I’ve described The Lost Comedies of William Shakespeare and several of my other research-infused long-form works as homages rather than parodies as my intent is to base them on a rich and loving understanding of the source material. This is not to say that the result on any given night or performance might not be markedly irreverent or giddily playful, but the intent is to base this abandon in an understanding of the period, style, and tropes of the source material. Each subsequent iteration of The Lost Comedies has endeavored to take this up a notch, examining existing characters, tensions, a ..read more

This is another one of those framing devices that is more of a loose conceit or challenge rather than a nuanced structure. Regardless, it’s a nice way to shake up the action and inspire outside-of-the-box characterizations. The Basics The basics are rather basic indeed: players create a scene in which they cannot embody human characters. That’s it! Example Players explore “kitchen” as their offer. The scene opens on two improvisers sitting on a counter. Player A: (as a toaster) “I’m getting worried, Shannon. They’ve not used me for months. I think I’m getting rusty…” Player A tries to shuffle ..read more

Here’s another tricky but satisfying quick hit short-form format that encourages players to think (and justify) outside the box. The Basics Players obtain a news headline and then improvise a scene that could result in that news story. The game usually culminates with a newsies-style barker announcing the chosen headline while waving an imaginary newspaper. I tend to play this as a concise one-minute game as that increases the challenge, but the story could certainly be given more room to breathe, too. Example The headline, “Bush seeks middle ground on global warming,” inspires the play. As th ..read more

I first learned this game as 60, 30, 15, 7, but that title now feels a little clumsy (and might unhelpfully telescope the final payoff), so now it’s Half Lifefor me! The Basics A one-minute scene is crafted based on an audience suggestion (something that will tend to nudge the players into physical action and activity is the norm). Once completed, the host or caller instructs the team to repeat the same scene in just half the original time – so, in thirty seconds if the first scene hit the target. (Some hosts strictly time the scene and divide that number in half, hence the greater flexibility ..read more

Characters move seamlessly (theoretically) from their own language into gibberish and back again at the whim of a caller in this short-form stumper! The Basics A scene is played using the local native tongue. When an offstage bell is rung, the current speaker must immediately continue speaking their dialogue in gibberish. The scene continues until the bell strikes again, and players revert immediately into their own language, whether they were mid-sentence, mid-word, or possibly mid-consonant blend! Several switches occur at increasingly swift and inconvenient intervals. Example Two roommates ..read more

This game involves a small but noteworthy change to its source of inspiration, Commercial, which is worth a quick review if you’re less familiar with its construction. The Basics Players create a slice-of-life commercial for a given (often ridiculous) product. All the dialogue occurs in Gibberish, as if you were watching the ad on a television in a foreign hotel. Example Players are challenged to create a commercial for a pair of scissors that can cut tension. Players A and B begin moodily washing dishes at the family sink. Player A: (slightly irritated) “Paf neely cha canoozi flin takana nee ..read more

Full Deck ranks highly among my favorite status games. You’ll want to invest in an oversized pack of playing cards (like these) if you’re performing in a larger space as a lot of the fun comes from the audience being able to see the shuffled cards along with the players. The Basics Before the scene, a deck of cards is shuffled and distributed equally between the players. (A team of four works well, with each actor getting approximately a quarter of the pack). Players hold their cards so that they can’t see the revealed card but so that other players (and the audience) can. During the scene, ch ..read more

It takes an agile mind (and body) to make it gracefully through this scenic gauntlet, but the audience will likely applaud your efforts regardless of the outcome if you keep your spirits and attack high. The Basics A caller deploys an imaginary remote that has the power to change the direction of the scene from forward to reverse and back again (as well as perhaps any other functions you might apply to your television set). Players must create and then recreate their scenic content accordingly, closely following the caller’s instructions. Example Player A begins the scene by pushing a lawnmowe ..read more

This is a fun language/narrative game that will add a nice departure from scenic work that tends to dominate most short-form playlists. The Basics One player, A, serves as the host of a poetry evening (perhaps with finger clicking and a smoky persona). They introduce a visiting poet, Player B, who will perform their original poem (with an audience inspired title) in its original language (Gibberish). After each line or two of verse, Player A translates the content into the local tongue (in my case, English). The give and take between the poet and host continues until the poem reaches its culmi ..read more

The Game Library includes several Freeze Tag variants – Blind Freeze Tag, Conducted Freeze Tag, Environmental Freeze Tag – but it seemed odd not to include the original version as well, so here it is in all its glory! This is the base model, if you will. Key advice also applies to the variants listed above, so forgive the repetition if you end up reading these back-to-back… The Basics Players (six to eight works well) form a line, usually at the rear of the stage or wherever your particular sightlines make practical. Two improvisers volunteer to begin a scene downstage based on an audience pro ..read more