Temple of Doom Description 5 people stand at the side of the stage. There is no dialogue in this exercise, but you can make sounds. The first person goes into the Temple of Doom and is killed by some kind of trap. Get them to use their best object work to help us be clear[…]
Description Improvisers play 3 or more scenes with the same setting as a suggestion for each. Each scene is different with different characters and different use of the suggestion. Example Suggestion: Beach. Scene 1: Two people put sun tan cream on each other and relax in the sun. Scene 2: An older couple look out[…]
This exercise is from Rich Talarico. 4-5 improvisers discuss the offstage character of Mr/Ms/Chef/Coach So and So before Mr So and So enters and embodies what they have been saying about them. You can play this like a wacky short form game, but – ideally – play it in a realistic way. Perhaps everyone is[…]
I’m Watching You, Watching Me This is an adapted Meisner exercise from Rachel Blackman. Sit opposite a partner on chairs, knees close or touching. Don’t break eye-contact and repeat the phrase “I’m watching you, watching me” back and forth. It’s okay to laugh. Hopefully this will get you to notice a lot of small gestures[…]
Have everyone place a chair somewhere in the room; all facing in different directions and evenly spaced out. One person gets out of their chair and starts from the other end of the room. They must sit in the one empty chair, but they can only move with their knees locked together which slows them[…]
It’s Tuesday This is a fantastic exercise! Two improvisers in a scene. The first improviser deliberately says a boring opening line without any major emotional commitment. The second improviser reacts and responds to make that opening line matter. They both then react and respond to that and play the scene that results. The opening line[…]
Conflict/Agreement Scenes A scenic exercises on finding agreement and relationship in a scene instead of conflict. Avoiding conflict isn’t a rule, but it is something that can often help shows so it’s a useful skill to have – being able to take a conflict scene and find agreement and relationship. In the exercise the teacher[…]
Rewind and Unblock This is a helpful exercise for teachers wanting to side coach scenes when improvisers aren’t yet used to that, as it gives a context where the helpful nudge from the teacher isn’t unexpected and doesn’t feel like a criticism (which it’s not). The exercise can then be used to help improvisers to[…]
Shared Activity A nice way to start a two person scene. Both improvisers start the scene at exactly the same time on stage and find a shared physical activity that they can be doing together. They then play the scene but don’t talk about the activity too much, and use the dialogue to explore something[…]
Who What Where Now Improvising scenes with a focus on defining the following things pretty early on in the scene: Who: Who the characters are and what relationship they have to each other. What: What they are doing, what’s happening, what the scene is about. Where: The location of the scene. Be specific. Now: Making[…]
Peas in a Pod Two players start a scene where they immediately mirror each others body language and copy each others sounds, gestures and mannerisms. It will create two characters that are very similar to each other, like they are best friends and have known each other for a long time. You can also play[…]
Three in a Circle / I’ll Keep Description Player 1 jumps into the middle of the circle and becomes an object/thing/character and says what they are. Player 2 then jumps in and then says and becomes something that compliments the offer of Player 1, with some specifics thrown in too. Player 3 then jumps in[…]