Quick Improv Games: Press Conference

Good morning on this dreary, drizzly day!

Want to shake these gray-day doldrums? Try a fun improv game that has quickly become a favorite of the class I'm currently teaching--Press Conference!

This is a fun guessing game that where everyone can get a turn. As with all of the games in our Quick Improv series, the premise is simple: one person leaves the room (or if you're on a car trip, covers their ears) and everyone else decides who they are. The person returns to the room (or uncovers their ears) and is immediately the star of a press conference. Everyone else is a reporter--and it's their job to help the guesser figure out who they are through the questions asked.

Now this seems easy, but if you want to have maximum fun, the reporters have to be very clever. They must use our favorite improv technique: escalating tactics! This means starting off with clues that may not be obvious right away and working up to the more revealing ones.

Let's do an example. Say the reporters decide the speaker is Mickey Mouse...

Bad first question: "How do you like being the mascot of Disney?" (This gives it away far too quickly.)

Good first question: "Do your big ears help you hear?" (This tells the guesser a little bit about who they are, but it could still go in many different directions!)

Bad question: "Tell us about your friends." (This puts the guesser in a terrible position! They don't know who they are yet and can't get any information out of this. They would also have to make up an answer that will throw everyone off track.)

Good question: "Why do you like hanging out with a duck and a dog?" (This gives them information while letting them answer in a way that will make sure the game keeps going in a good way!)

The guesser also has a lot to keep track of. They need to answer the questions while not knowing who they are! If our guesser is still Mickey Mouse and the question is "Why do you like hanging out with a duck and a dog?"....

Bad answer: "Ummmmmmmmmmmmm....'cuz."

Good answer: "Well, they make for good company. I can count on them to catch flies and chase cats."

If you're the guesser, try working your guess into an answer! Instead of "Am I Mickey Mouse?", try "I love cheese because I'm Mickey Mouse!"

Have lots of fun! If you want an extra challenge, add an extra step: the guesser has to figure out who they are AND what they did! Whether you're Peter Pan or Voldemort, this game is lots of fun.

-Allie

Focus, people!

We've all been there: it's a Friday, everyone's a little too excited for the weekend. Nothing gets done. No one can focus. Whether it's class, rehearsal, or a family road trip, it's a tough situation.

Energy is great (as all improvisers know), but you have to be able to channel that energy in a way that aids the scene, you, your fellow performers, and the audience. You can't just run around the stage yelling "WHEE!" at the top of your lungs for a few minutes. That lacks characters, a relationship, a location, a conflict, and, you know, quality. If you and those around you have got the squigglies and can't sit still, here's a great way to center without losing the excitement.

This game is called Counting. The premise is incredibly simple--count as high as you can. But here's the catch: if two people say the same number at the same time, you have to start back at 1. No patterns allowed (meaning you're not allowed to speak in order around the circle, or stare at the person you think should talk next). It has to be entirely random. And you certainly can't say multiple numbers in a row.

What tends to happen is that it takes several rounds to really get going, even if you set a goal. Giggles ensue when four people say 3 and then pairs keep saying 1 over and over. But eventually, things start to calm down. Everyone starts focusing. And you may get up to 20, 30, or even higher. In rehearsal for a play, my cast and I played this game every day. And at our last rehearsal, we got up to 100!

Strange though it may seem, everyone starts to feel the group energy. You can actually start to tell when you're clear to say a number and you can let the rhythm of the counting take you away. It's an amazing feeling to be so in tune with your group like that. Give it a try! You'll be surprised how calming it is.

What other games do you use to focus? Let us know, we'd love to try them!

-Allie