Basic Improv Games & Excercizes

These Improv games and exercises can be used with any group, any age, any setting. If the participants must be seated, i.e. if they are aged, have disabilities, etc., then read the directions to see if that game is adaptable or not. For example, in #1 Warm-up below, players can still connect while seated with their neighbors.

Warm-ups

1. Connect - Have players walk around and gently connect body parts (politically correct of course!), such as toes, elbows, fingers, hands, shoulders, hips, knees, heads, etc.
2. Stretch - Lead players in several light stretching exercises (here's where you can form a circle together) to flex the body, such as wiggling hands, arms, fingers, feet, head movements, hand circles, feet movements, facial scrunches, etc. End with a cleansing deep breath.
3. Name intro - Each player introduces himself/herself by stating name, adjective describing self that begins with same first letter, and doing any spontaneous action.
4. Getting silly - Player A faces player B and creates a silly face/action/sound; player B watches and mimics back to player A, then turns to player C and creates brand new silly, etc. Goal - loosen up, become childlike again!
5. Transform the object - Have a common object (kitchen or office objects are good) and one player begins by transforming object into anything else; no wrong answers; then player passes object to anyone else in circle, but not the adjacent player. Goal - trust your instincts; take object even w/o an idea and trust you will create one.
6. Group story - One player begins a group story ("Once upon a time etc.); other players keep adding elements. Good -actions. Not so good - dialogue. Use your imagination freely. Go around the circle in order or have players contribute randomly. Develops storytelling skills(obviously).
7. Nonsense word - Player A creates a nonsense word ("gibberish"); Player B (adjacent) defines it. Player B creates new nonsense word, and Player C defines, etc. Goal - practice in gibberish, an important element in Improv.

Improv Games

1. People Machine - Player starts by creating a spontaneous action and sound; keeps repeating it. In a few seconds new player comes in and creates new action and sound which fits in with first player's movements - after all, this is a machine, the parts must work together - up to 5 or 6 players. Director can then change speeds, have players spin around, jump, etc. Collapse. Audience interprets - what kind of machine was it?
   
   Alternate version - decide initially what kind of machine you will create. So, you can create a computer, a candy machine, a robot, etc; weather patterns are good too, i.e. tornado machine, sleet machine, etc.
2. Poetry translation - 2 players; Get a title of a brand new poem from audience. Player A recites 1 or 2 gibberish lines at a time; Player B translates. Twist - ask for country of origin of poet, then poet does gibberish in accent of that country (German gibberish, Irish, etc….funny!)
3. Interview - Player A is a TV News broadcaster who interviews player B. B is either a witness to some newsworthy event, or B is a unique personality who will inform "viewers" why s/he should be famous, i.e. invention, discovery, accomplishment, etc. Goal - character development.
4. Foreign movie - 4 players. One player asks for suggestion of a brand new movie title, and a country of origin. 2 players will be actors, speaking in gibberish w/ accent from the named country; 2 players will translate into English. Translators can watch actors, or not (often funnier). Actors must be very physical, lots of movements. Actors must permit translators to work before responding.
5. Director - 3 players, 1 director. Director asks for suggestion of title of brand new movie. Each player says a line, very emotion-less, just a line reading; one player has 2 lines. For "Take One", director asks for emotions, and actors say same lines w/ stated emotions - w/ great intensity/exaggeration. For "Take 2", director asks for accent, and each actor says line w/ the emotion and accent; "Take 3", director asks for an action for each player, and they will perform using all 3 suggestions, until it's the "final cut".
6. Commercial - Have bag full of props/objects. 2 players come up, reach in bag and randomly pull one out. They are then on a TV infomercial, becoming the ultimate salespeople for this product - which is whatever they want it to be (see Transform the Object, above). Do one ad for one product, or do a brief ad for one product, then pull out another object and do another ad!
7. Late - 2 players. They are late for class, b/c on the way an "amazing, incredible, unbelievable" adventure happened, and they will relate to you. (work together - they were both caught up in the same adventure)
8. 3 headed expert - 3 players, arms around each other, form one 3 headed expert. 4th player needed to be host. Host asks for a topic, and introduces the expert, then asks for questions. The expert speaks one word at a time, responding briefly to each question, using correct grammar, syntax, etc. Only use first person ("I") b/c you are one expert w/ 3 heads. Keep responses brief.
9. Conducted piece - 4 or 5 players standing next to each other, plus one conductor. Choices - Symphony of sounds; Symphony of emotions; or Symphony of Gripes. In each case, conductor asks for suggestions from audience. Conductor then conducts as one would a symphony, playing the orchestra in various combinations, starting individually. Orchestra players must watch conductor at all times.
10. Association contest - All players and host. 2 players begin; host suggests a topic, i.e. "Asian countries". 2 players must alternately say words that match that category. No delays, must be instant. Loser in each round is out; winners remain to eventually face each other.
11. Freeze tag - All players. 2 begin a scene in any suggested location. They must be very physical/lots of movement. After a couple of lines, another player yells "Freeze" and quickly jumps in, tags out a player, resumes his/her position, and begins brand new scene in different location/context; keep going in this manner. Key is speed; don't let players speak more than 2 or 3 lines each time, and being physical.
12. Art Gallery - 5 or 6 players, one of whom is gallery guide. Ask for name of gallery. Players get into unusual, unique physical poses while guide is turning away. When ready, guide turns around and describes each piece by name, type or genre of art, period, style, etc. Players may form art individually or in combinations.
13. One Word Story - very challenging. All players; form circle, and proceed around circle creating a story using only one word at a time! Again, proper grammar, syntax, etc. are needed. Key is listening. Keep it simple. Keep trying, you'll get it!
14. Superhero - Up to 5 players; ask for a new problem the world is facing (accept the unusual, i.e. all the milk is turning sour, or all erasers have stopped erasing, rather than the more realistic problems, like "need world peace".)