Scenes that bring you joy

This is a fantastic exercise for bringing together a new group and helping each other get to know each other through scenes. It is also excellent at encouraging trust, support and teamwork in a group. This game also helps people to learn how to bring their scene partner joy on stage and to make each other look good.

  1. Around 5 people up, stood in a line along the back of the stage.
  2. They take it in turns to step forward and say their name and a short true story about something that brings them joy in life.
  3. Each person in line tells a story. Everyone tries to remember everyone else’s stories.
  4. Once everyone has been they do a variety of two person scenes, with the person starting the scene setting up the thing that will bring the other person joy.
  5. Once each person has experienced a scene based on something that brings them joy the exercise ends and the next group is up.

The teacher or director should side-coach to make sure people are genuinely trying to give each other a good time on stage.

Example

Steve: Hi my name is Steve. One thing that brings me joy is not thinking their is a Muller Rice in the fridge only to later to open the fridge and then discover there was one more Muller Rice after all!

[4 more stories along the line]

[A flurry of scenes based on the stories]

[New scene. Angela steps forwards and signals to Steve to join her on stage].

Angela: Wow, here we are stuck at sea on a life raft.

Steve: Yes, it’s been 4 weeks now.

Angela: We are short on supplies.

Steve: Yes we are.

Angela: Hang on, did you check the mini fridge underneath the tarpaulin?

Steve: No not yet.

Angela: Have a look.

[Steve has a look]

Steve: Oh my fucking god there’s A MULLER RICE! THERE’S A MULLER RICE ANGELA! RIGHT THERE!!!

Teaching Purpose

  • Scenes.
  • Getting to know each other.
  • Trust.
  • Making each other look good.
  • Bringing joy to your scene partner.
  • Teamwork and support.
  • Whatever your background and whatever you love about life you can bring it to improv.

Origin

We originally learnt this from Shem Pennant, a fantastic UK improviser who brought it back from New York.

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