Improv Game: Verbal vs. Nonverbal Cues

In improvisation, one of the first rules that drama students are commonly taught is to always say, “Yes, and…” to continue the story. Basically, agree with presented concepts to keep the scene moving forward. If Partner A says, “Wow it’s so hot today!” and Partner B says, “What are you talking about, it’s freezing!” Partner B is stopping the scene from moving forward. But what if the suggestion that one of the scene partners presents makes the other partner uncomfortable? Teachers can try to circumvent awkward or uncomfortable improvised scenes by using prompts to direct the focus of the scene, but you never know where a student will take a scene or what they’ll bring up in the moment. We also can’t know what might be upsetting for a student until it occurs. Once students have learned the basics of improvisation, including “Yes, and…” introduce “No, but…” as an option to take the improvised story in a different direction. This provides a way for students to reframe an uncomfortable situation. Students are still responsible for participating in the scene, adding information, and not derailing the plot (for example, if your partner says something like, “Wow it’s so hot,” then that’s a given for the scene). But they can pivot and adjust where the scene is going. If Partner A says, “Hi Donna!” and Partner B says, “Guess what, I changed my name last week, you can call me Dean,” Partner B is saying No, but also adding information. Having the ability to say “No, but…” is an important aspect of consent within the drama classroom. If students cannot say no, then their “yes” isn’t meaningful, because they don’t have a choice in the matter. Knowing that they have the ability to say no and adjust the scene tells students that their voices are being heard and respected, and that their feelings are important. This is not to say that students should be allowed to not participate in scenarios they just don’t like or feel silly doing. We want to encourage our students to try new things, make mistakes, and explore. But it’s good to have a safeguard in place as well. And, when used sparingly in improvisation exercises, “No, but…” can be an interesting and creative way to contribute to the scene. And sparingly is the key word here. Here’s a quick game you can try with your students to practice “Yes, and…” and “No, but…” You’ll need a timing device and a noisemaker, such as a bell. 1. Start by discussing with your students the concept of “Yes, and…” Remember, students don’t need to say that specific phrase — it simply means going along with suggestions and adding more to the scene. The goal is to keep the scene moving forward; you don’t want to derail it by denying the information your partner has given you. 2. Introduce the concept of “No, but…” Discuss scenarios in which students can pivot and adjust the scene if an uncomfortable situation occurs. It’s not to be used in every scene, or just because a student doesn’t like a given suggestion. Give a sample prompt or scenario and let the full group brainstorm different ways they could apply the idea of “No, but…” to the scenario (with or without the specific phrasing) that move the scene forward. 3. Have students form pairs. Select one pair of students to start an improvised scene. Let them know that each pair will be limited to one minute maximum for the scene. Students will focus on the spirit of “Yes, and…” to the best of their abilities. 4. When the timer reaches the 30 second mark, sound the noisemaker. Whoever’s line is next must use the “No, but…” prompt, and take the scene in a different direction. It doesn’t need to be wildly different, but it needs to go in a new direction while still being related to the earlier work in the scene (for example, same character names). 5. The scene will then continue until the end of the remaining time while going in the new direction from the “No, but…” prompt. Don’t worry if time runs out and the scene hasn’t ended. Sound the noisemaker to indicate that time is up and end the scene where it is. If possible, repeat with the next pair of students until everyone has had a chance to try. 6. Debrief with your students: • How did “No, but…” affect the improvised scene? • Was it difficult to take the scene in a new direction with “No, but…”? Why or why not? • Why is it helpful to have a “No, but…” technique available to use? Some students may find it difficult to say no to others, particularly if they’ve been taught continually about always saying yes in improv. While we don’t want to derail the scene going on, we want students to know that there is an option for them to say no to something that is upsetting for them. Having a consent-based option like “No, but…” ensures that students’ feelings are being respected, while keeping the improvisation fun and forward-moving. Additional Resources: • Top Ten Tips for Teaching Improv • Improv Game: Creative Defiance

Advertisements and commercials can be entertaining, educational, heart wrenching, and hilarious. Ultimately though, the goal is to grab your attention, tell you about the product, and get you to part with your hard-earned cash in exchange for whatever they’re selling — as efficiently as possible. In this improv game, students are tasked with improvising an advertisement for a product. It’s challenging because it’s an individual performance exercise, but it has clear parameters to follow, which can help students figure out what to do in the moment. Feel free to print out the requirements (found in the giveaway below) and post them so students know the structure they need to follow. Instructions1. Pre-game prep: Ask your students to identify commercials or advertisements that they like or find memorable. You also may wish to have a selection of ad videos to show students. What makes the commercials memorable? What makes them effective (or ineffective) and why? If money were no object, would you buy that item based on the commercial? 2. Have students brainstorm a list of products to sell. Pretty much anything goes! Here are 10 ideas to get you started: toothpaste, pack of crayons, scuba wetsuit, garbage can, beard trimmer, twelve-pack of tube socks, lunchbox, ice skates, video game system, paper towels. Try to avoid items with established brand names, or at least refer to them as their generic item name (for example, use the non-specific phrase “adhesive strip” or “bandage” instead of Band-Aid). 3. Select a student to begin. Have them stand at the front of the room. Give that student a product to sell in an improvised commercial, or write the products on slips of paper and draw them out of a bag or hat. 4. The student must include the following information in their commercial: • An interesting opening statement (“Are your teeth gray and gross?” “If you love fly fishing, then I have the perfect product for you!” “BAM! Now that I have your attention…”) • A brand name for the product (Students can use an established brand if they like, or invent their own brand name.) • At least two features of the product (How it will benefit you, how it will make you happy, what it’s made of, quality of the material, ease of use, a bonus for purchasing, a jingle or catchphrase, etc.) • The price of the product • Where/how to buy it (In store, online, call now!) Students may present their commercial in any tone they wish: sales-y, comedic, emotional, as a song and dance, as a celebrity endorsement, and so on. There is no time limit, but students should attempt to be as efficient as possible in their delivery. Feel free to cut off students if you think they’re milking their stage time! 5. Once the student has improvised all the required information, they are done! Select a new student to perform. Continue until time runs out or everyone has performed. If your students are pros at the basic commercial improvisation, try these challenge modes! • Challenge 1: Students have to complete all the requirements in one minute or less. • Challenge 2: Students have to complete all the requirements in 30 seconds or less (without rushing). • Challenge 3: Students have to keep selling until you “change the channel” (infomercial style). Even if they’ve completed all the requirements, they have to keep going until you say, “CLICK!” • Challenge 4: “Change the channel” between three students. Have three students stand at the front of the room. Assign each student a channel number. Channel 1 begins their commercial. When you say “CLICK!” they must freeze and then Channel 2 will begin their commercial. Repeat with Channel 3. Once Channel 3 gets “clicked,” the game will go back to Channel 1, who must pick up wherever they were paused. Continue until each channel completes their commercial. • Challenge 5: Add an adjective to each product. For example: vintage lunchbox, glitter toothpaste, waterproof ice skates, glow-in-the-dark beard trimmer, stinky garbage can. Students must include the adjective as one of the selling features for the item, regardless of whether or not they think the adjective is a positive or negative one.

If you’re looking for a way to mix up your improv sessions and enjoy taking a risk, give this game a try! Combine the mystery of the game Clue with the dice-rolling stakes of Dungeons and Dragons, add a dash of brainstorming and a pinch of silliness, and you’ve got the makings of the ultimate Mad Libs-style mashup drama game. MaterialsYou’ll need a 12-sided die (also known as a D12 or a dodecahedron). If you don’t have any dice, you can Google search “roll dice” for an online dice generator. You’ll also need something large to write on: a large sheet of paper, a whiteboard, or similar. Instructions1. Create a grid with four columns and 12 rows on your writing material. The first column will have the numbers 1 to 12 in descending order. The second column is titled “person,” the third column is titled “place,” and the fourth column is titled “activity” or “action.” 2. Brainstorm enough ideas/prompts to fill each square on the grid. You can have your students suggest ideas, or use one of our handy prompts lists. Here are some samples of person, place, and activity/action prompts. If you need even more prompts, check out our teaching resource Two Thousand Prompts for Drama Class. Here’s a sample grid to get you started: