Exercises

60 Seconds of Silence

Description

• Two improvisers take the stage.
• A suggestion is given.
• They strike a pose then hold it and wait.
• After 60 seconds the teacher calls start and the scene begins.

Purpose

• In the beginning you'll be thinking of many different ideas and dropping them, thinking about the other person, and shifting your posture slightly.
• As you near the 60 second mark that panic will settle and you'll have nothing but a general idea of the dynamic between you and your partner.
• By the time the scene starts you should be ready to listen intently to your scene partner.

Sources

• How to be the Greatest Improviser on Earth by Will Hines - p. 22

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Ad Game

Description

• An ensemble member comes up with an unusual product by taking an ordinary item and giving it an unusual trait
• A car that changes color based on it's surroundings.
• A refrigerator that is also a radio.
• The ensemble works together to create an advertising campaign for an unusual product.
• They will come up with a name, slogan, target demographic, celebrity spokesperson, jingle, etc...
• All the elements of the product should complement each other.
• No matter the idea, the entire group must support and yes and it.

Example

• Improviser 1: "We could call it The Chameleon!"
• Improviser 2: "Yeah! We could have Meryl Streep as the spokesperson. She could talk about how she disappears into her roles like this car disappears into it's surroundings."
• Improviser 3: "Yeah! She could start off the commercial as Julia Child and then finish as Margaret Thatcher."
• Improviser 4: "We could sell it to criminals! If they're being chased by the police, they can blend into their surroundings to hide."
• Improviser 3: "We could take helicopter footage of a police chase and suddenly, the car disappears, blending into the highway!"
• Improviser 2: "When you don't want to be seen, this is your machine."
• Improviser 4: "Great slogan! *Starts to sing* This car's named after a lizard that can hide, buy this car and camouflage your ride!"

Purpose

Used as an exercise, the ensemble will...

• Practice performing verbal all-at-once group games.
• Strengthen their ability to listen, yes and, and utilize give and take.

Sources

• The Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improv Manual (second edition) by Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh - p. 302

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Alien Tiger Cow

Instructions

• The group forms a circle.
• On the count of three all players strike a pose and make a noise as an alien, a tiger, or a cow.
• Alien: Hold your two index fingers up to your head like antennae and say "Bleep blorp!"
• Tiger: Throw your hands out like your clawing and roar.
• Cow: Hold your hands up to you stomach with your fingers sticking out like udders and say "Mooo!"
• Then repeat!
• You can play with the intention of everyone trying to land on the same pose or eliminate the minority group each time until there is only one or two players left.

Purpose

• This is a fun easy way to warm up. Great for children or beginners.

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Alphabet Game

Description

• Two improvisers take the stage and a basic suggestion is given.
• They perform a scene where each sentence must begin with a word that starts with the next consecutive letter of the alphabet.
• They can go from A to Z and end the scene there or restart at A and continue until a more traditional edit is made.

Example

• Suggestion: Car alarm
• Improviser 1: Alright can you turn that off?
• Improviser 2: Boy it sure is loud! What did you say?
• Improviser 1: Can you turn off the alarm please?
• Improviser 2: Didn't hear you. The alarm is too loud.
• Improviser 1: Enough! Please turn it off.
• Improviser 2: Friend! I can't understand you!
• etc...

Purpose

• This excercise privides a fun challenge for improvisers and forces them to listen and think quickly.

Variations

• You could play with more than two players.
• You could have the audience choose the starting letter.
• You could play it as an elimination game where people get out if they mess up or take too long to respond.

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Bad Rap

Description

• Players stand in a circle and snap, clap, or pat a rhythm.
• Everyone chants together in rhythm: bad rap _ bad rap _ bad rap bad rap _ bad rap _ bad rap.
• The first player raps a line, establishing the rhyming word.
• Everyone chants together between each line.
• The next player raps a line setting up an obvious rhyme for the last word of the previous line but then chooses a non rhyming word to end the line.
• The next player in the circle uses the last word of the previous line to set up an obvious rhyme but then again doesn't go for it.
• Continue the pattern as long as your group likes!

Example

• Group: bad rap _ bad rap _ bad rap bad rap _ bad rap _ bad rap
• Player 1: I sure would like to eat a snack!
• Player 2: (thinking of the rhyme pack) I always stick together with my wolf crew!
• Group: bad rap _ bad rap _ bad rap bad rap _ bad rap _ bad rap
• Player 3: (thinking of the rhyme dew) I love the grass in the morning covered in wet!
• Group: bad rap _ bad rap _ bad rap bad rap _ bad rap _ bad rap
• Player 4: (thinking of the rhyme debt) I have bag credit because I'm in finance bad!
• Group: bad rap _ bad rap _ bad rap bad rap _ bad rap _ bad rap
• etc...

Variations

• Have the next person finish your line with the non-rhyming word.
• Example:
• Group: bad rap _ bad rap _ bad rap bad rap _ bad rap _ bad rap
• Player 1: I sure would like to eat a snack!
• Group: bad rap _ bad rap _ bad rap bad rap _ bad rap _ bad rap
• Player 2: (thinking of the rhyme pack) I always stick together with my wolf...
• Player 3: crew!
• Group: bad rap _ bad rap _ bad rap bad rap _ bad rap _ bad rap

Tips

• Try to set up the next person with an easy word to rhyme. Single syllable words are usually safe.
• As soon as you hear the person before you's end word, think of a rhyme, then build up to it and pick a different word at the last second.
• Synonyms are usually the way to ge, but a curveball can be fun too.

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Big Booty

Description

• Players form a circle and designate someone to start as Big Booty.
• The rest of the players starting to the left of big booty will be assigned a number, starting at one and counting up.
• To start the game the players will all start patting, snapping, or clapping a moderate rhythm.
• All together everyone chats "Awwww snap! Big Booty Big Booty Big Booty!"
• Big Booty will start by saying "Big Booty number #" in rhythm, filling in the # with one of the players numbers.
• That number player will respond with their own number and then another number with the format "number #(their number) number #(a new number)".
• They can also send it back to big booty like this: "number #(their number) Big Booty".
• If a player messes up by saying their own number, not realizing they've been called, or taking too long everyone chants says together: "awww snap!" then they go to the end of the line and everyone who was after them moves down a number.

Example

• Everyone: Aww snap! Big Booty Big Booty Big Booty!
• Big Booty: Big Booty Number 3
• Player 3: Number 3 number 8
• Player 8: Number 8 number 5
• Player 5: Number 5 Big Booty
• Big Booty: Big Booty number 2
• Player 2: Number 2 Number 7
• Player 7 is blindsided: Uhh uhhh uhh
• Everyone: Awww snapp
• Player 7 goes to the end(the right of big booty) and everyone from number 8 and higher moves down a number.
• Rinse and repeat!

Purpose

• This game makes a great warm-up, or ice-breaker.
• Players of this game need to be in the moment and listening, ready to react and respond when called up.

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Chameleon

Description

• Several improvisers form a back line.
• One improviser steps forward, they will be the chameleon.
• One at a time improviser step off the back line to initiate a short scene with the chameleon.
• They should enter with a strong character choice.
• The chameleon has to match their character choice and the two do a peas in a pod scene.
• After a few short scenes, a new improviser from the back line becomes the chameleon.

Sources

• The Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improv Manual (second edition) by Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh - p. 178

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Character Panel

Description

• Three improvisers take a seat or stand on stage.
• A host welcomes the crowd to this special event where we have a panel of experts and gets a suggestion for the topic on which they are experts.
• Optionally the host can give the improvisers a chance to introduce themselves as their characters
• The host fields questions from the audience and lets the characters go down the line and answer them.
• The host can make some observations or inferences about the characters in between their answers and questions but shouldn't take up too much time talking themself.

Purpose

• Improvisers are able to make up a character and explore their perspective without worrying about other elements of scene work.
• Improviers will have to listen to their scene partners and make decisions that are distinct from them.

Tips

• Answers to questions should last too long, this isn't a monologue.
• Improvisers need to make sure their characters are very distinct from each other and have unique perspectives on the topic.
• Commit fully to their characters or this game will get boring real quick.
• The host should moderate the amount of questions based on how long they take to get through each character, usually 2-4 questions is best.
• Let a different character answer first in each round of questions.

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Character Matching

Description

• Improvisers form a circle.
• One improviser will cross the circle to approach another improviser and initiate a 3-4 line scene with them.
• The initiating improviser will make a strong character choice, embracing the physicality, characteristics, and voice of that character as they approach and initiate.
• The improviser who was approached will take on the same physicality, characteristics, and voice as the approaching improviser and respond to their initiation.
• They should take on the same characteristics even if the approaching improviser makes it clear in their initiating line that they are not the same type of character(see example below).
• After 3-4 lines total the inititating improviser will take the place of the other improviser, who will now approach someone else in the circle as a new character and initate a new 3-4 lines scene.
• Go until everyone has had a turn to both initiate and respond to an initiation.

Example

• Different declared characters but matching anyway
• Improviser 1: *approaching hunched over, walking with a cane, speaking with an eldery voice* "When I was your age little timmy, baseballs only costs a nickle!"
• Improviser 2: *taking on the same elderly physicality and voice* "Well gee wilikers Mr. Griffordson I can't get a toothpick for that price these days."
• Improviser 1: "That's because the commies!"
• Both characters match the character and perspective
• Improviser 1: *approaching as a twitchy little gremlin* "Ehhhh! Grimble, I'm hungry for human flesh!"
• Improviser 2: *taking on the same physicality* "Yes! I want a skin muffin and a venti blood frappe!"
• Improviser 1: "Ooooh splurging today!!!"

Purpose

• You get to play a variety of characters in a short amount of time.
• You get to practice changing yourself based on someone else's actions/initation.

Sources

• How to be the Greatest Improviser on Earth by Will Hines - p. 41

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Day in the Life

Instructions

• An audience volunteer is selected to tell the story of their day, or alternatively you could ask for a specific type of story.
• Best day of your life
• For a theme show: your craziest New Years Eve story
• The interviewer or backline should feel free to ask clarifying questions or to ask for more details if the story teller is a little more timid.
• After the interview, the ensemble will perform this persons day.
• The goal is not to recreate the story as is, the goal is to use the characters, ideas, situations, and general structure from the story to create a fun scene.

Purpose

• The interview section will force improvisers to listen intently.
• This is a good exercise to teach the basics of premise based long form, like listening for specifcs in an opening and bringing them into a scene.

Tips

• Members from the backline should feel free to become inanimate objects in sections of the scene where there are no secondary characters present.
• Don't be overly indulgent in the interview section, we don't want to alienate the audience member by constantly interupting them for jokes. The improvisers can be funny during the scene.
• It will also make the whole setup and scene take a really long time.

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Justification Realtor

Description

• One player starts a scene as a realtor preparing an open house.
• Shortly after a few guests(usually 2-3) knock on the door and are welcomed to view the house.
• The realtor shows the guests around and one by one the guests ask questions about the absurdities of the house.
• These questions involve a bit of scene painting of absurd things we don't already know about the house.
• It is the realtors job to logically justify these absurd features of the house.

Example

• Guest: Excuse me, could you tell me a bit about this rusty blood stained trap door here in the floor?
• Realtor: Ah certainly! One of this home's primary security features. There is a ferocious blood thirsty beast underneath that door. If ever you're in danger from a home intruder, you need only pull that lever.

Purpose

• This exercise allows improvisers to practice:
• playing a grounded character
• scene painting
• coming up with inconsequential absurd ideas
• justifying

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Mind Meld

Description

• Players form a circle.
• Players think of a random word and raise their hand.
• The first two players to do so will count down from three and say their word at the same time.
• Everyone now tries to think of a word the connects the two previous words.
• You can't repeat a word that's already been used in a round.
• The first two to think of a connecting word raise their hand then count down from three and say their words at the same time.
• The goal is for the two players to say the same word at the same time and the round ends when that happens.

Example

• Two players: 3... 2... 1...
• Any player: Car! (at the same time) Any other player: Peanut!
• A leading player, teacher, or anyone can repeat the two words for anyone who didn't catch them.
• Leader: Car and Peanut!
• Two players: 3... 2... 1...
• Any player: Shell! (at the same time) Any other player: Inside!
• Leader: Shell and Inside!
• Two players: 3... 2... 1...
• Any player: Clam! (at the same time) Any other player: Crab!
• Leader: Clam and Crab!
• Two players: 3... 2... 1...
• Any player: Seafood! (at the same time) Any other player: Seafood!
• Celebrate accordingly as decided by your group!

Purpose

• Played with speed this can be a good get out of your head game.
• This game helps establish a group mind, helping improvisers see how each other thinks and makes connections.

Tips

• Play with energy.
• Try and keep the speed up between guesses.
• Don't be precious trying to think of the perfect connection, just go for it.

Variations

• You can play it around the circle rather than by raising your hand to volunteer.
• You can play speed mode where you don't take any time between guessers and imediate start counting down from three after each set of guesses.
• You playing in pairs or a larger group.

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Talk About Something Else

Description

• One improviser initiates a scene with some sort of phyical activity.
• The activity should be something that can be continued throughout the scene like washing dishes, folding laundry, decorating for a party, etc...
• A second improviser should join the scene and the activity.
• They must then perform the scene without speaking about the activity at hand.

Purpose

• Usually you don't talk about doing dishes while you're doing dishes, or most other mundane activities.
• It's more realistic this way.
• This exercise will also help you build your environment and keep the scene dynamic without getting stuck talking about something uninteresting.

Sources

• The Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improv Manual (second edition) by Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh - p. 36

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Typewriter

Description

• One player is the narrator of the story and sits or stands on stage miming like they are writing a story on a typewriter.
• The narrator speaks aloud what he is "writing".
• Improvisers will enter the scene to play the characters the narrator mentions and begin playing the scene normally.
• The narrator can give and take focus at any time.

Example

• Narrator: The mystery of the missing moose. Chapter one, the forest sleeps. A cool chill hung in the early morning air as Park Ranger Mitchel and his young apprentice Carl began their morning forest inspection hike.
• Two improvisers step out miming preparing for their walk.
• Carl: It's freezing out here Mr. Mitchel. Maybe we go back and sit around the fire until it warms up a bit.
• Ranger Mitchel: I'm sure everything's fine Carl. But it's our responsibility to make sure all the forest creatures are safe from anyone who would do them harm.
• Narrator: But everything wasn't fine in the forest that day, and it wouldn't be long before the ranger noticed something out of the ordinary.
• Ranger Mitchel: Oh my god. Freeze boy.
• Carl: Why? What is it Mr. Mitchel?
• Ranger Mitchel: You see that? It's a moose egg. Not usualy for them to be left alone like that. Momma's gotta be nearby.
• Narrator: A large, brown, and furry egg lay nestled in a bed of pine needles surrounded by trees in every direction. A trail of crimson staining the forest floor lay before them leading into the thickest brush of the woods.
• Carl: Wait... Mr. Mitchel. Is that blood?

Tips

• Be sure improvisers are using give and take to share the spotlight. The bulk of the responsibility shouldn't fall on the narrator or the actors.
• The narrator can take advantage of the format by establishing tone and using scene painting.
• Yes and the narrators decisions including the physical reality of the space.
• The narrator can always jump forward in time, to a new location or rip up a page and start over. They don't have to write the story in sequential order.
• Focus on telling a good story rather than doing bits. Bits can have their place though.

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