Show Formats
Instructions on how to play some of our regular formats
The Harold
Time: Around 25 minutes
About: The Harold is the gold standard of improv formats and was developed by Del Close.
Troupe Size: Up to 9 improvisers
Here's how to play a Harold:
Someone introduces the troupe and gets a word from the audience.
- The troupe uses that word, or an A to C of that word, to start a show opening to generate ideas.
- Once the show opening is complete, start the first set of three scenes.
- These first three scenes are inspired by something from the opening.
- These scenes should be grounded and focused on relationships within the scene. Emotion shifts are good here.
- After the first three scenes are finished, a group game is initiated. Group games tend to be silly and are considered palette cleansers.
- After the group game, revisit the first three scenes for the second set.
- These scenes generally have the same characters.
- They can go forward in time, advance the plot, heighten game, etc.
- These scenes get sillier than the first set and are usually a bit shorter.
- After the second set of three scenes takes place, initiate one more group game.
- After the group game, the last set of three scenes take place.
- These scenes are heightened to the max and often very short – sometimes just punchlines.
- Characters from other storylines can cross over
After the third set of scenes, call the show with
"THAT'S OUR SHOW!!!"
GROUP GAMES:
Hey Everybody:
Someone calls a meeting of everyone. That person facilitates some kind of meeting soliciting ideas from the rest of the troupe to solve some sort of issue. Several will give good ideas that everyone likes. Then, one person will give a terrible idea which everyone will pile on in their dislike. The moderator pulls it back and solicits more good ideas, then the SAME PERSON will give a bad idea again. A third round happens with the SAME PERSON giving the final bad idea. The group game gets wiped.
Object Work
One person comes out silently and starts doing some object work. A second person comes out and joins them silently, doing something that they think goes along with the first person. A third, fourth, fifth, etc. join in one by one, all remaining silent and adding on.
Once everyone is out, someone makes a comment. Then another person adds to that. Talk popcorn style to not talk over each other. Wipe on a good button line.
Hey Alexa
Into the Ether
Object Dialogue
Board Meeting
Borealis
Time: Around 10 minutes
About: The Borealis uses a random pop song and silent object work to initiate.
Troupe Size: 6 to 10
Here's how to play a Borealis:
A random pop song plays over speakers.
As the song plays, around six short silent scenes play out with object work for the show opening. Players should not be literal to the music, be dancing to the music, be mouthing dialogue or pantomiming, but rather play out scenes where the characters aren’t currently speaking. These can be fairly grounded.
After the first silent scene is playing for around 20 seconds, someone from the back or side line will come in and ‘sexy edit’ and wipe by parting the sea between the characters. That person will then start a brand new silent scene and others will join them.
Keep doing silent scenes and wiping until around six short silent scenes have been done. Then, while that sixth scene is playing out, the person controlling the music will slowly lower the volume for a fade out. This is the signal to the people currently in that scene that they will now start having dialogue and have a full scene lasting several minutes until a good button line happens and it is wiped. Sexy edits should continue for the regular scenes.
Then one of the other silent scenes done during the opening will be brought back, this time with full dialogue. Let that one play out for a few minutes and end on a button line.
Bring back the opening scenes one by one – they don’t have to be in the same order – and play them out with dialogue.
Once the last scene has been brought back and played out, the troupe ends with
"THAT'S OUR SHOW!!!"
Borealis tips:
There are a variety of ways to get the random song:
- Someone could ask the audience for a song, and then quickly search and play from a phone.
- Just set Apple, Spotify, etc. to shuffle on a pop/rock/country music playlist.
- Ask the audience for a genre and do a Hey Siri or Hey Alexa request for a random song from that genre.
The Deconstruction
Time: Around 30 minutes total
About: Del Close invented format that has a main Spine Scene and several side scenes that pull apart themes. Part of The Three Mad Rituals.
Troupe Size: 8 to 10
Here are the parts of The Deconstruction
Opening Spine Scene
5 to 8 minutes
Have a long, grounded scene focused on the relationship of the scene.
Two Thematic Scenes
3 minutes each
Both scenes should pick something from the first Spine Scene to play on in a thematic way. Example: If they say ‘Our marriage is a prison’ one of the scenes could be an actual prison scene.
Spine Scene
2 minutes
Pick up where you left off and laser focus on the themes pulled out in the previous two Thematic Scenes.
Four or Five Commentary Scenes
2 minutes each
These scenes are bits and play off of what was fucked up with the Spine Scene. The Spine Scene improvisers can participate in these, but as different characters.
Spine Scene
2 minutes
Pick up where you left off and heighten the stakes.
The Run
~6 minutes
These are short tightly edited scenes that bring back concepts and characters from before (except for the spine scene characters) and can mix and match. Can also introduce new scenes and concepts. These get edited quicker and tighter as the run concludes.
Spine Scene
2 Minutes
Wrap it all up
"THAT'S OUR SHOW!!!"
Borealis tips:
There are a variety of ways to get the random song:
- Someone could ask the audience for a song, and then quickly search and play from a phone.
- Just set Apple, Spotify, etc. to shuffle on a pop/rock/country music playlist.
- Ask the audience for a genre and do a Hey Siri or Hey Alexa request for a random song from that genre.
The Armando
Time: 15 to 30 minutes
About: Montage Improv with recurring scenes. Start with a guest monologist telling a set of stories based around the audience get.
Troupe Size: 6 to 10
Here's how to play an Armando:
Someone from the troupe introduces and gets a word from the audience. They explain that they have a guest monologist. That person will riff, off the top of their head, a series of short, true, stories. There should be three distinct stories told from the word or from variations of meaning from the word.
Once the monologue is complete, the troupe uses information from it to inspire montage scenes, several of which will come back for second and third recurrences, with heightening.
For longer shows, multiple instances of monologists can be used.
At the end of the show, troupe declares:
"THAT'S OUR SHOW!!!"
Example of an Armando:
Take note of how Tina Fey goes on tangents for different definitions of the word “Ham” – the meat, someone performing in a hammy way, going to school in Virginia, etc.
This is what we want from a monologist. They can also A to C it.
Living Room
Time: 10 Minutes and up.
About: Montage improv scenes play out after a Living Room show opening to generate ideas. A Living Room opening is a casual discussion of true life stories as if in someone’s living room during a party.
Troupe Size: up to 10
Here's how to play a Living Room:
Start with the troupe forming a half circle on stage so they can see each other. Someone introduces the troupe and gets a random word from the audience.
Using that word, or an A to C done out loud from that word, start a very casual conversation consisting on true life stories. This should be very chill and casual. Questions can be asked, and tangents should be followed. The goal here is generate dozens of ideas, so following tangents is super helpful.
After a two or three minutes of discussion, someone wipes the Living Room by running across the stage and now improv scenes will commence for the rest of the time.
When the time is up, the troupe calls the show.
"THAT'S OUR SHOW!!!"
The Dusty
Time: Around 10 minutes
About: All Tag Outs, no Sweep Edits (thus things get… dusty)
Troupe Size: 4 to 12
Here's how to play a Dusty:
Start with two people. Someone gets a random word from the audience to inspire their first line. They have a two person scene. At any point, someone from the side/back line can tag someone out and they take their place as a brand new character. The person who remains is the EXACT SAME CHARACTER they were in the prior scene. Play until someone tags someone out and replaces.
When players leave and return, they can either be a new character – in which case, have a different voice, physicality, etc. to distinguist – or they can be the same character they were before.
Play until time or it runs out of energy. To end, the two players on stage declare:
"THAT'S OUR SHOW!!!"
Variations:
Same Character Dusty: Everyone stays the same characters for the entire show.
More Than Two Dusty: Players can add on rather than tag out, creating 3, 4, 5 person scenes. New players can also tag out anyone they don’t need.
First Line/Last Line
Time: 5 to 10 minutes
About: Easy scenes using the last line of the scene that just completed.
Troupe Size: 4 to 12
Here's how to play a First Line/Last Line Show
This can either be an entire show, or the opening for a show. If an opening, end after a few minutes and use information generated to inspire the regular scenes. If a show, start with fairly long scenes and let them speed up as the show progresses until the last few scenes are just a few lines. If you can, have the last two say the last line in unison together.
Two people up for a scene with a backline behind them. They have a scene together.
At any point, someone from the backline can step forward and use the last line of the scene that just happened. This will be the signal to that pairing that their scene is over and a completely new one has begun, unrelated to the previous one, aside from the words of the last line. The first two will go to the back line. Someone steps forward to join the new person and they have a scene together.
At any point, someone from the backline can step forward and use the last line of their scene as their first line.
Keep stringing these together. End with…
"THAT'S OUR SHOW!!!"
Pretty Flower
Time: 15 to 20 minutes
About: A hub of characters reminisces and the audience gets to see those scenes play out.
Troupe Size: 6 to 10
Here's how to play a Pretty Flower
Start by someone introducing the troupe and getting a word, relationship, or a location where people that know each other well might gather.
Then spend a minute or two establishing the relationships with 3 or 4 people in ‘The Hub’ part of the show. This hub scene will be the main spine of the entire show. A group of friends, co-workers, classmates, etc. who know each other well meet. A bar, break room at work, class reunion, etc. are all good.
As they chat, they will reminisce about things that happened in the past to them or other people. This will be where the side scenes, aka petal scenes, will take place to SHOW what happened. If one or more of the hub characters was present at what is being remembered, they should be there in the scene. The hub scene should be cleared out for the side scenes in the standard version of Pretty Flower.
Once that side scene is over, the hub characters return to center stage, trying to return to their exact positioning and pose that they were in once the side scene started. To make these quick, just start talking again from the hub.
We’ll see a variety of side scenes originate from the hub. Many of these scenes may be returned to later.
When the show is getting started, the side scenes are fairly grounded and take their time, but as the show progresses, these side scenes will start to get quicker, sillier, more heightened and more punch-liney. By the end of the show, they should be fairly fast paced.
Extreme non-sequiter scenes may also emerge based on any random thing said in the hub. These are definitely punch-lines and should be wiped almost as soon as they start.
After the allotted time is up, the hub will return and wrap up and everyone says…
"THAT'S OUR SHOW!!!"
Ok Stupid
Time: 10 to 15 minutes
About: A Pretty Flower variation with heightening. Friends discussing recent dates get ‘do-overs’.
Troupe Size: 4 to 8
Here's how to play an Ok Stupid show
A variation of the Pretty Flower involving dating and rule-of-three new choices.
A bell is placed on a stool within quick reach of the hub area. Three or four improvisers will form a hub – they are friends meeting at a bar or other location to chat and their recent dates will be the main topic of conversation.
After taking a moment or two to establish their friendship or relationships to each other, someone will bring up the topic of dating and the group will talk about one person’s recent date and how things went wrong. After a few seconds, we’ll see that date, with the person who went on it playing themselves, and someone else from the sidelines or the hub comes in playing the other character that was briefly described in the hub.
We see this date play out over to the side. For this version of a Pretty Flower, the rest of the hub will remain in place center stage. While the date is going on, if someone still in the hub wants to see a new heightened choice, they can ding the bell, and the person who just spoke will go back in time five seconds and re-state their last sentence, but heighten something about it. They will ding the bell a second time (for a total of three) and they will rewind, restate, and heighten one more time. That is now the reality of the scene moving forward.
The bell heightening x3 will happen a few times for both characters in the scene.
After the scene plays out, someone still in the hub will start talking and this is the signal for the other hub person to return, forming the stage picture they left on.
They shift their conversation to another hub member’s recent date, and we see that play out on a different part of the stage, again with the bell heightening playing into it.
Repeat this until all three or four hub members have had their dates shown. Return to the hub and wrap it up. When over, declare…
"THAT'S OUR SHOW!!!"
Book Club
Time: 20 minutes
About: A Pretty Flower variation. Members of a book club discuss their recent reads. Scenes play out to flesh those books out. Return to those scenes 3 times.
Troupe Size: 6 to 10
Here's how to play a Book Club show
A Pretty Flower variant.
To start, someone from the troupe will ask the audience for “the title of a book that has not been written yet.”
Three or four improvisers will form a hub area – the book club. After a minute of chat, pleasantries and setting up their relationships, they get into the meat of the book club.
The person who got the book title from the audience will talk about the first part of that book, making up the details as they go. As they are talking, a few improvisers from the side lines will start to assemble to the side of the stage to pick up the scene where the book club member’s description leaves off. We will then see that scene play out.
When there is a good stopping point, the person from the book club will start speaking, picking up where the scene left off. This is not the end of that book, as we will return to it two more times later.
That book club member will then ask another book club member about their book, and give them a made up title for their book right then. That member will start to describe their book, and we’ll see that scene play out on another part of the stage.
Keep repeating this until all of the book club members have describe the first parts of their books.
Now return to the first book club member and he or she picks up the middle part of the book. We will see that side scene return with some of the same characters from before as well as new ones if they are described.
Just like before, the book club member describing will end the scene by speaking up and describing from where the scene left off.
Repeat for the second round. The second round scenes will be shorter and sillier.
Then do the same for a third round. This one will wrap the books up.
End on the hub talking about next week’s meeting. Close out the show with…
"THAT'S OUR SHOW!!!"
Five Minute Scenes
Time: 5 minutes
About: Simple Slice of Life scenes between grounded charcters.
Troupe Size: 2 or 3
Here's how to play a Five Minute Scene show
Grounded scene between two or three improvisers. Focus on relationships and realistic conversation. Avoid crazytown topics. The goal it to run between 4 and a half and five minutes.
"THAT'S OUR SHOW!!!"
Four Square (Under Construction)
Time: 10 minutes
About: A format showcasing patterns and heightening. Also an early version of The Harold format.
Troupe Size: 3 to 5 plus someone to ring the bell
Equipment: Desk Bell
Here's how to play a Four Square show
Start with 4 people, two up front and two in the back, all facing the audience and forming a square.
The person in the front right (facing the audience) is in ‘the position of power’. Everyone will rotate into this position four times throughout the show.
The first round, the person in the position of power asks the audience for a specific type get. Like “Where go you want to go on vacation?” or “What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?” or “What’s a word that makes you uncomfortable?”
Once they get their get, the bell rings and everyone rotates clockwise. For the first round, each player will get something unique from the audience. This is their word to inspire scenes with when they are in the position of power.
Once everyone has received a unique get from the audience and we’ve returned to the original configuration, the person in the position of power will now use their get to inspire a scene with the other person in front with them for a two person scene. When a good button line happens, the bell ringer will ding the bell and everyone rotates clockwise.
These first two players should make a note to remember their first sentences in the scene, both initiation and response. The next time around, the first person will restate their first sentence, but pick something about it to heighten. The second person will have a similar response, but can altered if needed to reflect the new heightened information.
Example First Round:
Person 1: “I’m looking forward to our vacation to Maui.”
Person 2: I’ve picked out some new bathing suits to wear on the beach!”
The second person will now use their audience get to inspire a scene with the new person up front with them.
Example Second Round:
Person 1: “I’m looking forward to our ski trip to Aspen!”
Person 2: I’ve picked out some new sweaters to wear on the slopes!”
Example Third Round:
Person 1: “I’m looking forward to our rocket trip to Mars!”
Person 2: I’ve picked out some new space suits to wear on the dunes!”
"THAT'S OUR SHOW!!!"
LaRonde
Time: 15 minutes
About: A mono-scene taking place in a single location, with characters cycling in and out of the scene, culminating into a giant group scene at the end. Created by Craig Cackowski
Troupe Size: 6 to 12
Here's how to play a LaRonde show
All players will play the same character that they star with for the entire show. Make solid choices!
Get a non-geographic location from the audience. Examples: Airport luggage claim, restaurant, ladies room.
Have the first two characters in the scene that know each other. They have a conversation, focusing on the relationship.
After a minute or so, a third improviser will join the scene and the three will have a conversation. One of the original two will find an organic reason to leave the scene. The two remaining will continue the scene.
Someone new will enter making it three again. They know the newest character. Those three have a scene until the person who has been there the longest finds a reason to leave.
Keep going with this 2 > 3 > 2 > 3 > 2 pattern until everyone has cycled into the scene.
The first character who left now re-enters the scene to join the last two characters. The one out there the longest leaves. Then the second character returns and the last character leaves, leaving us back with the very first two characters.
Now, in the same order that they came into the scene, the characters return, one by one. They do not leave this time. Players will need to share the energy and speak popcorn style so everyone can be heard clearly by the audience. Groups and alliances will make sharing energy easier.
After the last character enters, someone will have a show ending button line and everyone declares…