"Do we have to stick the sequence in Hey Everybody games?" students ask. No. Of course not. Play organically. Follow the game where it goes. Don't ever feel constrained by the pattern. But. There's power in the pattern. Watch the following Hey Everybody game from a Johnsons' show. It ain't pretty, but it's illustrative. Watch […]
Players build a pattern by heightening the initiating sequence of perspectives through a new lens. [wpvideo 6PFRmbbR] From my 2014 District Improv Festival "Boldly Go, Boldly Follow" workshop featuring Coonoor Behal, Pete Bergen, Jamie Bingner, Christine Crocker, John Heiser, Scott Holden, Jeff Hughes, J.J. Jackson, Patricia Kostiuk, Scott Kostiuk, Colleen McKenna, Ellen Reiterman, Sara Rouhi […]
A two person scene grows into a Two Person group game: Archaeologist and Bones. The evolving yet consistent sequence of contributions gives it a Hey Everybody flavor. [wpvideo 3oJIBQgO] From my 2014 District Improv Festival "Boldly Go, Boldly Follow" workshop featuring Coonoor Behal, Pete Bergen, Jamie Bingner, Christine Crocker, John Heiser, Scott Holden, Jeff Hughes, […]
OFFER, SET, CEMENT: THAT'S GAME! Some definitions: Pattern - a sequence that can be repeated / a structure that can be reused Game – a sequence of actions, related by rules of cause-and-effect, that heightens with repetition A rocketship, A thumb and An aardvark. That's a fine pattern. A rocketship, A thumb and An aardvark. […]
HEY EVERYBODY! START SOMETHING! “Hey Everybody” initiations can lead to some pretty stilted scenes wherein the initiator forces the role of facilitator. If you’ve seen improvisational performance, you’ve seen these scenes. “Ladies and gentlemen, [important person] is ready for your questions.” “I gathered you all here today because...” “Class! Class, pay attention (to me).” Players […]
To be most effective our patterns must heighten, either in a concentrated progression or through pure repetition. In building a progression, we focus on the relationship of Offer, Set and Cement moves to define how we heighten as a group. The Offer is anything, an initiation. From the Offer's single point in space on a blank […]
Hey Everybody Games: The potential for trouble in a “Hey Everybody, get out here” initiation is high. Players may rush out on stage to support the initiation with disparate reactions that then battle for dominance; chaos ensues and awkwardness follows. Or, though players may rush out on stage to support the initiation, they await to […]