Game Library Master Index

I’m currently strolling back through this alphabetized list of improv games, adding new entries when I see the chance to offer a new game of note or interest. I’ll strive to keep this list updated as I go! You can also search my blog using the search tool below.

Those game titles without hyperlinks are connected to blog posts that are currently in development or unpublished (but I’ve written at least a draft already, I promise!)

Feel free to email me here if you have a suggestion, or perhaps a game or skill you’d like me to consider for a future post. I’d also love to know if you know a game by another name.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here to be the first to know when a new game entry drops.
Photo Credit: Scott Cook

Website and Blog content (c) David Charles 2020-23

“A” is for “Abandon”

Abandon refers to finding the joy and playfulness in your improv play.

Strategies for Nurturing Abandon in Your Play…

This is just a taste of this entry/concept. Go here for more information.

Related Entries: Commandment #10 Antonym: Fear, Judging Synonyms: Freedom, Playfulness

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
© 2020 David Charles/ImprovDr

Connected Game: Room at the Inn

Game Library: “Three Sentence Scenes”

This is my last improv game paired with the “Ten Commandments” of Theatresports that began this blog journey many years ago! The final commandment invites us to keep a sense of healthy perspective in our craft, and this exercise, Three Sentence Scenes, holds a similar lesson (among others).

The Basics

I generally have players form a circle with some chairs scattered at the compass points (north, south, east and west) for ease of access. A theme (love) or focus (starting in the middle) may be provided. Players take turns initiating scenes that should typically last no longer than three lines. At the conclusion of each vignette, the active players freeze until they are replaced by a new entering energy from someone waiting on the periphery. This new scene then continues for three sentences with the prior players returning to the circle, and the process continues. Sometimes I’ll utilize a system whereby players clap their hands at the perceived end of the scene to indicate that they will be the next entrance, or players can just enter at whim.

The Focus

Many companies utilize some version of a “get the bad improv out” exercise or warm-up, and this game can certainly have that goal, reminding players that scenes are fleeting and that the next one is coming right around the bend. There are few art forms more transitory than improvisational theatre, after all. Coupled with a particular stated goal at the outset, this exercise can also be used to introduce or reinforce skills or techniques that might be atrophying. It is certainly a helpful energy builder and can help dust off improv cobwebs if your ensemble has not played together for a while.

Traps and Tips

1.) Share the stage time. Some players are just generally more confident or excited to start scenes than others, so I’ll often set it as a goal for everyone to start at least one scene before the exercise culminates. Similarly, I might just have company members raise their hand if they have been a little under-featured halfway through the exercise. As players initiate new scenes, they can then make a concerted effort to invite these less featured improvisers to join them in the middle of the circle. I find it helpful to maintain an awareness of full inclusion during this warm-up to make sure that it doesn’t devolve into exclusionary side games.

2.) Resist the downward spiral into wackiness! There can be a trap in setting up this exercise as “getting the bad improv out” as I’ve found this frame can almost become self-fulfilling if we’re not cautious. Yes, there is certainly a value in blowing off some improv steam and having some unbridled fun together that shouldn’t be overlooked or undervalued; but, if we set up an expectation that good listening and nuanced improv won’t happen, then it won’t happen. This is where I find the next strategy helpful…

3.) Shake up the goal of the exercise. Especially if you’re using this warm-up frequently, I think it can be helpful to implement it to reinforce, review, or introduce some foundational concepts that you’ve been working on as a troupe. Whether it’s crafting interesting staging, exploring the moment before, portraying relationships that are not commonplace in your work, or perhaps even just challenging ensemble members to initiate scenes with those in the group with whom they do not typically play, a stated and changing focus can give the exercise freshness and new meaning. Why not put some “good” improv habits front of mind while we’re also expelling some of the “bad” improv for the day?

4.) Really use the three sentences. It’s not particularly helpful to pause the game to discuss whether an utterance or broken speech act counts as a sentence or not, but the limit of dialogue is a gift in this game that will hopefully encourage players not to just waffle (see Commandment #6) or wimp (Commandment #8). With only three lines available, players are encouraged to use emotion, subtext, staging, and action to imbue the scene with life and deeper meaning. Sure, some scenes will sneak in an extra line or two, but it’s helpful to challenge players to make every word count. It’s also useful to stress that these should generally be three sentences as opposed to three long-winded and meandering paragraphs. But there’s no need for the sentences to happen in quick succession without developing nuance or exploring the power of the silences between the words.

5.) Concentrate on two player scenes. With only three sentences available, it will quickly become clear that an over-abundance of side-support, Canadian crosses, or early entrances will drastically reduce the likelihood that the original players can really explore their relationship and initial dynamic. Most improvisers will intuitively want to start calling back prior characters or scenes, and this certainly adds fun and energy, particularly as the exercise nears completion, but once the scenes start to become “all-plays” it’s difficult to get back to softer or more nuanced two-person work. I’d recommend that you try to hold onto that more focused energy and pace as long as you can.

In Performance

While I might generally provide some big take-aways from the warm-up, resist doing a blow-by-blow account of every vignette as that’s antithetical to the notion that we’re embracing the disposable quality of improv if we then scrutinize every small misstep. The major gift of this exercise in my opinion is that when played joyfully it fosters a spirit of abandon, reactivity, and immediate forgiveness for when things don’t turn out quite the way you were hoping. These are important reminders for us all.

Click here to review all ten commandments, or here to go to the ImprovDr Game Library.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
© 2020 David Charles/ImprovDr

Connected Concept: Commandment #10

My First “Scripted” Improv Show: (Your) Opera in a Trunk

This is a deliberately paradoxical title designed to intrigue a little but it’s actually a reasonable way to describe the particular concept and format in question. (Your) Opera in a Trunk weaves together both scripted elements, stock operatic melodies and accompaniments, and improvisational unpredictability, characters and stories. While several of my prior forms were coalesced into rough outlines or flow charts, this was the first time I truly formalized an improv piece into a “script” as the complexities of the concept, coupled with the fact that it was designed for opera singers rather than “improvisers,” necessitated that collaborators could have something helpful in their hand that they could refer to throughout the rehearsal and development process.

The seeds for the piece were initially sown by my friend Timothy Kennedy who had been a fellow student at Louisiana State University: he was studying music there while I was studying theatre. Tim had been pivotal in bringing to that campus Making It Up, a large-cast short-form improv competition. Since graduating he had landed at Pensacola Opera as the Director of Education and Community Outreach around the same time I started teaching at Rollins College in Winter Park. Around 2004 he mused on the possibility of having an improv opera as part of his company’s outreach and audience development program. Several detailed conversations and a copy of Opera for Dummies later, the “basic” concept emerged and I set to work structuring the admittedly unwieldy piece. Tim remained instrumental in every sense of that word throughout the process, offering possible source materials, translating opera-speak into English for me as needed, and brainstorming strategies and possibilities for public domain repertory that could inspire the improvisational numbers. As he had been at L.S.U., Tim continued to serve as my doorway into the opera world while I, in many ways, served as our target audience! I joined Tim and his company before New Years 2004, and spent the next few weeks directing and coaching the first of what would become seven seasons of (Your) Opera with Pensacola Opera. Sherrie Mitchell, the Executive Director, also deserves a shout out here as she made this exciting collaboration possible on so many levels.

The Basic Premise: A trunk, brimming with costume pieces, hats and hand props, sits on a bare stage waiting for the operatic players to arrive. The event’s Joker (half-host, half-storyteller) welcomes the assembled audience and invites them to come along on an operatic journey full of unexpected surprises and twists. Opera, our host says, is usually about big events in big places peopled by big characters with big problems and desires. Today’s opera, however, will be slightly different, coming to life from the smallest of trunks. Today’s opera will bring to life a unique story created by today’s audience. Today’s opera, the Joker invites, will be “(your) opera in a trunk”.

The first two companies of (Your) Opera in a Trunk with Pensacola Opera

There were a lot of unique features to this process and production. In addition to four opera singers, each representing one of the four paradigmatic voice types, the show utilized a maestro and a narrator (I referred to this role as a “Joker” as a nod of sorts to Boal’s emblematic facilitator.) Each role had it’s own unique challenges, stresses and gifts. Alongside fully improvised recitative, the singers needed to improvise unique lyrics to arias and duets in their repertoires while constructing some semblance of a story that made sense! The Maestro had the Herculean task of moving from set pieces that framed the show, to improvisational accompaniment, to selecting one of multiple possible arrangements of pre-selected arias or duets to inspire the singers. Lastly, the Joker (played by Tim in the first several productions) had the heavy lifting in terms of the script, with large passages setting up the premise and mechanics of the show, alongside facilitating multiple audience votes and defining core operatic terms, such as aria, cadenza and libretto, as they emerged within the story arc of the piece. There were a lot of moving parts, hence the need for an extremely detailed outline to assist the rehearsal process.

I’m particularly indebted to the bravery of the first company who did not have the knowledge going into the enterprise that the project was in fact possible and that it would be well-received by student and adult audiences alike. In later iterations, we often benefited from having one or two returning players, or at least an understanding that this terrifying concept could actually work! While I had routinely been a company member in most of my prior improvisational works – a position that generally allowed me to direct and assist from inside of the form – this strategy wasn’t possible in this particular instance. Furthermore, generally companies were cast for their (formidable) operatic ability rather than their level of improv experience, and so many singers were taking their first significant steps into this spontaneous realm of performance.

—
The First Cast:

Annie Burridge (Soprano)
Chip Cothran (Maestro)
Timothy Kennedy (Joker)
Kelly Markgraf (Bass)
Elise Quagliata (Mezzo)
Thomas Rowell (Tenor)
—

Lessons

At first glance, the script and its appendices are certainly a bit overwhelming, but they served the intended purpose well; namely, breaking down the action into clear bite-sized pieces. Here’s a set song that we’ll sing to introduce the four voice types, now let’s have the audience select a location and whether or not the soprano or tenor will serve as our star for the show, now let’s have a vote on this character’s identity… So while the hybrid piece moves between scripted, interactive, and fully improvised elements, there was a clear road map as to when and why this was happening. I hadn’t quite conceived of an improv piece in this way before, and this experience certainly influenced other concepts that would follow. This organizational structure also meant that while the show ran about 50 minutes long, no one player was responsible for improvising an enormous amount of lyric or material. This was particularly important as the show was designed for opera performers who improvise rather than improvisers who can pull off some opera.

For the first season, the show opened and closed with an original ditty (I use that word deliberately) that I crafted which I soon discovered didn’t really serve the need. Looking back, opening an opera with a more patter-like musical theatre song was just an odd choice on my part necessitated by, frankly, my lack of knowledge of the canon. Tim recommended the “Drinking Song” from Verdi’s La Traviata for the subsequent season, which provided me with a much stronger musical tone and base for newly-crafted lyric. This now serves as the “in” and “out” of the piece, the other other set song being written to Strauss’ “Champagne’s Delicious Bubbles” re-tooled for our purposes as “Behold the Grand Soprano” in which we meet the four different voice types. My second crack at the opening was certainly stronger, but I’m most proud of my construction of “Behold” as it sets up such a playful tone and dynamic between the singers before the audience casts them in their roles for the show. Here’s a little sample:

“Behold the grand Soprano
(Tra la la la la la la la)
No need for a piano
(Tra la la la la la la)
My voice is valued dearly
So high that dogs can’t hear me
My résumé’s extensive
So each high C’s expensive”

The show also benefited from a sleek and helpful design language. We inherited a large book as the prominent set piece (as this was in use for other touring shows) and had three different beautifully painted backdrops designed by Christien Fontaine: a cityscape, a countryside, and a castle atop a craggy mountain path. As the show started, the book was closed, hiding the players and a huge assembly of random props and costumes that were used to inspire casting choices. When a setting was selected by the audience, the book would open to the corresponding page which then framed the rest of the improvised action. We also deployed a trunk as well, as suggested in the show title, with the conceit that everything that was needed somehow magically came from that one source rather than the racks and crates of items backstage!

(Your) Opera was designed as a pedagogic outreach tool, but it wasn’t just our audiences that learned from the project. There was a great equalizing effect during these rehearsals in that most of the operatic company members were taking their first foray into improv, while I, as the director and deviser, was an opera novice and felt like a guest in a world in which they were experts. The resulting cross pollination was really joyful and rewarding. Opera is certainly not known for its spontaneity and abandon, and many company members have noted how the experience of (Your) Opera opened them up as performers and made them look at old arias in whole new ways after using them to improvise original whimsical lyrics. The depth of my admiration for this form of performance certainly grew exponentially as well as I saw firsthand the discipline, training and talent required to make singing like that happen at nine in the morning!

If you’re intrigued by this premise or way of structuring a show, go here for another peek inside the form. This remains a favorite project and I’d happily direct it again in a heartbeat!

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Or email me here to discuss bringing this show to your company!
© 2020 David Charles/ImprovDr

Commandment #10

The tenth and final commandment opines:

When thy faith is low, thy spirit weak, thy good fortune strained and thy team losing, be comforted and smile, because it just doesn’t matter!

It’s helpful to balance a sense of joy and abandon as we improvise. Concentrating on the “win” will often result in everyone losing instead.

Some Etiquette Suggestions…

This is just a taste of this entry/concept. Go here for more information.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
And this is a link to the completed Ten Commandments series here.
© 2020 David Charles/ImprovDr

Connected Game: Three Sentence Scenes

Game Library: “Passion Statements”

The ninth commandment of Theatresports dissuades us from being needlessly clever on stage and reminds me of this exercise I know as Passion Statements.

The Basics

Players mull through the rehearsal space at a reasonable pace keeping equidistant from each other as best they can. One at a time, players announce “Me,” at which point the group pauses and forms an audience by merely adjusting their stances so that the speaking player is in focus. When this focus has been achieved, the self-nominated player provides a brief monologue or speech about a topic or cause that fills them with passion. Once the brief speech has concluded, the players begin to mull once more until a new speaker volunteers.

The Focus

This seemingly simple exercise can actually make players feel quite vulnerable and nervous. Reiterate that the goal is to connect to something that is truthful and personally inspiring or emotional. Humor may certainly emerge organically but avoid a one-upping environment with everyone seeking the most clever, peculiar, or unexpected angle. The goal is to be your vulnerable self.

Traps and Tips

1.) Allow sufficient time for full involvement. Some players who usually exert confidence and attack may find this exercise challenging, especially if they are unaccustomed to taking the risk of sharing personal information on stage. There can be a fine line between encouraging and coercing participation (the latter, obviously, should be avoided) but provide a tone and pace that gives everyone room to contribute. I might sidecoach just with a simple “Has everyone had an opportunity to share?” as the exercise is nearing its conclusion. Similarly, be careful of a few excited players offering multiple narratives in a way that shuts others out. It can be helpful to allow some wiggle room in case a participant who went early in the mix has a deeper understanding of the intent later in the game and wants a second crack or now feels deeply inspired by previous content or vulnerability.

2.) Avoid commenting on or judging contributions. If my experience with this exercise is typical, you will likely get a wide array of statements, from the simple or whimsical, to the more profound or revealing. All statements should be honored and listened to without interruption or commentary. (If something problematic or offensive emerges, I’d encourage addressing it during a closing postmortem.) Model focused listening during the first few rounds. When I facilitate this exercise, I will tend to play and share as well so as not to stand as an outsider. This also gives an opportunity to model sincere material if the group is struggling to get beyond the obvious or trivial, “I hate bad traffic…”

3.) Establish parameters. I use the term “passion” deliberately as it denotes something of emotional weight or import. The exercise can become a series of rants which is not in and of itself a complete departure from the exercise’s intent, but passion can include a much wider array of emotions than just frustration and annoyance. It can be helpful to reiterate this central question, “What are you passionate about?” as the mulling takes place. There are also likely to be honest moments of humor and laughter which is an important reminder that comedy need not be insincere nor disconnected from our personal truths.

4.) Take a moment to debrief. I’ve used this exercise a lot on college campuses, and I’ve found that these communities often struggle to announce their passions unapologetically in front of their peers (and probably their teacher too, I imagine). You might have a different experience when using this in other groups or demographics, but I’ve found the debrief can often be as important as the exercise itself. Did participants immediately have passionate subjects at their disposal, or did they have to search? Were there other influences at play that put players in their heads or made them “sort” or edit their choices? How did it feel to be vulnerable in front of the group? If there were problematic moments or opportunities to elevate marginalized voices, you can also use this time to engage in these important dialogues.

In Performance

An effective second step with this exercise can be to jump into scenes inspired or informed by the various passionate sentiments, but don’t underrate the value of the sharing in and of itself. The exercise can serve as a helpful and effective reminder that we need not look further than ourselves to generate rich, interesting, and dynamic material on the stage. This certainly involves taking a risk by revealing some of our own truths and peccadilloes, but the rewards are manifold and immediate: from building a deeper sense of trust in your ensemble, to forging new connections as players discover similarities and contrasts, to opening up new ways to use our stages to reflect the beautiful complexities and contradictions of the human experience.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: Scott Cook
© 2020 David Charles/ImprovDr

Connected Concept: Commandment #9 (and check out the ImprovDr Game Library here).

Commandment #9

The ninth installment declares:

Those who try to be clever are not, while those who are clever, do not try

Bowing at the altar of Cleverness can tend to put you in your head and prevent you from making simpler (and more personal) connections to your creative play.

Bringing More of Yourself to the Stage…

This is just a taste of this entry/concept. Go here for more information.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: Tony Firriolo
© 2020 David Charles/ImprovDr

Connected Game: Passion Statements

Game Library: “Ad Campaign”

This entry is partnered with the concept of wimping as discussed in the eighth commandment. I often use this exercise as the culmination of my nuts and bolts of improv introductory class when time permits: enjoy Ad Campaign!

The Basics

Players work in small groups of 4 to 6 players (ideally) and form a semi-circle in the performance area. I’ll often use chairs, especially if I’m working with novice improvisers, but this could certainly be played with everyone standing. A nonsensical or “impossible” product is provided, such as Instant Ribeye Steaks or Silent Party Noise Makers, and the team must work together to brainstorm an advertising campaign. All offers provided should be robustly and immediately accepted by the group with a loud chorus of “yes!”

Example

The group is provided with “Silent Party Noise Makers.”

Player A: (assuming the stature of the boss) “I’m glad I have our ‘A’ team here to pitch ideas about this exciting new product, Silent Party Noise Makers. It strikes me as the perfect product for people living in tiny apartment complexes…”

All: (enthusiastically) “Yes!”

Player B: “Don’t let noise ordinances stop you from having the party you deserve!”

All: (enthusiastically) “Yes! I love that…”

Player C: “That can be the slogan on the box! Beside an image of a grouchy old man sleeping while a huge party is happening next door…”

All: (enthusiastically) “Yes! Brilliant…!”

The Focus

This exercise is intended as an antidote to wimping or half-hearted acceptance of others’ offers. As each idea hits the stage, it’s critical to encourage the group to give unconditional and enthusiastic support. It is easy for this dynamic to wane as the exercise unfolds if it is not clearly and consistently encouraged. The ideas are likely to become increasingly absurd (although not necessarily so) but each idea must be met with growing joy until the ad campaign reaches a successful and energized conclusion.

Traps and Tips

1.) Brainstorm ad campaign elements. It’s foreseeable that many of the group may have little experience constructing or guiding an ad campaign, so I find it helpful to collectively brainstorm together the kinds of elements that might need to be resolved prior to the first performance of the exercise. Consider features such as the target demographics, slogans, product names, spokespeople, packaging images, price points, ways to reach your audience, bargains or incentives, cross promotion opportunities and the like. There is no expectation that any one campaign will hit all of these points, but it can help the group to have some strategies in their pocket in the event that the energy stalls.

2.) Rehearse the enthusiastic “yes” chorus. No seriously, this is a good idea. Invariably, groups take a while to warm to this concept, so it’s helpful to model it beforehand, and it’s likely that you might need to side-coach players to fully commit to this element as the game unfolds. This excited acceptance of every offer is the focus of the game (the content is nearly irrelevant in many ways) so don’t allow a wimping energy to emerge or go unchecked.

3.) Be wary of questions. I’ve written about questions in improv here and while questions can work in our scenes, they tend to grind the brainstorming session to a halt when they appear in this particular game. If someone does pitch a question rather than an offer (which will happen especially during your first efforts) encourage the speaker to immediately answer their own question with the first thing that comes to mind. It can be tempting as the facilitator or sidecoach to throw in a question or two if the campaign is lagging, but this can have a similar stumping effect, so perhaps offer more broad encouragement instead: “I love where this is going!” or “We need the next piece of the puzzle…”

4.) Watch out for “ors” and “buts” especially if they’re disguised as “ands.“ It can be tempting in this frame to shop for the best idea rather than fully embracing and polishing the current idea. With absurd products this is truly a fool’s errand as how could there possibly be best ideas? This tendency typically emerges with players offering alternatives or additions that actually negate or eclipse the prior choice. If someone offers that Beyonce should be the product spokeswoman, and then another player offers “and Maroon 5,” they’re generally knocking the prior idea off the table rather than elevating it.

5.) Encourage full involvement and group awareness. As in my little example above, one or two players may emerge as high status contributors or facilitators (which is fine) but make sure there is an awareness that everyone should have an opportunity to add to the campaign plan. Initially, this involvement can be providing full support in the chorus of “yes” that follows each shared idea, but it’s also nice to introduce the concept of sharing focus and the limelight. Often, players who take seats at the edge of the group can struggle to have their voices heard a little more than those in the middle of the action, or if someone assumes a “boss” stance they can end up dominating rather than empowering. Those who incline towards introversion may also need extra encouragement or room for their idea to be able to breathe.

In Performance

I would certainly appreciate a dynamic such as this in performance as it has a great build and game at its core, but I think the major gift of this exercise is more of a metaphor than a specific strategy. Players will often experience that the risk of offering something new to the mix feels drastically reduced when they are playing in an environment in which they know their idea will be met with such immediate and unbridled enthusiasm. Whether or not the final campaign yields creative fruit, teams will generally feel accomplished and successful if this dynamic of acceptance has been joyfully conjured. When we wimp as improvisers, we are robbing our partners and ourselves of this intoxicating environment.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
© 2020 David Charles/ImprovDr

Connected Concept: Commandment #8

Commandment #8

The eighth commandment observes:

To wimp is to show thy true self

An improv Wimp doesn’t tend to pull their weight.

Signs You Might be Wimping…

This is just a taste of this entry/concept. Go here for more information.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: Tony Firriolo
© 2020 David Charles/ImprovDr

Connected Game: Ad Campaign

Game Library: “CAD Bell”

The seventh commandment of Theatresports explores the concept of “breaking the routine” and this is a great series of exercises that models ways to do just that called CAD Bell. If you’re unfamiliar with the acronym, it stands for Confession, Accusation, and Discovery.

The Basics

This is a concept that you can easily apply to a lot of other scenic structures or formats, but I like to introduce the dynamics in a series of paired scenes (typically, everyone playing at once). A relationship or premise is given, players are invited to begin their scenes, and when the facilitator rings a bell, the next “obvious” player should incorporate the dynamic listed below. It’s typically helpful to then repeat that version of the game with the second player now taking on the position of incorporating the predetermined CAD. Depending on the group dynamics and size, I might then shuffle the pairings. There is so much to glean from these exchanges that you could easily explore these dynamics for a whole workshop or more.

Phase One – Confession: When the bell rings, the next player provides a personal confession that builds on the scene already established. A confession, by definition, is something that places culpability on the speaker. It may be positive, “I’ve always been in love with you,” negative, “I lied about liking baseball,” or perhaps even seemingly trivial, “I’ve been hoarding old newspapers.” The scene continues, with the status quo being tilted by this new information.

Phase Two – Accusation: Upon the signal of the bell, the next player provides an accusation that is informed by the prior choices of the scene. In this instance, the accusation places the heat or culpability on the scene partner who should accept the ramifications of the choice as opposed to pitching an accusation of their own. For example, if the accusation is “I saw you eat that last chocolate chip cookie from the jar,” it’s more helpful to respond, “I know, I just couldn’t stay on this diet one moment longer” which takes on the guilt of the choice, as opposed to “I only ate that last cookie cause you ate all the rest,” which pushes the blame or vulnerability onto your partner.

Phase Three – Discovery: In this iteration, the bell invites the next speaker to break the routine by making a physical discovery in the space or environment. If you have not created an environment prior to the bell, this challenge can be particularly difficult, so the focus has the added benefit of encouraging action and interesting staging. Discoveries can include finding unexpected items or props, “What is my favorite shirt doing in your closet?” endowing qualities on pre-established elements, “All the money is missing from our piggy bank,” or adding specifics to the greater environment, “Don’t look now, but I think someone is spying on us from behind the hedge…”

Phase Four – Free-form CAD: This optional final phase essentially combines all three variations above with players providing either a confession, accusation, or discovery when the bell chimes. Players can be encouraged to allow their selection to emerge organically based on the scenic flow and needs or can pre-select the technique that they feel they need to work on the most. There’s also a great value in then performing scenes with no outside prompt (bell) and players finding their own opportunities to spring a revelation.

The Focus

This is a particularly helpful series of exercises for exploring the concept of breaking the routine, upsetting the balance, or igniting the action of a scene that might be stuck in stasis. To this end, it’s important that CAD moments are imbued with import and not merely treated as just another choice in an ocean of choices. Theoretically, almost any offer that occurs at this belled moment, whether or not it innately held deep promise, can serve as this breaking point if the players make it significant.

Traps and Tips

1.) Gut check. It’s integral in this exercise for the player receiving the new information to take a real moment to gut check and process the significance of what has just been shared. This pause in the action in and of itself often marks this featured choice as being of particular import, and it increases the likelihood that the CAD will truly influence the next steps of the action. Also, avoid the trap of dispassionately justifying the new information (and thereby defusing it) rather than heightening your emotional response.

2.) Embrace change. The routine can’t truly be broken if no one is changed by the arrival of new information. While we do not want to throw out the details or nuances of what has already been established in the scene, the CAD moment is an invitation to adjust the tone, texture, or energy of the central relationship. Without embracing change, the CAD bell hasn’t been fully exploited. You probably won’t be served by throwing out everything you’ve already established – look to combine rather than erase – but at the very least, the context or frame of the story should shift

3.) Adjust the timing. If you are facilitating the exercise, avoid becoming too predictable with your bell timing. It is certainly helpful to give the players sufficient time to create a rich world and relationship, but placing the bell cue near the beginning or the end of a vignette opens up other dramatic gifts and story possibilities. Once the skill set has been introduced, players will also start to feel when a disruption or tilt is needed, which is of value in and of itself. You can also use the bell more than once in a scene, although I’d caution that scenes that contain too many CADs don’t tend to fully unwrap the value of any of them.

4.) Encourage inherent CADs. While “Martians are landing” is certainly a powerful discovery likely to shift a scene’s direction, it is unlikely an inherent next step in most cases. As players become accustomed to the mechanics of the game, encourage looking for inherent CADs that fully utilize and reflect choices already in the mix of the scene. There is a true power and joy in naming or heightening something just at the right moment that might have been very quietly brewing under the surface of the dialogue and action.

In Performance

Confessions, accusations, and discoveries are a great way to add dynamism to pretty much any style of play. I’ve found that student improvisers often have an innate preference for one of the three, so there is definitely value in building up your strength in the areas that do not come as readily. Not all scenes require a CAD in order to soar, but once you’ve become accustomed to this technique, you start to realize just how omnipresent they are, and for good reason! You can dig deeper into each of these strategies here.

Cheers, David Charles.
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Connected Concept: Commandment #7