Like the 5 Things warm-up? You'll love this one. Or so you will if you're like I was when exposed to this warm-up tonight by Matt Newman. Looking for a nice in-your-head out-of-your-head patterns-on-patterns warm-up?
Like the 5 Things warm-up? You'll love this one. Or so you will if you're like I was when exposed to this warm-up tonight by Matt Newman. Looking for a nice in-your-head out-of-your-head patterns-on-patterns warm-up?
Whatever we have to say on an improv stage can be spun into gold with enthusiastic agreement. So we shouldn't feel like we have to deliver some killer creative line to start a scene. We should remember, in fact, that what we bring authenticity - what we care about - however mundane - is rich […]
Aaron Grant once took the stage across from me, making eye contact but planting his feet firmly just beyond the stage right wing. I mirrored him on stage left. He mimed the classic flirtatious fishing move. I played his fish but broke his line bashfully, the stage's distance remaining between us. I danced as someone […]
Getting synced with your teammates is why we warm up. Give this activity a try! Everyone in a circle. One by one, in no particular order, we enter the circle. "Tonight I'm..." First we share our current mindset with the group. For example, "Tonight I'm feeling tired. I stayed up too late and woke up […]
Everyone in a circle. Starting Player starts with a Self Contained Emotional Statement through the filter of being a "crazy" character-type (a pirate, a monster, a nun.. see nonMECE list HERE.). For example, (proudly) "The full moon's rising and with it my transformation." The Player to their right interacts through the lens of a "normal" […]
"World Building" is a noble pursuit in long form improvisation. It can focus our creativity to try to link our scenes to a single location, time or conceit. The Chicago-based People of Earth, for example, placed all of their scenes on the same train. Horse Apples set an entire long-form in a future where everyone […]
It's all about the Set move. Remember: Anything's an Offer. A group of improvisers gather pre-show. They take off excess clothes. They empty their pockets. They ask about each other's day. One guy tells a story about an out-of-the-blue run-in with an old friend that happened that day. Another improviser tells her own story about […]
Looking for a fun improv warm-up with some character-building tools?
As a warm-up exercise or a short-form performance game, Four Corners is a fun way to explore two person scenes and subsequent beats. Check out this wonderful example from The Coalition Theater's class showcase. I am particularly fond of the players' choice to enthusiastically agree and trust in the power of emotion alone when met […]
"Welcome to Crappy Car Mountain." "The mountain's top is held on with duct tape." "Cellophane bushes rustle in the wind." "This one side is a different color than all the rest of it." Looking for a fun warm-up to get your ensemble playfully building a world together? Here's one!