Getting and Giving

Getting and Giving

To begin this exercise make sure the participants have a specific space that they can walk freely in.  That is define the boundaries of their space.  If there are lots of participants, divide the group into smaller groups of about 8-10.

Have participants walk the space freely.  Call out “Freeze” and “Unfreeze” to get participants used to getting still.  After several times, call out “Freeze” and explain that you will unfreeze one participant at a time to walk the space.  Unfreeze one person and let them walk around for a few moments before re-freezing them and unfreezing another participant.  Make sure everyone has the chance to walk the space alone with others frozen.

When the final person has been re-frozen, explain that they, not you, will give the signal to move.  They will do this without speaking or touching.  Only one person may move at a time.  Let them do this until everyone has moved once.

In reverence, talk about what it was like giving and taking movement.  How did it feel to give someone movement and know they were taking yours?  Was it hard to give away?  Was it worth it?

Adapted from:

McKnight, Katherine S., and Mary Scruggs. The Second City Guide to Improv in the Classroom: Using Improvisation to Teach Skills and Boost Learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008. Print.

Great for the themes of: Generosity, Liberation, Freedom, and Hospitality.

I’d Buy That!

In this game groups of participants will work together to advertise for an imaginary product.  To begin, break the participants up into groups of 3 to 5.  One group will make the advertisement at a time, the other participants can be observers.  Get a suggestion from the observers or have an idea prepared.  For example a peace maker, a never empty water well, etc.

Tell them they are the creative team and need to inform the public about all that it can do.  Encourage participants to build on the last thing that was said by using the phrase “Yes and…”  For example:

Sidecoach: You are the creative team of advertisers for the peace maker.  Tell us all about what it can do!

Person 1: Well our peace maker allows people to see similarities between themselves and others.

Person 2: Yes and it has a built in mediator when there is a disagreement.

Person 3: It can find land for everyone to live on.

Sidecoach: Say “Yes and…”

Person 4: Yes and it can find land for everyone to live one.

In reverence, talk about what they were selling and how it would help.  If this thing existed would it help or hurt?  Would it use resources well?  What was it like adding to someone else’s ideas?  Did it make the product better?

Adapted from:

McKnight, Katherine S., and Mary Scruggs. The Second City Guide to Improv in the Classroom: Using Improvisation to Teach Skills and Boost Learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008. Print.

Great for the themes of: Economy, Vocation, Common Ground, Creativity, Imagination, and Grace.

Basic Warm Ups

Basic Physical Warm Up

1. Reach up and wiggle your fingers, reach down touch your toes (repeat 2 or 3 times)

2. Roll shoulders back and forward

3. Put your hands on your hips. Stick your chest out like you are Superman. Suck it in like you are trying on pants at the mall. Superman, Pants, (Repeat several times)

4. Hula Hoop hips in both directions

5. Stand on one foot, stick the foot that is up out front and make little circles with your toes. Hop on that foot. Switch feet.

Basic Vocal Warm Up

1. Do Sirens. Start high pitch and go as low as you can. Use your finger and start high and as you go down take your finger to the floor.

2. Start with your finger low and your voice low and go up.

3. Massage your face. Make sure to get your cheeks, chin, jaw, eyes and forehead.

4. Squish your face like you just ate a sour lemon and say "Ewwww"

5. Open your mouth wide like you are eating a big watermelon and say "Awwww"

6. Repeat 4 and 5 several times.

7. Do some tongue twisters. For example:

   • Rubber baby buggy bumpers.

   • Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers / If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers / How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

   • What a to-do to die today at a minute or two to two,
     a thing distinctly hard to say but harder still to do.
     for they'll beat a tattoo at a quarter to two:
     a rat-ta tat-tat ta tat-tat ta to-to.
     and the dragon will come when he hears the drum
     at a minute or two to two today, at a minute or two to two