PugetSoundComedy.com Improv Jam Cheat Sheet!

o Line Freeze (Ding) - H Good to Open and/or Close show to finish off all of Audience Line Suggestions in a big effort at end MC has audience fill out Post It Notes (1 Line per Post It) with lines from movie/their favorite lines/lines audience members would like to say to friends or coworkers, etc. MC collects lines from audience and distributes to players or sticks on whiteboard (who don't look and keep in pocket, etc.). 2 PLayers take stage and 1 player starts scene by reading a line. Audience or Player yells out Freeze. Players freeze. Player that read line is replaced. Player remaining reads line to start new scene, continue... o Worlds Worst - H MC asks for all Players to line up on stage. MC asks audience for a topic/object/famous person/etc. Players take turns stepping out of line and give a quick one liner to describe the worlds worst <audience suggestion>. Example Topic: Worlds Worst Grammar School Teacher. One Liner: OK Class, Id like everyone to pick up a pair of scissors and lets play Kickball! o First Line, Last Line - H MC gets 2 or more players on stage. Can ask for first line and last line for scene or can take from Line/Freeze Post Its. Players start with first line for scene and end scene with last line. o What are you doing (with letter restriction) - H Competitive Start with player vs. player example & then Players vs. Audience o Freeze Tag (Blind or Regular) - H 2 players take stage. They move random till someone Claps & yells Freeze, then start scene. Continue till someone Claps & Yells Freeze. That person taps out a player in scene and continues a new scene from the exact same physical position of tapped out player. Continue. o Pillars - M 2/more Players on stage and 2 Audience members off stage. Players point to Audience members at anytime for a Word of dialog for the scene. o Questions (with/without 'letter' restriction) (MCs: Sam*,Zot) Competitive (player example) & then Players vs. Audience o Sitting, Standing, Leaning 3 players take stage. MC gets an ask for for the scene. Players play scene and at all times one and only one must be sitting, Standing or Leaning. Players need to justify their changes. o Dubbing (MCs: Sam,Zot,Chris,Christian*, Monica) We'll do regular dubbing where 2/more players on stage and 2 players on Mics(or just offstage) provide dubbing. We'll also do Audience members providing dubbing. o Props - H MC Divides players into 2 teams. MC gives each team a prop or multiple props. Each team takes turn with their players taking stage for one liner on prop/s o Big Conflict/Little Conflict - H MC gets 2 or more players on stage. Gets ask for for the scene. MC asks for a big conflict between the players. MC asks for a little conflict between the players. Players play the scene and NEVER mention or refer to the big conflict, only reference/mention the little conflict. o Three Headed Spelling Robot - M We'll ask for made up words as well as Acronyms and Words from the Audience's Team that they use a lot and would like to get defined. o Conducted Story M (MC will introduce folks & MC this one) Kick off show and/or End Show Starting show with this! All Players on stage. One player is the conductor/MC. Explains to audience: when a player messes up, hesitates, makes no sense, doesn't start, etc., we kick them off stage with clap clap 'You're outta Here!'. Conductor points at player and they talk until conductor points at another player. o Alphabet Scene with Random Player - M rd Very fun, 2 players have to play alphabet. 3 player can randomly choose a line with any letter in alphabet. Other 2 players have to continue alphabet scene where random player interjected. o Radio Station - M 3 or more players take stage. MC allows each player to pick a genre for their station. MC gets an ask for for a topic to start. MC directs through the radio station channels of each player. o Do Over (Ding) - M MC gets 2 or more players on stage. Gets ask for for the scene. MC or MC hands over power to audience member, hells out Ding or Uses Bell/Horn to signify to players that last line is a Do Over. Players keep picking new choices when this happens. o Death in 60 seconds - M MC asks for 2 players to take stage. MC asks for setup for scene. 2 players play out the scene and make every attempt to setup the other player to murder them (i.e. player 1 is trying to make player 2 murder player 1 and player 2 is trying to make player 1 murder player 2). By the end of the scene, one player should be dead o SpaceJump - M MC asks for 4 players. Explains theyre about do 7 quick scenes. Player 1 starts with audience suggestion. MC yells spacejump, player 2 joins and

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creates a totally new scene. MC yells spacejump and player 3 joins, creates totally new scene. MC yells spacejump and player 4 joins scene. MC yells space jump and player 4 leaves scene, players 3/2/1 play same scene with different time frame. MC yells spacjump and player 3 leaves scene, players 2/1 play same scene with different time frame. MC yells spacejump and player 1 plays his same scene with a different time frame. Serious Scene/Soap Opera Scene - freeze MC asks for 2 players to take stage. MC gets setup for scene. MC explains that this is a serious or soap opera scene. The object of scene is for 2 players to be as serious and committed to their characters as possible. Audience or other players yell freeze when either: Players make audience laugh, players make each other laugh, or either player laughs. Whichever player made someone laugh or laughed is removed and new player takes place and continues same serious scene. Actors Worst Nightmare (with/without Alphabet) 2/more Players on stage. 1 Player has to get all lines randomly from a book, magazine, manual, script, etc.. We'll go from some documentation from team or book. With Alphabet: Players play alphabet scene. Every time the Reading player interjects a Random line, the other players have to continue Alphabet. Once Upon a Time PopUp Story v.2 3/more players on stage. One player gets an ask for and starts to tell a story with "Once Upon a time". After each sentence they say: "Let's see what this would like when we pull the Pop-Up Strip?" The players on stage would setup and bring to live the story sentence continue with story: "And every day"; "Until one day" Popup; "Because of This" Popup; Becaue of That" Popup; "Until Finally"Popup; "And Ever Since That Day"Popup Repeat!!! Sound FX 2/more Players on Stage, 2 Audience members provide Sound FX. Players can speak. Reminder to Players Make big actions for people to have something to make Sound FX for. Remember to try and Whistle!!! DVD Controls Scene (FF, RW, Pause, Play, Next Chapter, etc.) Scene is controlled by audience member that calls out DVD controls Dreaded Drycleaners Bag (Hold Breath for Safetly and you can pretend :- ). 3/more players. 2/more players on stage. 1 player off stage visually rd holding breath. 1 player has to make a 'justified' exit before 3 layer can enter (and Breath :- ). Rinse & repeat Once Upon a Time v.1 3/more players in line or circle can be mix of players and audience members. One player starts sentence for ANY story with "Once Upon a time". Next players continue starting sentences with: "And every day"; "Until one day"; "Because of This"; Becaue of That"; "Until Finally"; "And Ever Since That Day" Repeat!!! Yes, And Workshop Teaser 3/more players in line or circle can be mix of players and audience members. One player starts with sentence for ANY story. Next player says "Yes, And" Continues to add another sentence to the story. Continues till player that started adds a "Yes, And " sentence. Then next player starts a new story Repeat!!! Thats Not What I heard 3/more players in line or circle can be mix of players and audience members. One player starts with sentence for ANY statement about You know what I heard? I heard. Next player says "Thats Not What I heard, I heard" Continues to build/twist on previous players statement. Continues till original player. Then next player starts a new You know what I heard? I heard !!! Acronym Scene 2 or more players take stage. They perform a scene & when one player yells out acronym (or Pillars to Audience Member for Acronym), the other player defines acronym in scene and continues Super Heros 1 Player takes stage. MC gets a problem that the super heros must solve. MC gets an endowment for the first super hero on stage. 2 or more players are waiting offstage to join super hero. As each player joins stage, previous super hero endows them with their super hero status/powers and they must justify/yes and with it. Scene ends when all players are on stage and solve the problem. Day in the Life MC asks for an audience member thats had an interesting day in last week. Brings audience member on stage and interviews and puts key points on Whitboard/Flip Chart. 2 or more players take stage and act out the day. The audience member has a bell/horn to direct the players. Horn = Bad Choice, re do. The Bell = Good Choice, continue. Questions for interview: Whats your job? Hobby? Any interesting friends/colleagues? Where do you live? With Who? What interesting thing/s happened on this day?

Warmups: Yes, And- create new product, hot potatoe circle style. Take any statement hot potatoe style. You/Pattern Intros HandsUp,Point/Name, Fav Food, Fav Movie, etc.(Point, Look, name, etc.) Can

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Sample Ask Fors: Question asked of the audience to get some input to steer a scene.:
Can I have a non-geographical location? Please give me an occupation, a hobby? Can I have a room in a building? Can I have a title for a book/a song? Please give me an emotion? A genre of film/literature/theatre/song? A relationship between 2 people? An item you would find in the kitchen/garage/attic? A problem that needs to be solved? An important moment in history? An era? A year? A mode of transportation? A foreign country? An animal?

If you want to be a little more original try things like:

What did you want to be when you grew up? What is this? (open your hands or arms as if you hold something) Give me a place where you have been lost Why was my spouse limping this morning? Give me a place you would not want to be alone at night What would be a nasty/annoying habit? Give me a place where you would likely meet unusual people? What would you never want to hear from your 4 year old daughter? Can I have a state of mind? What was the best birthday present you ever got? If I kissed you now how would that feel? What are the things your spouse does to drive you crazy? Can I have a non-green vegetable? What is a tradition in your family? What is the opposite of green (or any other color)? Give me something you would want but would never buy yourself Can you give me an annoying personal habit? What would the eleventh commandment be? Can I have an excuse for not having sex? Where would you (never) want to go on vacation? What would be a poor choice of venue for a first date? Can I have a problem that a repairman can fix? What would be your grandfathers hobby? Give me an occupation what involves (no) risk of physical harm? What do you have in your basement/attic/boot of your car? What would be a lousy excuse for not getting a speeding ticket? A dog is to a cat like a walrus is to a BLANK. A poor choice for collateral. Can I get a crucial moment in history? Can I get a location that fits on the stage? Can I get a non-geographical location? Can I get a polysyllabic noun that starts with the letter D (F, G, etc)? Can I have a relationship between two people? Fill in the blank. The -blank- holiday. Fill in the blanks. For every -blank- there are seven -blanks-. How do we know God is a woman? I'm sorry but the dog ate my BLANK. If god were an atheist what would god have called religion? If Mac's were actually decent computers what would they be called? If money could buy you love, how much would it take? If there was no fire what would you use to keep warm? If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be? If you could defy any natural law, what would it be? If you could go on holiday in any year in history, when would it be? If you could invent a new human organ what would it be? If you could replace your boss with an animal, what animal would it be? If you could replace your spleen with something, what would it be? If you could work at a Federal Penitentary what job would you choose? May I get a backyard activity? May I get an occupation that involves no risk of physical injury? My post-it notes don't work, they are covered in -blank-. Name a new type of PhD. Please describe your favourite physical exertion that is mimed. Please fill in the blank. The -blank- family. Please name a bad none clothing replacement for pants. Tell me what was your favourite toy as a child? Tell us the meanest thing a co-worker did to your cubicle. They're not really fighting over oil, they are fighting over BLANK ? Those are not tears of sadness they are tears of BLANK. We know the seven habits of highly effective people, what is the ninth? What am I holding in my hands (hold up hands)? What animal does your spouse remind you of? What are you planning to do on your next day off? What best describes the human mating ritual? What did you want to be when you grew up?

What does it take to wake you up in the morning? What food type should have a seven day waiting period? What is a lame excuse for NOT being given a speeding ticket? What is a room in the house? What is an annoying personal habit? What is the best thing to have in your pants? What is the integral of 3Xcubed? What is the name of an unlikely superhero? What is the opposite of the colour (blue)? What is the thirteenth commandment? What is the worst excuse you have heard for missing work (school, church)? What is your favourite cereal topping? What is your favourite fruit (vegetable, meat etc.)? What is your uncle's favourite hobby? What profession should not (should) play with silly putty? What should Microsoft's next "killer app" be? What vegetable should a computer be named after? Whats your favorite Candy Bar? Where is a bad place to take a date? Which human virtue would you like to be able to control? Why are you limping this morning?

Quick Improv Guidelines/Rules/Mantras/Etc :- ) Yes, AND: try to always accept the offer by other players and build on it. This goes for verbal as well as physical offers. Try not to deny the physical reality that your fellow players have setup
Try to make statements: Youll often hear this as No Questions!. So, if youre thinking of a question, do a quick edit in your head and make it a statement or assumption to further the scene. Questions can slow down the scene by putting your fellow players on the line to invent to come up with answers to the questions. So, when you think about it, you probably had some intention or direction in pushing the scene with your question so, go ahead and drive it. The flip side to this is when someone asks you a question, consider it their gift to you they just turned over the control of the scene to you :- ) you can take it anywhere you want and dont have to necessarily take it where you think they wanted ;).

Listen, Give and Take:

Make verbal and physical offers to build the scene. At all times, even when youre inventing, be recepting by watching and listening to your fellow players for offers theyve made so that you can Yes, AND with them. Be watching and listening for the natural moments in the Now that your fellow players give (Exs: They may not be aware of it, but they just made a funny face call them on it and build the scene with it. They dont seem to be sincerely angry at you in the scene and youd really expect they would be call them on it and build the scene with this real moment!)

Work at the top of your intelligence: Be real people in your scenes reacting to incredible circumstances, setups, reality, craziness, etc. All Rules can be broken: Any and all rules can and will be broken. We can live with it and it can turn out to make some awesome scenes!

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