ImprovDr.com

Game Library: “Noise and Action Circle”

Played energetically, this warm-up will have everyone exercising their bodies and voices in a matter of minutes.

The Basics

Players form a circle. The first participant, A, introduces a unique noise and accompanying action. Starting with the player to their immediate right, this offer quickly ricochets around the circle in a counterclockwise direction (with each subsequent player not waiting for the prior player to fully complete the action before mirroring it and passing it along). When the choice makes it back to its creator – Player A initially – they repeat their own contribution. The next improviser, Player B, now introduces a brand-new motion and sound that passes around the circle with similar rapidity. The pattern continues until C, then D, and so on, add their own playful creations. When the last player’s noise and action make it back to them, the exercise is complete.

Example

Player A introduces the gesture of clasping they hands above their head while making a little jump, which moves swiftly around the circle.

After A repeats their movement, B now lunges into the circle with a whooshing sound. C mirrors this idea, as do the remaining players in sequence.

When it’s C’s turn to initiate, they perform a little “cha cha” step while whistling. D approximates this as best they can, and the noises and accompanying actions continue apace.

The Focus

It’s a simple little physical warm-up, so that’s the primary focus. However, it can also be used to build your movement vocabulary and develop bravery and reactivity.

Traps and Tips

1.) Move boldly. Avoid making wimpy choices in the initiating position. When introduced to new exercises, performers can become surprisingly reluctant to make a large or revealing offer, but the game will fall flat if every movement and sound utilizes the bare minimum of energy and attack. A particular pet peeve – that often occurs when the game has developed some momentum – is when a player unhelpfully and anticlimactically introduces an unenergized gesture (often some iteration of a “boop” with a small finger point) thus bringing the joyful wave of attack to an abrupt halt. Don’t be that person!

2.) React swiftly. I’ve used the term ricochet above as the game benefits from this approach rather than a more stop and start dynamic of each player waiting for their predecessor to finish each action in its entirety before adding their own voice and body. You want to make sure you’re honoring all the details of each new element, and so the first few participants are likely going to need a second to process the specifics, but as you get a few places around the circle, players should start to anticipate the wave of energy and diminish any pause between echoes until, ideally, the motions actually start to overlap.

3.) Build gradually. While I caution against fear-based little offers, there is a value in letting the overall size and volume of the initiations increase slowly with each new addition. To this end, perhaps don’t start the game with the biggest or most extreme move in your repertoire so that there is somewhere to go. In a related sense, it can also be fun to let each new movement build just a little with each echo around the circle so that the owner of any given noise and action finds that it returns to them in a slightly elevated or exaggerated state. In this way, each suggestion grows a little while it moves around the circle, and then each new suggestion continues to build a little from where the prior idea left off (remembering that choices ate not literally cumulative so much as responding to the earlier dynamics).

4.) Participate graciously. And just as an annoyingly under energized “boop” can put a damper on the fun, so too can players who provide impossible physical feats of strength that will only thwart their fellow ensemble members. Unless you’re workshopping in a group of trained (and well stretched) dancers, challenging the group to mirror your gymnastic splits or high kick will likely cause consternation and possibly injury. Keep in mind what will give your teammates joy rather than strive to show off a unique and perhaps unrepeatable skill.

In Performance

There’s also a version of this game called Noise and Action Backs, which exploits the same basic premise. Here, players form a line all facing forward. The player at the back of the line, A, taps the improviser standing directly in front of them, B, causing them to quickly turn around. A then introduces the inspirational first sound and action before running to join the front of the line and turning their back away from the activity. B now taps C on the back or shoulder and models the provided combination before joining the front of the line. C then does the same for D, and so on, with the movement and sound being passed through the line at an ever-increasing speed. In this warm-up, the same choice now slowly grows and morphs and heightens (in a “telephone game” style) as waiting players can’t see the exact movements of those who came before them. If you like the original and have a reasonably robust space to play in, this provides a useful variation on the central theme.

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

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Ninety-Nine Jokes”

I’ve encountered this line game by various names (and featuring different numbers), yet the mechanics remain consistent regardless. It requires quick wit and charm and more than a little inclination toward gagging (or, perhaps more kindly, joke telling).

The Basics

Improvisers wait on the back line, often with a microphone placed center stage before them. (I like the touch of placing a stool with a water bottle on it in frame as well, as these props strike me as particularly emblematic of a stand-up venue, but I don’t think that’s standard practice!) The emcee or facilitator obtains a prompt, such as an occupation or object, from the audience. When inspiration strikes, players take turns stepping into the “spotlight” and delivering a formulaic joke (as outlined below). After several efforts, new offers can be elicited to refresh the well of creativity. If the game is being used as a decider or toe-breaker, the host can award points for particularly well received or ingenious jokes (or even punny groaners) until a winner (or winning team) is announced.

Example

The host elicits “mushrooms” and Player A volunteers to go first.

Player A: “Ninety-nine mushrooms walk into a bar. The bartender says, ‘I can’t serve ninety-nine mushrooms,’ and the mushrooms say, ‘Why not? We’re fungi [pronounced fun guys].'”

Other players soon follow with new variations on the same model…

Next Player: “Ninety-nine [blanks] walk into a bar. The bartender says, ‘I can’t serve ninety-nine [blanks],’ and the [blanks] say… [original punchline].”

The Focus

Like most line games, you need to attack and balance quality with quantity. If there’s too much time between the jokes or a pervasive tentativeness, you’ll likely lose the audience (if you ever found them to begin with).

Traps and Tips

1.) Prime the audience. If you set up the expectation that every punchline will be a zinger, you might be raising the comedic bar unhelpfully high. I like it when the host encourages the audience to make a variety of enthusiastic responses – obviously laughter for a successful finesse, perhaps a joyfully loud collective groan for a less impressive showing and chirping crickets for the poorest constructions. It can be a lot of fun to pre-rehearse these options, and it adds a safety net of sorts to the game for the players as it’s quite disconcerting to have your joke greeted with stunned ambivalence. Loud judgment at least keeps the space infused with playful energy. And it can set a struggling player up for glorious redemption of they managed to finally make the comedic grade.

2.) Sell the lemonade. Obviously, it’s easier to perform a punchline when you feel confident that it’s likely to land well. However, even (especially) when you’re peddling something of more dubious merit, you’ll want to do your very best to sell it. Don’t rush through the stock components of the set-up but rather infuse them with personality, charm, and specificity. In adept hands, the audience will find great joy in otherwise mundane material. (Similarly, even great and clever wordsmithing can become undermined by a blasé delivery.) There’s a reason pleasant and amiable kids sell more lemonade at street stands than sour-faced and bitter adults.

3.) Support your teammates. This is stock advice for line games, but make sure your energy is flowing towards the current improviser in focus. The audience frequently takes its cues from the ensemble, so if you look like you’re in agony trying to concoct a passable joke or are harshly judging the efforts of others (or your own shortcomings) the crowd will reflect those less-than-helpful energies back to the stage. Play with joy, applaud other’s successes (and valiant struggles), and keep the energy building. To this end, sometimes it’s critical to step forward and take your turn even when you know you have nothing, just so the proverbial spotlight doesn’t go cold. A moment of well-timed self-sacrifice also buys your teammates a little space to hopefully compose something more nuanced to wash away your cruder contribution as well.

4.) Pursue the novel. In past venues, we’ve used the term “Rolodex” to refer to tried and tested punchlines for oft-pitched ask-fors. (My fungi example above serves as an homage to perhaps the most seasoned of such perennial “favorites.”) If you play these types of games often, it’s unavoidable that you’ll develop some running lists of past successes. However, be careful of making the exercise nothing more than trotting out old material. Firstly, that’s not really the spirit of improv! Secondly, it tends to create an inorganic and rushed experience with players scrambling to repeat that idea that was really funny twelve years ago. If you’re hosting, look to challenge the company with original prompts whenever possible. (Then, if the game isn’t landing, you can always resort to more familiar terrain to find firmer footing.)

In Performance

While this frame can certainly invite ribald material, it can be more family-friendly than Pick-Up Lines and other similarly saucy line games. I personally like playing it in larger ensembles just as that depth of a bench increases the likelihood that someone will be able to come up with something to fill the potentially oppressive silence!

New to ImprovDr.com or the Game Library? You can find the ever-expanding collection of games, exercises, and warm-ups here.

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

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Narrated Pairs”

This used to be a regular feature of my college Improv I course until a teaching time crunch forced an edit. It’s a lesser played (known) narrative game that creatively explores how we may not all remember a common experience in quite the same way. The basic staging practices resemble other mainstays like Subtitles and Conscience, but the central conceit will enable very different results.

The Basics

An event or occasion involving two central characters serves as the inspiring impetus for a team of generally four players. Two improvisers (A and B) become the provided characters in the present day and sit on chairs on either side of the playing space where they alternate narrating their recollections of the scene. The remaining players (C and D) provide the physical embodiment of the provided characters, providing a real-time reenactment of the story, warts and all. Play alternates between the narrators and their (usually silent) doppelgangers.

Example

Players A and B, an elderly married couple, recollect the fortuitous day they met for the first time at the local public library and occupy chairs on each side of the stage.

Player A: (with charm and confidence) “I remember it like it was yesterday, the moment that would forever change my life. I was a graduate student in Louisiana, working on my dissertation. I just had a few citations to track down before my submission deadline, and that’s what brought me into the library that day…

As Player A narrates, Player C (their double) enters the playing space. While A has exuded suave surety, C honors the named facts but creates an extremely anxious and overwhelmed portrayal of a student rustling through their notes in a panic.

Player B: (narrating as their double – D – establishes themselves in the space) “It had been just another typical sleepy day in late April staffing the circulation desk on the ground floor. My supervisor didn’t like us eating around the books, so I was keen to get to my lunch break…”

Player D pantomimes eating an incredibly messy sandwich at their desk and getting dropping mayonnaise all over their hands and, subsequently, everything they touched including a large stack of books waiting to be re-shelved.

Player A: (continuing their narrative) “I just had one source left to track down as my boss were unclear on its origin. There was a particularly helpful-looking librarian on duty who I’d seen around campus a few times below and had been checking me out…”

Player D has fallen asleep on their desk in the meantime with complete disinterest, causing the extremely anxious C to very awkwardly tap them on the shoulder.

Player B: “I prided myself for knowing the shelves and our regular patrons like the back of my hand…”

Player D absently swats away C with the back of their hand, sending them reeling and scattering the grasped notes all over the library foyer…

The Focus

You can certainly just focus on crafting a well-made story (a good focus for essentially every improv game), but there’s particularly rich material to be mined from considering the nuances of relationships and the tension between how we see (or remember) ourselves as opposed to how others experience our actions.

Traps and Tips

1.) Explore rhythms. One of the advantages of leaning into a mimed reenactment (hopefully with a lush soundtrack) is that it reduces the likelihood of overtalking. The narrators will still want to allow sufficient time for the scene to play out, but as the scene finds its footing, look for opportunities for reducing the time between narrative contributions. Ideally, the spoken and embodied elements should become largely simultaneous, with improvisers effortlessly justifying and incorporating each other’s ideas in fluid real time.

2.) Explore contradictions. I find it helpful to view the two narrative elements as artfully spliced pre-recordings that a gifted editor or producer has curated. So, while the two actors (A and B) should certainly hear each other and adjust their trajectory accordingly (in addition to incorporating physical and emotional offers from C and D), the narrating characters should avoid directly addressing each other. In this way, if A remembers themselves as being charming and well put together, and that isn’t B’s recollection, the resulting scene can explore that fruitful tension. Overtly correcting a misperception in this context is tantamount to naming – and therefore exploding – the game. After all, of the two narrators recall the event in exactly the same way (and the actors perform it with similar unified fidelity), then the scene will just feel like any other.

3.) Explore heightening. I’ve provided an example where the characters have pursued rather oppositional energies from those stated by their narrating comrades, and this dynamic will likely serve as a rich source of whimsy and entertainment, but don’t overlook the inherent potentials of exaggeration as well. Player A’s stated confidence could be heightened into the domain of arrogance: Player B’s studious work ethic could become manifest as complete indifference towards the human occupants of the library. Memories can tend to block out inconsistencies or moments where we may not have presented ourselves at our finest. This format thrives when we lean into these ruptures.

4.) Explore inverting. And it’s okay to play with stark opposites as well, especially as you’re taking your first steps with the format, as there’s undeniably a need for some of this tension. Perhaps, as illustrated, A is charming while their double C is bumbling, or B is professional, while D is the epitome of adolescent infatuation. And don’t overlook the gift of some contrasts between both narrators (and characters for that matter) as well. I’d warn against only exploring negative or cynical energies, as some love goes a long way and helps to balance the grander affair. But perhaps A is still completely enamored with B, and this infuses their narrative, while B’s present-day feelings are positive but more measured. If C note plays a muted attraction while D is head over heels, this delightfully deepens and complicates the core relationship even further!

In Performance

And now I want to bring this game back to my campus!

If you’d like to learn a little more about me and my path as an improviser, check out this lovely article from a Winter Park Margarine here, and you can order my new book, The Improv Dictionary here.

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

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Musical Word”

I formulated this warm-up for my university musical improv class (although I imagine others have created a similar device before me). Musical Word serves as a joyful and quick all-play that gets everyone into the collective groove.

The Basics

Players begin in a circle. (Surprise!) One participant offers up a favorite (ideally multisyllabic) word. Players deconstruct the word in the following rounds taught by the group facilitator or coach.

Round one

The player who offered the word, perhaps “syncopation,” begins by naturally repeating the word in a set cadence that their teammates echo and emulate. While everyone should strive to establish a clear and predictable rhythm, when the word is first spoken, it’s important that improvisers just allow the intrinsic musicality of the word to emerge without imposing creative embellishments.

Led by the initial volunteer, the ensemble intones “syncopation” together until they have found a common sound and rhythm.

Round two

On the leader’s signal, players now begin to slowly break the word into its constituent sounds and elements (while maintaining the original cadence and tempo as the unifying force). Although sounds should be drawn from the given word, players can play with unique rhythms, combinations, and melodies. Throughout, participants should keep an eye (or ear) on the whole and seek to work with (rather than despite) the choices of their fellow jammers.

Player A explores sustaining a snake-like “ssss” hiss underneath the chanting group. Player B offers an almost beat box series of percussive “p” hits, while C starts to sing the word in its entirety but with a soaring melody in half-time, all while others in the circle begin to add their own unique finesses.

Round three

Players are now encouraged to wander through the space at will, jamming with classmates as they come into contact. Improvisers needn’t settle into one choice and should continue to explore the different potentials of the word. However, it’s still important for each singer to maintain an awareness of the greater soundscape and their individual place within it.

Players break the circle and continue to challenge themselves as they connect with different singers and fragments of the chosen word.

Round four

Once again, the leader provides a signal – this time for participants to re-form the original circle and return to their starting positions. As the circle coalesces, so too does the word until everyone is speaking in unison again. When the ensemble feels done, everyone stops speaking, and the warm-up is over.

The circle is re-established, and the players recite “syncopation” several more times until the group falls silent.

The Focus

Pushing the boundaries of your individual and collective musicality.

Traps and Tips

1.) Play with the sounds. Look for hidden possibilities in the inspiring word and its constituent elements (in addition to using the more obvious syllables, consonants, and vowels). Elongate short vowels, contract long ones; explore how the different consonants feel when you separate them from the base word.

2.) Play with the rhythms. Set the different elements of the word to varied tempos and rhythms. It’s helpful to make sure the initial cadence serves as a unifying foundation so that the exploration doesn’t devolve into true chaos; however, don’t shy away from bravely introducing novel patterns. If your choice proves wildly incompatible, you can always return to the original word to reset your bearings.

3.) Play with your voice. Similarly, sing out fully. Try contrasting melodies and harmonies that use different parts of your voice – your chest voice, head voice, falsetto, mix… As no one is really listening exclusively to one specific singer, it’s a great chance to just try things that you might be reluctant to try as a soloist in front of an audience. Expect that there will be a little joyful failure and cacophony and embrace that reality.

4.) Play with your teammates. Finally, don’t be afraid to be a musical thief. Boldly mirror and morph the sounds and melodies and dynamics that are being offered by your teammates. The spirit of improv, after all, constantly reminds us that the most creative choice comes from the intersection of our own instincts with those of our collaborators. Just make sure that you’re offering up as much as you’re borrowing so that others can also steal from you!

In Performance

Once your group understands the various rounds, this is a great and efficient way to get folks vocally warmed up (while also offering a chance to gradually learn everyone’s favorite words)!

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

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Musical Eye Contact”

There are few guaranteed hits in improv, but this rather intoxicatingly silly game might come awfully close to claiming that title!

The Basics

Players explore a typical scenic premise utilizing traditional dialogue and staging, with the one notable exception that characters cannot make even brief eye contact with each other. Upon the technical improviser’s whim (or perhaps in response to a pre-established signal, such as a bell, from a caller or director), a music track plays during which players must now unflinchingly hold eye contact with each other until the soundtrack ends with similar abruptness. Typically, dialogue halts during these interludes and is replaced instead with intense stares and rich subtext.

Example

Two nervous-looking characters on a first date awkwardly shuffle the food around their respective plates, unable to look at each other all the while.

Player A: (apologetically) “I’m sorry. I know I haven’t been very good company.”

Player B: (agreeing, though kindly) “You seemed so… excited… when you asked me out at the photocopier. I’ve been waiting a long time for you to do that.”

Player A pauses playing with their cooling food, but still can’t find the courage to look up.

Player A: “You have?”

Player B: “I’m surprised you’re so surprised. Have I done something – said something – wrong?”

Player A: “No, on the contrary…”

The technical improviser introduces a lush soundtrack, cuing the two characters to lock eyes. The energy flows and builds between them as the music swells only to equally as swiftly stop which has the couple nervously returning to their meals.

Player B: (shaken, but pleasantly so) “Then I’m not imagining things…”

Player A: (anxiously clinking their fork on their plate) “I’ve thought about this moment for so long, and all the things I wanted to share and say…”

Player C, an inattentive waiter, enters without looking at either customer.

Player C: “Would either of you like to hear our dessert specials…?”

The technical improviser prepares to reintroduce the music…

The Focus

Play each moment, earn the musical connections, and mine the harsh transitions for subtextual and story discoveries.

Traps and Tips

1.) Seek contrast. I’ve erred on the side of an initial relationship with deep unspoken subtext for my example, and this tends to help the launch. That being said, the music typically pushes players towards romance (at least in my experience), so it can be nice to start a little further away from that energy, at least initially. Subsequently, there’s some wisdom in starting away from deep passions (while retaining strong foundational specifics) just to maximize the shifts in tone when the music starts and stops. Furthermore, the more grounded and real you are to start, the more fun it is for the audience when the silliness takes hold.

2.) Seek sharpness. There can be a tendency to ease into the transitions so that they feel a little more organic. While I’d usually consider such an instinct toward subtlety admirable, this game benefits from sharper shifts. Snap into holding eye contact when the music plays and then justify the rationale for the choice, allowing the music to inform this discovery as well. Similarly, be sure to break the connection the second the music stops. These crisp transitions provide much of the joy (and humor) of the scene.

3.) Seek pacing. It’s good form to start the scene with just a pair of characters as this allows you to model the central conceit while also establishing the initial relationship. While adding characters – such as the waiter above – certainly offers up fun new potentials, new entrances invariably add to the delightful chaos too when characters try to maintain strong eye contact with more than one scene partner. Don’t rush to a full stage of players as once that madness takes hold, there’s no easy going back!

4.) Seek a library. This is one of those frames that even if you have a gifted musician in your company, you’ll probably be better served by music coming from the booth as there’s something bracing about that wall of highly produced sound suddenly filling the performance space. In Gorilla Theatre, it became a norm for us to use the same song for the duration of the scene (“Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls here was a favorite). With my campus troupe, we have a collection of different songs and moods on hand and will usually switch between different choices. Both approaches work well – you’ll just want to make sure you’ve given some thought to how you can easily access your soundtracks in the heat of the improvisatory moment.

In Performance

My professional improv home is fortunate enough to have a robust stable of musicians, and so most shows include a sampling of musical improv games. If we’re down our musical director for the night (or if you play in a venue without such a collaborator), Musical Eye Contact is a great option for adding in a little music-adjacent scene work (assuming you have an adept sound technician and system at your disposal)!

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

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Move Like Me Tag”

This is a simple but fun variation on the classic tag game probably best suited to groups without mobility concerns.

The Basics

One player is “in” and must tag any other player in the space to become freed of their charge. Whatever movement quality this player assumes (tempo, height, energy…), all the escaping players must mirror and adopt. When the hunting player proves successful, the newly tagged classmate introduces a new movement that now becomes the norm.

Example

Player A moves through the space on super slow motion, prompting everyone else to do the same until they finally tag Player B.

Player B introduces a new quality of moving on bulletin tippy-toes and eventually captures the similarly moving Player C.

Player C lunges deeply and rhythmically with each new step while shaking their hands above their head…

The Focus

Exploring a wide range of different movement qualities to the best of your ability.

Traps and Tips

1.) Play to include. Most groups will include members who hold an expertise in some particular movement tradition (break dancing, martial arts, gymnastics…); it’s a bit of a spoiler to introduce a new way of moving (head spinning, barrel kicking, side splitting…) that no one other than the initiator can safely accomplish. (The prime rule of performance that everyone must remain physically safe needs to remain front of mind). The name of the game is Move Like Me Tag; implicit in this title is the invitation for others to join you joyfully in reach new piece of choreography. So, with that in mind…

2.) Play to (gently) challenge. Part of the greater goal of the game is to expand everybody’s movement vocabulary. Therefore, if every new choice is tepid or pedestrian, participants will leave the exercise no better than they found it. While balancing the above guideline, by all means, utilize training that is unique to you – just do so knowingly and proportionally. Offer up that more rudimentary dance step, martial arts quality, or gymnastic attitude. And if you’ve shot too high, feel free to simplify the idea until you feel your classmates are enjoying themselves. It can be helpful to…

3.) Play with essences… rather than attempt specific, complex maneuvers. If you’re familiar with the Laban lexicon, these types of qualities can provide promising starting points – dab, flick, glide… With younger groups, the facilitator could even announce each new inspiration and have the chaser model precisely how the group will apply it. (This type of sidecoaching could also assist more experienced groups if they’re falling into a rut of predictable patterns and styles.) Finally….

4.) Play to lose. When the desire to win supersedes the desire to explore, the game will suffer. If every chaser introduces an energy solely designed to improve their chances of “success,” or everybody avoids being tagged at all costs (thereby leaving the same one movement in play for an inordinate amount of time), or each new choice is needlessly perfunctory and anemic, then you won’t unlock much of lasting value. Instead, foster a delight in losing and assuming the lead. In fact, I’d say the game isn’t really complete until everyone has had an opportunity to introduce their movement into the mix so everyone really should lose at one point or another!

In Performance

Be wary of truly running speeds (even if you’re in a field or similarly expansive environment) as this might lead to a more aggressive style of tags that could increase the likelihood of rough play. It’s also generally helpful to have a “butcher” (is that a kiwi phrase?) or “no tag backs” rule just to keep the full ensemble involved.

Keep apprised of my ever-expanding collection of games, exercises, and warm-ups here.

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

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Most Uses of an Object”

I’ve been using this improv standard as a warm-up for as long as I can remember. If you plan to play this often, you’ll want to amass a nice supply of suitably random objects (or perhaps not – see my note below).

The Basics

Players form a semicircle at the back of the stage or performance area. After a brief explanation of the game for the audience, the host or facilitator presents a suitable object, often with an introductory phrase along the lines of, “This is not a [insert object name here],” that the ensemble repeats before the emcee announces, “Show me what it is!” Random players then step forward and endow the proffered object in new and creative ways through brief vignettes, stepping back into the semicircle after each endowment. The facilitator might rotate through several objects in such a fashion.

Example

The host holds up a hula hoop and places it in the center of the stage so that it is easily accessed by the waiting improvisers.

Host: “This is not a hula hoop!”

Ensemble: “That is not a hula hoop!”

Host: (stepping out of the playing field) “Show me what it is…”

Player A steps forward, holding the hoop as if it was a detective’s magnifying glass.

Player A: “It would seem the thief’s muddy footprints lead toward the bookcase…”

The host blows their whistle (or similar) to punctuate the successful (or otherwise) communication of the idea, and Player A returns the object to the ground, which is quickly procured by another company member, B, who takes a knee and holds it up to an imaginary scene partner…

Player B: “You’ll marry me?! I never dreamed of finding love with a giant…”

The host blows their whistle again, and a new player steps forward…

The Focus

Bravery, clarity, and creativity, in equal measure.

Traps and Tips

1.) Attack. The game loses most of its entertainment value if players meander on and off the stage. As much as your mobility will allow, race into the arena with your idea, no matter how unformed it might currently be. Even a rather innocuous choice can become riveting when delivered with confidence and charm. If the ensemble as a whole is becoming sluggish, that’s a good moment to change up the object or push towards a button.

2.) Support. Don’t retreat so far into your head that you’re not giving your energy and love to others in the space. Savor your teammates’ struggles and successes. If you happen to reach for the object at the same time as a fellow improviser, figure out how to use it together. If someone needs a second body to complete their idea and signals you to enter, rush in joyfully. If the game or tempo starts to lag, bravely offer up that less-than-stellar idea so that the ensemble maintains momentum and has an extra few seconds to construct the next “better” idea.

3.) Plant. Each endowment will generally be a quick hit but give choices sufficient space to land and build. While I advocate speedy transitions so that the warmup doesn’t plod, don’t become overly rushed with the endowments themselves. Think of each creative use of the object as a scene in its own right, albeit a rather brief and pithy one. It’s much less fun to see a player half-heartedly hold the hula hoop above their head and blandly announce, “It’s a hat,” than watch a playfully constructed character find a reason for wearing such an oddity.

4.) Connect. When each justification becomes a mini scene, the likelihood for joyous connections and callbacks increases exponentially. Does one player find increasingly elaborate excuses for using every object as some kind of hat or accessory? Do we see the proposing player’s relationship with their fiancé giant evolve (or devolve?) with each subsequent round? Be careful of over-relying on this device, as it can decrease the delightful randomness at the heart of the game, but well-timed echoes can provide nice energy bumps and often serve as a helpful out for the exercise as a whole.

In Performance

I use this game often with my campus troupe, Rollins Improv Players, as our short-form shows need to fit into a 50-minute class period, and this warmup provides a fast and generally energy-boosting all-play. During the challenging years of COVID, we played the game with imaginary props to reduce unnecessary contact. I found that adjustment surprisingly effective. It also reduced the chances of objects being damaged or rolling into the audience, which was an added bonus!

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
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© 2024 David Charles/ImprovDr

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Madrigal”

This is a rare musical game that doesn’t require a musician (although it does require good musicianship on the part of the improvising singers).

The Basics

Players (usually a team of four) form a very proper cluster, often facing a conducting fellow player or host. To a steady rhythm, each player takes turns singing (and repeating) a brief lyrical line. After a new offering has been established, the contributing player pulls back vocally so that each new addition has some space to be heard. After several “rounds,” the conductor (or the players) elect a particularly memorable line to serve as the climax, and their voices join to repeat it with added flare and gusto (and likely a full voiced fermata)!

Version one

Each singer obtains their own disparate phrase from the audience, such as a tabloid headline, song title, actor and their most famous movie, and a bumper sticker or product slogan. Round one consists of each player establishing (and repeating) their given line in a consistent but musically and rhythmically dynamic way. Once each offer has been heard, future rounds consist of players gently mixing and matching their base line with those of their teammates with increasingly absurd and humorous results. To facilitate fun wordsmithing, it’s helpful to make sure you have some good nouns and verbs in your initial pool of offers.

Example

Player A: (singing legato and over two full measures) “Big Foot attacks family of four…”

Player B: (after A is established and has set a steady rhythm, and in a quicker, deeper voice) “Don’t stop believing…”

Player C: (as the first two singers softly continue, and in a note staccato and rhythmically complex manner) “Tom Hanks in Castaway…”

Player D: (singing over the first three with sustained, soaring notes in half time) “You deserve a break today…”

The conductor continues to help keep the rhythm and now designates Player A again, who offers the first mashup while retaining the essence of their original melody…

Player A: “Big Foot attacks Tom Hanks’ family…”

Player B: (when signaled by the conductor) “Don’t stop believing in Big Foot…”

Player C: (on cue) “Stop Tom Hanks…”

Player D: “You deserve a family of four…”

The madrigal continues…

Version two

A platitude or similar serves as the madrigal’s launching point. Player A establishes the musicality and tempo with the line as given. Each subsequent player moves the story along “one small step” while their teammates continue to sing their prior offerings. When the story reaches a satisfying conclusion (often, but not always, an inversion of the original idea), players all sing this lyric in unison as aided by a conductor.

Example

Player A: (singing legato and over two full measures) “The grass is always greener…”

Player B: (after A is established and has set a steady rhythm, and in a quicker, deeper voice) “So much wasted water…”

Player C: (as the first two singers softly continue, and in a note staccato and rhythmically complex manner) “My neighbor is watering on non-watering days…”

Player D: (singing over the first three with sustained, soaring notes in half time) “Time to end this madness…”

The conductor continues to help keep the rhythm and now designates Player A again, who continues the story while retaining the essence of their original melody…

Player A: “Sneaking into their yard at night…”

Player B: (when signaled by the conductor) “Taking out my hammer…”

Player C: (on cue) “Smashing all their sprinkler heads…”

Player D: “Is that the neighbors’ security light…?”

The madrigal continues…

The Focus

Both versions offer some potential for storytelling, though the second iteration clearly provides a more linear approach. Lean into the formality of the event and style as it creates a great comedic juxtaposition with the generally banal content. Listening for both story and musicality cues is paramount.

Traps and Tips

1.) Pointers for both versions. Lean into the “seriousness” of the musical event, assuming a formal stance and cluster – a slightly curbed semicircle tends to help so singers can see each other and the conductor of you elect to use one (which I’d recommend unless everyone has a strong sense of musicality and can therefore essentially conduct themselves). The more you can retain a formal composite, the more delightfully ridiculous the irreverent content becomes. Regardless of whether or not you decide to utilize a conductor, it’s shrewd to place a strong singer in the first position as Player A as they’re responsible for setting the tone, style, and steady rhythm. Subsequent players should aim to lock into this first musical phrase predictably, perhaps singing in double or half time comparatively (so if Player A takes two measures to complete their lyrical line, Player B might take four or one measure instead). It also helps if at least initially singers fill the same number of measures when it’s their turn regardless of how many repeated refrains that might take. Finding how the voices can “dance” in and around each other is a major stylistic feature of the game.

2.) Pointers for version one. Once each improviser has established their lyrical and musical line, strive to maintain these essences throughout (unless a prior clunky choice demands a little creative adjusting in real time). As you enter the second round where the game becomes stealing words from each other, endeavor to keep your melody similar to your first attempt so that the greater collaborative sound remains vibrant. It’s good form not to rush into combining all four suggestions as something of this ilk tends to serve as the song’s climax. In early rounds, consider keeping the bulk of your sentence (and/or syntax). This has the added value of keeping most of your original words in the mix that your fellow players will be simultaneously looking to steal and sing. To this end, it can also be kind to return to your base lyric when you’ve had your moment in the spotlight. While it’s okay to incorporate a few insignificant words (articles and conjunctions, for example), the stated contract is that the four random lines will provide the lyrics so it’s a bit of a jarring cheat to suddenly add a string of completely unrelated words.

3.) Pointers for version two. You’ll want to follow the conventional wisdoms above in terms of tempos and musicality, maximizing how each voice embellished the greater sound of the madrigal. Content, however, is now considerably looser, and players aren’t limited to a small lexicon of words. Instead, singers should offer up small and interconnected steps for a larger story. Assuming one character or clear point of view can help a lot – in the example above, the singers are aligned with the irritated neighbor who has lawn envy. While it’s certainly possible to have everyone adopt a different character (in a Perspectives manner), this approach can unhelpfully encourage disconnected thoughts and moves and so much of the fun (and challenge) comes from gently unpacking the inherent potential of the inspiring truism.

In Performance

Even in adroit hands (and voices), this tends to be a quicker offering in a performance lineup. While your musician can take this game off (if you’re fortunate enough to play with one), they can add to the final climactic ending. With more novice singers, they could also offer the sparsest of accompaniments in order to establish and maintain a workable rhythmic template. Again, neither of these embellishments is necessary; but it is a shame to let a good musician go to waste if they’re available!

New to ImprovDr.com or the Game Library? You can find the ever-expanding collection of games, exercises, and warm-ups here.

Game Library Expansion Pack I

Game Library: “Machines”

This is a rather silly and fast warm-up that gets players all working together to create the inner workings of a Machine with their bodies and voices.

The Basics

The boat elicits an appropriate machine. Players step forward one at a time and enter the playing field, providing various “cogs” in the machine by providing repetitive motions and sounds. The process continues until everyone has joined the process and the machine can be viewed (and heard) in all its unlikely glory.

Example

Players explore crafting a “car.” As the lights rise, Player A steps into the middle of the playing field and moves each arm up and down in a piston-like motion while emitting a steaming sound. Once this has been established for a few seconds, Player B joins the image by making a spitting motion with their hands while providing a similar sound as if they were some form of a fuel injection system. Player C enters…

The Focus

I tend to think of this as a complementary action offensive where players each quickly add some “missing ingredient” into the picture. (Parallels can certainly have a place too – if one player provides the left front wheel of the car, it’s a nice finesse for another to provide the right front wheel…) The joy of the game directly corresponds with the level of player attack and commitment.

Traps and Tips

1.) Pace your entrances. It’s easy for the game to drag if entrances feel sluggish or reluctant. While it’s helpful to give the first player or two an opportunity to establish some basic geography and staging, each subsequent entrance should generally come a little quicker than its predecessor. Avoid multiple additions occurring all at the same time, as the audience (and fellow players) will want to see and appreciate each component, but you also don’t want glacial pauses that give the audience little to watch other than a line of anxious improvisers in their heads. Well-paced entrances will also hopefully facilitate more balanced staging and levels.

2.) Establish then retreat. Especially if you’re playing this with a more sizeable group, you’ll want to hit the stage with a strong action and accompanying noise so that the audience knows where to look next. Once you’re in the mix, however, it’s considerate to pull back your sound a little (in particular) so that later additions have some physical and acoustic room of their own to shine. It’s a shame for the arc of the warm-up for the last players to immediately get lost in the shuffle, or for more self-conscious participants to wimp and offer the most meager of sounds in the hopes of not being noticed.

3.) Find the music. Rhythm is your friend, and when players start to view the machine as a musical opportunity, the warm-up tends to blossom. Consider which metaphoric instrument in the orchestra you might provide as the contraption takes shape. When the final machine includes pounding percussion, screeching strings, soaring winds, and resonate brass instruments, the final result can be rather impressive in spite of the seemingly simple conceit. If you’re personally a little rhythmically challenged, it can be an act of ensemble love to defer to others to at least get the machine cranking before making your entrance.

4.) Take it home. If the ensemble is attentive and aggressive, the machine can assemble quite quickly. A playfully attacked construction can be quite successful in its own right, but there are also some inherited conventions that can help secure a strong button. While I’m not a big fan of using language in the machine in general (as players can tend to cop out and just passively say a word rather than really commit to a sound) a final entrance as the character “using” the machine often plays well and, in this situation, they might utter a brief phrase (and repeat it in the established cadence). If you are playing with an emcee or caller at your disposal, they can also offer an adjustment to help facilitate the climax such as “the car is running out of petrol,” or “the car is falling in love…”

In Performance

Machines offers a nice quick warm-up that can easily accommodate a larger cast. In addition to using mechanical objects as your inspiration (it’s difficult to see the inner workings of a stationary prop like a pencil or brick!) I’ve also had some success creating machines that explore an emotion or state of being. In this situation, each addition embodies a more metaphoric idea, so if you’re making a scene that explores “love,” perhaps a player might enter and sigh as they hug and release the air.

Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: Scott Cook
© 2022 David Charles/ImprovDr

Connected Concept: Story Series for Improv I

Game Library: “Lounge Lizards”

Lounge Lizards offers a challenging musical decider for all your short-form needs.

The Basics

Players sing excerpts of well-known songs that feature the specific word on which their opponent ended the prior song lyric. If the new singer is unable to provide a sung solution to the riddle in a set time (usually a five-second countdown facilitated by the host or emcee), or the crowd judged that they have “cheated” by inventing a song or smudging the pertinent lyric, they are disqualified by an audience-provided buzzer sound or similar. Each start (or re-start) is usually initiated from a new song suggestion from the audience. The elimination continues until only one player (or team) remains.

Version one

Players perform in two opposing teams, often behind two mic stands on either side of the stage. Each new lyric challenge can be met by any player in the opposite camp who quickly steps up to their microphone to sing their lyrical offering before the countdown expires. This format tends to last longer – possibly problematically so – as there are more players actively in play at any given moment.

Version two

Here, players form one straight line on the lip of the stage. If opposing teams are in the mix, members should elect to stand beside their competition (rather than teammates) whenever possible. Play passes sequentially down the line (stage right to stage left and then back around) with only the next player facing the challenge of conjuring an appropriate song.

Example

Player A gets “Love Me Do” to start the game as their fellow improvisers form a line beside them (as in version two above).

Player A: “Love, love me do. You know I love you.” (They repeat “you,” so the next player knows the relevant offer.)

Caller: “You. Five, four, three, two…”

Player B: (interrupting the countdown to start singing) “You are so beautiful to me, can’t you see.” (They repeat “see” for the audience and next singer.)

Caller: “See. Five, four, three…”

Player C: (interrupting the countdown to start singing) “Oh say can you see, by the dawn’s early light.” (They repeat “light” for clarity.)

Caller: “Light. Five, four, three, two, one…”

Player D: (hurriedly, unconvincingly, out of tune and off tempo) “And you, you light up my life…”

The audience makes a buzzer sound, and D is eliminated... The next player gets a new suggestion, and the game restarts.

The Focus

As a decider, the game is largely about attack, playfulness, and building rapport with your audience.

Traps and Tips

1.) Play generously. Especially as the game begins, offer your teammates workable words to riff on. Player C, for example, could have pitched “dawn’s” as a guaranteed stumper but give the audience a taste of success before raising the heat. Deciders can tend to fall flat if there’s no momentum or initial display of finesse. Sure, if you’re four minutes into the game, stumpers are likely needed, but don’t let the desire to “win” to undermine the display of improvisational play and fun.

2.) Play by the rules. You’ll want to set clear expectations and infractions up front, such as that players don’t need to start each subsequent lyric with the proffered word. Some rules will undoubtedly be discovered in the flow of performance: one audience might enjoy Player C using a homonym of “sea” when they start singing the alphabet song, while another will buzz it out immediately. Either is fine, particularly when led by the audience (perhaps with a little cajoling from the caller). Generally, avoid using the same song twice or passing on the same word just for the sake of variety.

3.) Play around the rules. This exercise falls under the “parlor game” category of show elements. As such, it can grow stale quickly if players are bland, inept, or only playing the dynamic on a surface level – dare I say, just trying to win but little else. Few of us would want to watch others play a Monopoly game for any length of time, and so we shouldn’t inflict that on an audience either! A little mischievousness, charm, and personality will go a long way to adding to the event and introducing the players’ quirks to the crowd. Perhaps all of A’s songs are Beetles hits, or B always includes crisp choreography, or C is the least able singer of the cast but always sings out the loudest… Don’t let the decider be just a parlor game. With that in mind…

4.) Play to lose. I prefer the second version as it tends to force outs when only one player is in the hotseat at a time, but in either iteration, it’s a rare feat for the crowd to be enjoying the game as much in minute eight as they were in minute two. Sneaking the occasional made-up song past the audience is delightful, but there may come a time when players (or the caller) need to give permission or encourage eliminations just to keep things moving. As always, modeling happy losing is a great way of demonstrating the spirit of improv, too.

In Performance

This can be a little rough to sit through if you’re playing in an ensemble without any able singers – even if the players themselves like the challenge – so schedule this warmup in your lineups accordingly. And if you’re the host or caller, keep it moving!

Game Library Expansion Pack I