience initially as you familiarize the audience with the conceit. It’s not unusual for the scene to end in a volley of sidebars, so avoid the temptation to start with this level of aggressiveness.

3.) Give big gifts. There is a revelatory function to the private chats, so be cautious of entering into these moments without the intent or energy needed to shake up the apple cart a little. If the asides become too mundane or momentum sapping, they’ll do the scene more harm than good. If in doubt, explore the possibility of a good old-fashioned CAD.

4.) Listen to everything. As is the case with most improv games that involve some element of secrecy, it’s critical that players hear everything even as each whispered aside goes unnoticed by their characters. In this way, games can be discovered and built upon, as I’ve endeavored to model with the wait staff member adding to Player A’s revelation about the sparkling grape juice (although I’d recommend exerting more patience than my example allowed).

In Performance

I love the stylistic silliness of the almost whining phrase and veneer of politeness leading into increasingly searing or blunt adjustments and critiques. Don’t feel the need to mask or hide the launching phrase as it becomes such a joyful and predictable catchphrase for the scene.

Most of my tips for Asides (found here) also apply to this variant.

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

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Blind Freeze Tag”

A simple but helpful variation on a short-form improv classic…

The Basics

Players form a line at the back or side of the stage – the first person (stage right typically) stands so that they are facing away from the playing space. Two improvisers begin a scene based on an audience prompt. When they have established a clear scene and find themselves in a suitably dynamic pose, a fellow observing player (or perhaps the host or instructor) calls out “Freeze,” and the players do so. The improviser who was unable to see the scene turns around and enters the playing field, tagging out one of the current characters so they can assume that exact position which they use to inspire a brand-new scene. The back line shuffles with the newly released improviser joining one end (usually stage left), and the player on the other turning around so they can’t see the new action.

Example

Player A and B volunteer to play first while Player C faces away in the back line. The first scene finds inspiration from “boating.”

Player A: (holding out their hand to assist Player B) “The river is a little choppier than I expected.”

Player B: (carefully stepping into the raft) “I’m sure it’s nothing, sweetie. I can’t wait to check ‘white water rafting’ off our bucket list! Hand me my paddle…”

Player A turns to do so as B mimes the raft slowly drifting into the rising river. They raise their hands in a panic.

Player A: “Um, honey…”

Player D: “Freeze.”

Player A and B hold their poses as C spins around and quickly tags A out so they can assume that exact position with their hands nervously raised. Player A strikes to the back line while B holds onto their own position facing towards the floor.

Player C: (after a moment of squirming) “I’ve told you I don’t know the combination to the safe.”

Player B: (their intended oar transforms into a floor panel) “I know where you keep your money – I’ve been scouting out this video game store for months…”

Player C: “Then you should know only the owner opens the safe. She doesn’t trust me with the combination.”

Player C slowly lowers their hand to trigger a panic switch as Player B fumbles uselessly with the safe dial.

Player E: “Freeze.”

The Focus

Committing to clear specifics and quickly justifying peculiar poses provide the lifeblood of all freeze tag games.

Traps and Tips

1.) Enter quickly. Players on deck should move to the stage as swiftly as they’re able when the “freeze” is announced. The game will quickly lose steam and playfulness if each transition becomes needlessly laborious. Usually, one pose will immediately feel richer or more dynamic than the other, so trust your first instinct and don’t waste time assessing your options as this will grind everything to a halt.

2.) Freeze bravely. Players who are able to see the playing field should actively look for promising new stage pictures and relationships and grab these moments for each new “freeze” call. My example errs on the side of shorter vignettes, and it’s good form to allow the first few scenes some space to develop. But as you construct your fourth, fifth, and sixth scenes, the game should become jauntier. Be wary of lethargic calls deflating the momentum.

3.) Pose resolutely. When you are caught by a “freeze,” strive to maintain all the physical, facial, and emotional details of your position. If you inadvertently relax into a more generic pose, you’re robbing the incoming player of vital and inspiring information. Similarly, as you assume a previous position, pay attention to the minutiae as much as you can during such a quick transition. Smudging gestures or ignoring notable choices, such as the line of sight or an emotional quality, will lower the stakes in an unhelpful way.

4.) Justify specifically. Similarly, the more nuanced you can make your justifications, the better. These details are often cumulative and represent the concerted efforts of both players, so don’t feel the need to just voluminously spew a disconnected diatribe. But when our robbery becomes located in a video game store, with an in-the-floor safe and an absent owner, the scene transcends the initial germ of an idea of a generic hold up. It’s good form for the new (entering) player to get the first crack at defining the altered reality, but when both players then polish that initial idea through the lens of their current physicality, the scenes quickly take on a glossier sheen.

See Conducted Freeze Tag here for additional pointers.

In Performance

As an improv mainstay, freeze games can feel trite or overdone when they become safe or a mechanism for recycling old bits and jokes. Challenge yourself to play every scene (and the game as a whole) with the joyful attack and abandon of a neophyte.

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: “Big Game”

This exercise pushes players to the limits of their physical abilities.

The Basics

Players scatter through the available space and claim an area as their individual stage. If you’re workshopping in a smaller room or theatre, improvisers can work in pairs with one person performing the activity for the other. (There is also an inherent value in everyone having a little audience to enjoy the process and offer up some feedback at its conclusion.) Improvisers self-select an everyday activity – such as washing the dishes, brushing their teeth, or wrapping a present – and, upon the facilitator’s signal, patiently mime their action for a minute or so. The facilitator then gradually increases the size of the objects involved, and the task is repeated until the objects have become absurdly unwieldy.

Example

Player A (partnered with Player B) mimes brushing their teeth with a typical-sized toothbrush, tube of toothpaste, sink, and faucet.

The caller increases the object size by 100%, so now the toothbrush more closely resembles a hairbrush, and the toothpaste a rolling pin. Player A endeavors to brush their teeth again.

Objects grow again. Now the toothbrush is approximately the size of a cricket bat… the activity is repeated.

The objects expand once more so that Player A must manipulate an oar-sized brush and tube that evokes a rolled up carpet…

When the objects have become truly enormous, Player A and B exchange roles, and B undergoes a similar process with their own action.

The Focus

Commit to the escalatingly absurd conditions. In the above example, it’s foreseeable that Player A will need to brush their teeth across the huge brush when it becomes too heavy to lift or move.

Traps and Tips

1.) Explore weight. As each object grows, make sure you are appropriately increasing its weight and adjusting your efforts accordingly. A hairbrush doesn’t weigh that much more than a toothbrush, but a cricket bat certainly does.

2.) Explore mass. Similarly, consider how each object’s inflating size necessitates your own physical choices and approaches. Keep the features of each item specific and nuanced. How do you need to grab and operate an oversized faucet? Does this require an entirely new strategy than a mere flip of the wrist?

3.) Explore energy. Exertion should increase alongside the size of the objects, so be wary of meandering through each reenactment without a proportionate change in your attack and energy. Squeezing a toothpaste tube is a rather simple affair for most of us under normal conditions; when the tube becomes the length and thickness of a rolled up carpet, a gentle push won’t do the trick and needs to become a full-bodied action.

4.) Explore creativity. While I tend to teach this game in classes with a physical focus, I’m always reminded that the results can unlock delightful playfulness, imaginative problem-solving, and engaging silent stories. When you add character, point of view, and emotion, the scene can become something surprisingly pleasing.

In Performance

Although I love the idea of crafting scenes in almost alien landscapes with enormous, mimed props, you probably won’t stumble into this opportunity often. However, most scenes can benefit handsomely from the increased attention to prop construction that this big little game fosters.

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

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Beyond Words”

Subtext, physicality, and high stakes all provide essential ingredients for this emotionally powerful exploration.

The Basics

The climax of each of these variants consists of a similar dynamic – players performing a tense or rich relationship in silence. These three different launches, however, offer contrasting energies and frames.

Variation One: Players (typically a pair) obtain a scenic ask-for, and a scene is improvised without any dialogue at all from beginning to end.

Variation Two: Players (often a pair) are provided with an inspirational theme or word. The team is provided time for a quick brainstorming session (about a minute) and roughly decides upon a CROW that would support a highly emotional encounter. A silent scene uses this information as its foundation.

Variation Three: Players (perhaps a pair) elicit an ask-for and begin an improvised scene in the usual fashion. When the dramatic action reaches a zenith, a caller rings a bell, and the remainder of the scene continues in silence.

Example

Half of a separated couple, Player A, waits anxiously on a train platform, looking intensely at each face in the passing windows of the slowing cabins only to be met by one stranger after another. There is a sense of hopelessness as the train finally pulls to a stop, and Player A has to navigate a sea of arriving bodies. Just when the train seems to have emptied, a figure, Player B, appears on the platform behind Player A, holding a duffle bag heavily over their tired shoulder. As B recognizes their lover’s silhouette, Player A finally turns. Neither character has the words to describe their relief or love; Player B drops their bag and steps slowly forward until the couple embraces, at last.

The Focus

All three variants clearly demand a heightened sense of physicality and commitment to patient specificity; this scene also necessitates crafting emotionally evocative material and scenic arcs that simultaneously justify and earn the profound silence.

Traps and Tips

1.) Avoid insincerity. The silence restriction can push players to a broad and demonstrative style of play that can lose all subtlety and sense of realism. There can certainly be a value in exploring highly stylized scenes, but the challenge of this format resides in its commitment to honest and powerful emotions.

2.) Avoid approximating. Give each moment full attention, especially in the rising action, as if you gloss over choices in pursuit of that “big ending,” you’ll likely undermine the journey as a whole. These scenes invite a little luxuriating so that one specific detail can naturally evolve into the next even more intense detail.

3.) Avoid rushing. Speaking of luxuriating, especially if you’re unaccustomed or uncomfortable with a more body-centric style of play, there can be a temptation to forge ahead regardless of the potential of the here and now. Perhaps it’s a little predictable that our couple will reunite on the train platform, but it’s the artful suspension and complication of this climax that elevates the encounter to a scenario worthy of being beyond words.

In Performance

As is the case with most subtextual games of this ilk, while players should avoid dialogue, strategic utterances – a gasp, sigh, cough – are fair game. Just be cautious that such choices are building suspense and energy rather than diffusing it. I personally use the first two variants most frequently in the improv lab as they can unlock a powerful and emotionally vulnerable style of play. While the third variant is perhaps the most “audience friendly,” it can easily morph into a Scene Ending in Slow Motion, which is a fine game in its own right, but tends to encourage a broader and more comical performance.

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: “Be A…”

Here’s a fun icebreaker warm-up that requires players to work together quickly and quietly.

The Basics

Step One:

Invite the ensemble to work through the rehearsal area, striving to fill in any empty spaces and while walking an unpredictable pattern. Once the group is sufficiently shuffled, the instructor or facilitator calls out a number, and players are instructed to quickly shuffle into groups of the designated size (or as close approximations as mathematically feasible).

Step Two:

Groups are assigned an object that they must collectively sculpt with their combined bodies while working in silence. In this manner, players might be instructed to quickly “Be a… washing machine,” or “great oak,” or “table place setting…” The group facilitator might also provide a clear time restriction to further heighten the stakes.

Step Three:

Each tableau is briefly viewed by the remainder of the group (perhaps with a little lighthearted feedback to acknowledge finesses or refocus the intent of the exercise). Once all the images have been briefly celebrated, players are instructed to break their groups and walk randomly through the space again, and the process repeats.

The Focus

Keep your attention on the process of creation rather than the results. A finely etched image that was essentially dictated by one over-eager participant is less laudable than a clumsier tableau forged by brave individuals all contributing a connected idea.

Traps and Tips

1.) Look out for cliques. Especially (but not exclusively) if you’re working with younger players, the wandering phase can devolve into friend groups clumping and moving together to make sure they won’t become separated – especially once everyone learns the basics of the exercise. Encourage independent and varied movement patterns. Similarly, it’s important that no one feels excluded when numbers are announced, and groups are formed. If you’re not blessed with an easily divisible number, remind players that groups need only be approximate and to actively seek out new player combinations. If you’re able to do the math and offer “groups of five, and one group of six…,” that can help too.

2.) Look out for individuals. Players should actively work together to form the various elements of the named object. So, if a washing machine is offered as inspiration for groups of four, each group shouldn’t consist of four unique and independent renditions but rather one (likely imperfect) conglomeration. In some instances, such as the place setting, players might create isolated elements – one player is a spoon, another is a knife…. As a caller, I prefer using items that require a more robust sense of connected collaboration as it tends to invite players to get a little more into their bodies and out of their heads.

3.) Look out for (well-intended) directors. It’s useful to remind participants that the construction process should occur in silence. Ideally, this will discourage particularly excited players from accidentally dominating the process by telling their peers what to do (although this can still certainly happen in silence as well). Players should confidently make and adjust their own bold choices, but this should not be at the expense of other’s agency as well. If you know the short-form game Machines, this exercise offers a helpful template in that each player builds onto a first choice gradually one at a time until the final image is completed.

4.) Look out for too much feedback. I really enjoy the third step of viewing everyone’s creations, but be wary that this doesn’t needlessly bog down the momentum or introduce an overly critical energy that scrutinizes minutiae. I tend to use this moment to acknowledge particularly playful or unexpected choices, or to increase the boundaries or potentials of the game. For example, if everything defaults to a flat, almost 2D, portrayal on the floor, I might nudge that different staging planes or configurations can be used as well. Regardless, this stage should generally be filled with laughter and joy.

In Performance

If you’re using this exercise as an early warmup, I’ve found four or five creations will usually suffice before the novelty stays to wear off a little or players start becoming needlessly clever in an effort to keep the exercise engaging. This desire to reinvent the game works against its rather simple but elegant goals a little.

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: “Balladeer”

I first encountered this game at Sak Comedy Lab, where it quickly became a personal favorite. It combines narrative, rhyming, and music, which are three improv tools that provide particular joy.

The Basics

One player (A) assumes the role of a medieval balladeer (think strolling minstrel or troubadour) with a pantomimed or approximation of a lute (we use an unstringed prop guitar). They sing verses of a narrative song that are then enacted and enriched by the remaining members of their merry troupe. As an homage to Chaucer, I enjoy eliciting the inspiration in the form of “The Tale of the Blanky Blank,” with the audience providing the missing adjective and type of person. If you’re familiar with the short-form game Typewriter, the mechanics are similar, only now the intermittent narrative is sung and tends to be more uniform in length and structure.

Example

The improvising musician provides a suitable play in as Player A pretends to create the music on their lute. The remaining members of the team wait in the wings but quickly step onto the stage as characters are introduced in the unfolding song based on the suggestion of “The Tale of the Lonely Farmer.”

Player A: (singing)

“Oh, gather round fair peasants all, a tale here I must tell
Concerning a sad farmer, all alone on a poor dell.
Her heart was barren, like her land, where naught took root and grew.
She sat this day, like those before, a-stirring her sour stew… a-stirring her sour stew. “

Player B enters during the first couplet. As the lights transition, the actor bemoans loudly into the universe.

Player B: “Oh, cruel world, what sin have I committed to warrant your angry indifference? Do I not faithfully toil on your land and tend your creatures? And yet you reward my efforts with famine and drought.”

Player C crawls on as the farmer’s loyal but equally distraught sheep dog. Player B lovingly greets the creature.

Player B: “I am afraid there is little more than a potato and rock in our pot tonight, dear friend, but I will share all that I have with you.”

Player B spoons out some of the modest meal as the music restarts and the lights return to the balladeer…

Player A: (singing)

“And so the farmer and her dog eat scraps in that sad place.
A watching angel saw their plight and changed that sweet dog’s face…”

The Focus

Avoid leaving heavily on gimmicks or shtick, and you’ll find this elegant structure actually enables compelling parables and narratives.

Traps and Tips

1.) For the musician. Think of the musical interludes as verses of the same song as opposed to individual and unique songs in their own right. This provides a level of predictability for the troubadour once a template has been established, which is helpful as the singer has a lot of lyrical machinating to juggle. That being said, there is still ample room to play: each verse could gradually modulate up from the prior, or gently increase in tempo, or feature new stylistic embellishments. And it could be a fun conceit to feature a bridge feel in a later offering if the scene is assuming a more sizeable length. After the initial verse, which might invite a more robust introduction to establish the mood and form, strive to launch into future interludes concisely so that the scene doesn’t lose steam every time it transitions back to the song. (Generally, I’d advise against underscoring the scenic pieces, but with clear dynamic shifts, this can add color and enable elegant transitive from dialogue to song.)

2.) For the balladeer. Just as it’s helpful for the musician to find and set a feel and structure, endeavor to honor your own initial melody and rhyme scheme. In addition to giving the song a more polished feel, it gives your fellow players a clear signal when the action is about to recommence. Target rhyming serves the game well, especially in your second couplet (if you follow the four-line verse structure illustrated above). While you’ll want your first verse to squarely focus on the audience’s suggested character or premise, I find it helpful to avoid the actual elicited words (“lonely” and “farmer”) in rhyming positions, so you have those in your pocket for the final button. It’s perhaps unavoidable that some mental energy will be expended on formulating couplets, but make sure you’re really watching the scenes so that you don’t miss or ignore rich offers (such as the arrival of the dog). Accept as much as you endow.

3.) For the players. Leap into the action. It’s a helpful device to preset and begin (in pantomime) as each verse is sung so that the moment focus is given, the enactment can spring to life. While it’s certainly good form to begin by honoring the balladeer’s choices, physicalizing and heightening the sung plot points, as in any narrated game, don’t be afraid of deliberately moving beyond the stated knowns and discovering your own inherent next step. In this manner, Player C need not wait to be introduced as a dog before bringing this helpful next step to the stage. If you’re playing this game in a short-form setting, there isn’t a lot of time for each vignette to find its footing, so be deliberate and disciplined: one or two strongly embodied choices will serve better (as always) than a scattershot of numerous half-baked ideas that will likely overwhelm the narrator who will be looking for an obvious and connected next step to sing about.

4.) For the team. Generally, the scene consists of four or five sung verses between three or four brief scenes, with song introducing and buttoning the scene as a whole. Subsequently, it’s helpful to think of each small scene as fulfilling one essential plot element. Whether you prefer the language of introduction, problem, solution, and resolution (as modeled in Four Sentence Story), or balance, ignition, rising action, climax, and denouement, you’ll find it incredibly helpful to keep some sense of greater structure in mind. This helps pace the narrative arc, ensures players aren’t working at cross purposes, and keeps the story helpfully marching forward. When the scenes meander or merely comment upon the verses (rather than bravely build upon them), the whole affair can become a little tepid. The scene needn’t end in song, but this often gives an opportunity to provide a nice moral to the story, which feels very in keeping with the base material, and if you can end on some variation of the story’s title, that’s a great finesse too.

In Performance

This form could easily become expanded into a lengthier affair (or provide the impetus for a more complex long-form). It’s likely that the material will include some modern satirical winks or commentary, but I’d generally advise against making the content of the scene itself modern (unless this is serving some greater artistic end). There’s something innately delightful about embracing the historical tone and language that makes this game stand apart from other offerings in the musical improv canon.

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

Game Library Expansion Pack I