“My students are very vague when it comes to object and environment work. How do I get them to make more specific choices?” This is a common problem when teaching beginning improv. The above video is a great game to play to address this issue. Here’s how it works: Improv Game: Creating Obstacles 1. Remind students [...]
“My students get stuck fixating on one thing in a scene and the scene doesn’t go anywhere…help!” This a common problem when working with beginners in improv. Remind your students that all good stories have a conflict and that the conflict often gets worse and worse before the climax. Play the following game to get [...]
Type: Creativity Purpose: An active way to allow students to explore a range of emotions. Procedure: 1. Create a cross in the center of the playing area. This can be done with jump ropes, chairs, chalk, etc. The goal is to make it clear there are four distinct quadrants that the students will pass through as they walk around [...]
Type: Creativity, Improv Purpose: A useful game that will help students explore objective and tactics. Most appropriate for slightly older students. Prep: Write a list of feelings up on the board (provided at the bottom of this post) Procedure: 1. Divide the students into pairs (preferably random pairs.) 2. Tell the students that you will give them [...]
Type: Ensemble Building Purpose: Participants share truths about themselves in order to find commonalities amongst the group. This game is suggested for slightly older actors. Materials Needed: Painter’s Tape or Post-It Notes Procedure: 1. Give each student a small piece of painter’s tape or a post-it note. To start, each person must stand at a [...]
Purpose: A fun, quick game to help learn the names of everyone in the class. Procedure: 1. Have the students stand in a single line. 2. The 1st student in line (i.e. Marc) turns to the 2nd student in line (i.e. Rachel) and initiates the following script (taken from the name of the game, Me You You [...]
Type: Warm-Up Purpose: This game fits in a category that I call minimalism :) Extremely simple, yet effective at focusing a class and having a bit of fun in the beginning of a session. Procedure: 1. Have the class stand in a circle. 2. Tell them (with a wink) you are about to introduce to them a [...]
Type: Warm-Up, Focus Purpose: A simple game that requires focus and teamwork. Procedure: 1. Have the class stand in a circle. 2. Count off around the circle “1, 2, 3”. (“1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, etc.”) 3. Do it again, but this time all the 1’s will be replaced by a snap of the fingers. (“snap, [...]
Type: Creativity, Improv Purpose: This fast-paced improv game helps students quickly be able to justify their actions in the middle of an improv. This game is best for slightly older students with some improv experience. Procedure: 1. Have the class stand in a circle. 2. Go around the circle having each student count off as “A” [...]
Type: Ensemble Building Purpose: A fun getting-to-know-you game for the beginning of a new semester…that involves making paper airplanes! Procedure: 1. Gather the class into a sitting circle. 2. Pass out a piece of paper to each student and a writing utensil. 3. On the piece of paper they must write their name, and two places they would [...]
