“Yes, and…” Storytelling

Brief description of game     Yes, and… storytelling is a beginning improv game that focuses on establishing “beginning, middle, end” and listening.
Number of active students at a time     3-5
Materials required     N/A
Instructions for the Game
1. Line up student volunteers. Be specific about where they stand. Make sure they are standing still and their hands are by their sides.
2. Get class to make up a title for the story that the students will tell. If first title is not a great one to tell, get another title (and another) and try to merge them together for a creative title.
3. The first student begins the story by saying “Once upon a time…” That students gives the exposition for the story. Students should restrict themselves to one complete sentence.
4. The next student begins the next line with the words “Yes, and…” This is a very important idea in improvisation. It means “I accept everything that you are saying, AND I will further the story you’ve given me.” Side coach students if they are saying, “NO” to the line of the story they were given. Point out how it is a no (like killing the main character, starting a different story, etc.).
5. With 3 students, you can have a three line story. With 5 students, you can emphasize the 5 parts of a story (exposition, rising action, climax, denouement, resolution).
6. The last sentence should wrap up the story and honor the title.
7. Discuss the story and the process after each round in order to emphasize the positive and point out areas for improvement.

Variations and Advice
Conducted Storytelling Students are placed in a line, but the teacher (or another student) points at the person who will next continue the story. This game requires students to listen more closely because they won’t know which student will be next.

Pop-up Storybook In this game, students begin Yes, And… storytelling. At a point in the story where a scene is established, the teacher (or another student) stops the story and identifies actors to “pop-up” the scene over to the side. When the scene is finished, the conductor pops the students back into the line and the story continues.

One-word storytelling This is a fast and fun variation on this game. As many students as fit line up to tell a story prompted by an audience-inspired titled. Each student may only say one word. They must listen very closely to see where the story is headed.
Name      Joan Weber
Email     joan@creativityandassociates.com

Mirror Mirror

Name of Game/Activity     Mirror Mirror
Brief description of game    Mirroring helps develop concentration skills. It can be used to help cast members bond, and develop that instant communication so necessary for really fine theatre.
Number of active students at a time     many
Materials required    N/A
Instructions for the Game
1)Everyone takes a partner. (If there is an odd number, the teacher pairs with someone.)
2) Partners stand facing each other, about three feet apart. One is the leader, the other, the “mirror.”
3)Moving only from the waist up, the leader begins to make simple gestures or movements. The “mirror” duplicates the leader’s movments exactly–just as a mirror would.
Variations and Advice   (Some students have trouble with the right-left shift. If the leader raises his right hand, the “mirror” should raise his left, just as the figure in a real mirror would. When they fail to do this, I tell students they are being a “video” instead of a mirror.)
You may also want to try this exercise as a large group. Place students in a circle. Choose one person to be the leader and one person to be the guesser. Tell the guesser to stand outside the circle and close his or her eyes. Then the leader will choose an action or movement and the rest of the circle will mirror it. The leader may change the movements as many times as he or she sees fit. Then the guesser will return to the circle and try to guess who is the leader, or the originator of the movements.

Author’s Name    Matt Buchanan
Submitter’s Name     Sara Cushing
Submitter’s Email    smcush09@stlawu.edu

Minefield

Name of Game/Activity     Minefield
Brief description of game     The best way to build strong scene partners is to open the students up to vulnerability and trust. Create a minefield to make partner connections!
Number of active students at a time    2 at a time
Materials required     Shoes and a blindfold
Instructions for the Game
1) Tell students to take off their shoes and scatter shoes in a space about 6 feetx4 feet.The shoes are “bombs”
2) Instruct students to break off into pairs
3) Pick one pair to go first
4) Blindfold one partner
5) Tell the non-blindfolded partner to vocally instruct their partner through the minefield.
6) Repeat steps 3-5 until all pairs have gone.
Variations and Advice
This is best if done with scene partners, but you may use it with any pairing of students.
Author’s Name    Ann Marie Halstead
Submitter’s Name    Sara Cushing
Submitter’s Email    smcush09@stlawu.edu