TCS Improv Game List with Definitions
Note that the same games can have different names by region, as well as many variations on the same theme.
Key: E = emotional, G = genre, J = justification, M = music, P = physical, S = story, V = verbal
3-Way Dubbing-V
Player A dubs Player B’s voice, B dubs C’s voice, and C dubs A’s voice
ABC-V
The first letter of sentences in scene must be in alphabetical order.
Character Switch-P
Characters stay the same, but players switch periodically, like musical chairs.
Channel Surfing or Space Jump J/P
One person stars a scene as channel one, freezes upon signal, and then player two starts new scene as channel two, and so on, up to last player, then players justify an exit and go back down through the channels, justifying the positions and possibly incorporating time jumps.
Classic In A Minute-Filler
A classic story or book done in a minute.
Commercial or 4 CM’s in 2 Minutes-Filler
Short commercial for an unusual product. Ask for an item and a material. For example: concrete sofa.
Cinema Guide- S
Scene based on a movie-guide’s description of a movie. Best with obscure movies.
Crime Endowment- V
One member is taken outside while the audience provides three endowments, they come back in and must guess them during a police interrogation. Eg., murder victim, weapon, place. Good cop/bad cop dynamic works well here. Start with vague hints and then become clearer as time goes by.
Dating Game (Love Connection) V
Get audience member, three troupe members are the bachelors, imitate either dating game or Love connection style, get traits/occupations for bachelors, audience member is picked at beginning of show and their questions are written ahead of time by cast.
Death In A Minute-Filler
One-minute scene that must have at least one death.
Double Hands Expert-P
Two players in an expert interview scene have their arms and hands provided by people behind them. Offers go back and forth, from the physical to the verbal.
Emotional Replay-E
Short neutral scene is done, then redone three times with different emotions.
Emotional Call-E
Emotions are called out as a scene is done, changing individual players, who then logically and quickly justify the emotional changes.
Entrances and Exits- P
Actors each receive a special word. Scene starts with one or two actors on stage the others offstage. Whenever an actor's word is said, that actor must make an entrance if they are off-stage, exit if they are on-stage, while logically justifying their move.
Expert Panel-V
Panel of experts discuss questions from the audience. Experts come from various fields, for example all could work for different magazines.
Expert Slide Show - J
And expert and talk show interviewer scene with people playing the photos that the expert is showing. An audience member can be used in the photos. Start interview with unrelated childhood story until That’s It! moment arises, then introduce expertise and tie them together.
Extend and Advance - S + V
One improviser tells a story while a director says “extend on X”, after which the improviser must describe X in more detail. When the director is satisfied they say “advance” and the story continues.
First Line / Last Line-J
Unrelated first and last lines are gotten from the audience, and threaded together by the players during the scene. Save the synthesis until the last half of the scene, so the audience has forgotten about the last line.
Foreign Film Dubbing- S
Scene with voices “dubbed very well” by off-stage players. Move your mouth to match the dialogue you are given.
Foreign Poet-V
Poet recites a gibberish poem, which is simultaneously translated by an interpreter. Offers made by poet with gestures, intonation and expression. Mirror each other.
Genre Replay-G
Short neutral scene is redone with three different genres. Initial short scene should be tight with beginning, conflict and end. Hit the same main beats each time, though endings can and should differ according to the genre.
Genre Roller Coaster-G
Genres are called out as a scene is done, actors adapt to each one while continuing the story. Requires a clear platform and character objectives.
Gibberish Endowment (exercise)
One member is taken outside while the audience provides three endowments, they come back in and must guess them during a gibberish scene. Physical characteristic, job, emotion.
LAC Endowment-J (exercise)
One member is taken outside while the audience provides three endowments, they come back in and must guess them during a regular scene. Line of dialogue/song, activity, and confession.
Mannequins- P
Players are moved by people who control their every movement, staging them as mannequins in different positions.
Matsumoto- J/S (long form)
Motivations or character traits for three to four characters are written out on a big sketchbook beforehand. Each player reads their characteristic (ie, wants to be a hero, or, is really an alien) while the others face the back of the stage in a line. Then each player stars in an open scene, in sequence. After the individual scenes, the characters can meet in the final scene. (Sometimes beforehand, but don’t overdo it.)
Musical- S
Players enact a musical, deciding when to sing on their own or with the pianist.
New Choice or Should Have Said- V
Players redo their last line whenever a signal is given, such as a bell being rung.
Number-of-Words-V
Each person in a scene can only speak a certain number of words per sentence. Main characters should have a low number of words.
One-Word Story-V
Each player says one word at a time while telling a story. Can be done as a group standing in a line or as a pair that moves around, in which case sometimes another pair will appear to interact with them. Shout “Again!” if it goes to pieces.
Papers-J
Players pick up lines of dialogue during a scene and justify them.
Pillars-J
Players get lines of dialogue from two people (the pillars) on the stage and justify the lines. Pillars can be instructed to provide silly random lines or lines to inspire.
Playbook-J
One actor reads only lines from a play, everyone works to justify them.
Questions Only-V
Wave-type scene with players only asking questions and being replaced when they stumble, falter, make a statement or repeat a question. Characters stay the same.
Radio Drama- V
Players in a row enact a radio drama, can use SE and piano for mood, lights down low. Narrator guides the story.
Reminisce- S
Two older people discuss the past, pause as the scenes are acted out by other players, continue to reminisce, pause for the reenactment again and so on.
Sing About it- S
Like musical, but players are told to “sing about it” by other players, they then sing about their last line of dialogue.
Sit, Stand, Kneel, Lie- P
Only one person may occupy the titular positions at one time, players must justify move from one position to another.
Slow Motion Commentary- P
Sporting event with two athletes doing everyday activity, such as ironing, in slow motion, and two off- stage commentators providing a blow-by-blow account.
Song- blues/jazz/western/rock- M
Players improvise a song in a specific genre of music.
Spitfire - V + S
One improviser tells a story while the other says random words to them that must be incorporated into the story.
Story-Story-Die (Conducted Story)- V + S
Get story title from audience, then one player starts the story and the director moves from actor to actor at random. They must pick up story where last actor left off, if the actor stumbles, repeats a word, or can’t continue, the director (or audience) has that actor die and then the director continues the story where it had left off.
Writer- S
Scene with a narrating writer typing downstage and off to the side.
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Key
E= emotional
G= genre
J= justification
M= music
P= physical
S= story
V= verbal
Key workshop games are underlined.
Exercises and long form are not meant for the Theatresports™ Showcase Shows.
Remember that the majority of scenes in a Showcase Show will be open scenes, not games.