I’ve had luck lately setting up exercises like this.
Two people up. Whoever initiates much make a big choice. Something unusual, fantastical or strange. The responder simply has to act exactly as they would.
That may sound obvious. But I find that students need to be reminded explicitly to do this. Two students did this.
Player 1: I gotta tell you something. Last night I was abducted by aliens. It was a classic silver thing like you see in the movies. It pulled me right up into the spaceship from my bed. Performed weird acts on me.
Player 2: (deeply concerned) Oh man, are you… are you okay?
I stopped the scene. That’s not what you would say if a friend told you they were kidnapped by aliens. That’s what an improvisers says who is under pressure to “say yes.” But I’m asking for a truthful response.
Player 1: They took me up there, they laid me on a bed. They performed, like, surgeries on me, they cut me open. And now I’m here! I just woke up, I was in my bed.
Player 2: Wait a minute. Sit down. (Player 1 sits.) Dude, I’m, like, worried about you, man.
Player 1: I’m kinda worried about ME! It’s like I’m the only one who saw it, so I like, I feel insane! I saw them! They were grey! They had the big eyes. And they were small! like this big, and they walked around me, and they poked and they looked and you’re just like “What’s going on?” And I was like, is this how my life ends? IS this life?
Player 1: Dude, um, maybe we should go, like, talk to a specialist. Someone who can help you with this?
You can dismiss opinions that people try to pin on you, and you can ask questions, and you can refuse to believe things and you can choose not to care! You also do not HAVE to find the initiation unusual if you don’t.
Child: Mom, I’ve decided I’m never going to school again!
Mom: Oh, honey. You’ll learn to like school.
The actor playing the mom doesn’t find it weird for her child to say that. Great! No problem.
A few caveats you’ll have to point out: The responder cannot leave and must engage the person.
And you cannot change any facts. If the weird thing is evident, you should believe it, although have a truthful reaction.
Player 1: (shoots gun at player) Did that bullet just bounce off of you man?
Player 2: Don’t tell anybody!
Player 1: What the fuck? Stay the hell away from me!
Player 2: Don’t tell anybody! I come from the planet Nangongongon! I come in peace don’t tell anyone!
Think of improv like a bicycle. “Saying yes” to the weird thing is pedaling, and expressing skepticism and “saying no” is like hitting the brakes. True, we need to be pedaling MORE than braking, but you also need to brake.
Wife: So babe, for dinner tonight, I kinda wanted to change things up. I got a peacock. And will you cut it up for me. I’ll take care of the salad.
Husband: Babe, where did you get this?
Wife: The neighbor’s backyard. They have a couple of them. They look like pests. So I thought I was helping them.
Husband: Babe, we have to put this back.
Wife: It’s already dead, we’re not putting it back.
Husband: I can see that it’s dead, we can just sort of. I mean…. I mean it sounds good.
Wife: Doesn’t it? Healthy protein.
Husband: Yeah. I’m just a little nervous. I mean… you have a peacock recipe? We have chicken in the freezer!
Wife: I wanted to change things up! And he walked in front of my car. Wait, I’m pretty sure this is a boy right, because of the long feathers?
Husband: I don’t know! Wait, you ran this thing down with your car?
You can see in this scene the husband has room to be won over if that’s what the scene needs. But he’s being real. The wife has a reason for her behavior that’s plausible without being so reasonable it kills the fun.
The actor playing the husband has a good sense of what his character knows. He knows that he doesn’t know which a male peacock is (all peacocks are male, the females are peahens – but it makes sense he wouldn’t know that), but he notices when his wife said she hit it with her car.
The actors are reliable reporters of what’s going on. They are engaged with the scene and using their own sensibilities. It’s fun! Oh man, is it ever so good when they are allowed to play truthfully.
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