The Order Of Play:

SCORING

Clap Scene:

Rules:  3 pairs of players get up.  One suggestion is obtained.  One of the pairs begins a scene.  Another pair claps, which freezes the first scene, then the second pair starts a scene.  The third pair claps, freezing the second scene and begins a scene.  Whenever a player claps they take the play, only one scene plays at a time.  This continues until all 3 scenes reach a conclusion. 

Tips:  Be creative in the use of the suggestion, show the audience how many different ways a suggestion can be used.  In the beginning let the scenes be very different and let a scene develop a bit before clapping.  As the scenes progress, increase the frequency of the claps and begin to pick up bits of dialogue in other scenes to be used in your own.

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Possessed Artifact:

One or two props are selected to be used in a scene with 2-4 players.  The audience is asked to suggest a special quality that the prop magically inspires in whomever touches it.  (e.g., the letter opener makes you sing like Michael Jackson, or the coat hanger transforms you into Igor, Dr.  Frankenstein’s assistant.)

Other suggestions are obtained with which to start a scene, and the scene is carried out with the “possessed artifacts.”

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Gibberish Poetry:

One player is the “poet” another is the interpreter.  The interpreter solicits a suggestion for a foreign language from the audience., then takes responsibility for framing the scene.  i.e.  "Welcome to poetry corner.  Today’s guest is___, etc.”  Following the introduction the poet begins and line by line the translator translates.  When the poem is complete the interpreter completes the frame.

Tips:  Careful of “creative” audience suggestions like “Wannabootoo-ese.” It helps the audience relate to the game if the language is one that we have some idea what it should sound like--even if the poet is terrible at doing it.

Poet says one word, translator translates for 20 seconds--poet speaks for 20 seconds, translator says one word.  Similar inversions can be accomplished in gesture or mood

Variations: The same principles can be used in different set-ups such as “hostage negotiations” or debate, allowing for a third player or more than one translator.

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The Show Must Go On:

3-6 players.  A play is to be performed.  An audience suggestion is obtained, then the play is announced.  The first player enters and speaks his lines.  The next player enters and begins to speak--but dies suddenly.  The first player attempts to carry on the scene.  Thankfully a third player arrives to save the scene, but as she begins, she dies! And so on, leaving the first player surrounded by lifeless bodies.  She must, of course, complete the show.

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Slide Show:

3-10(or more) players.  One player is the lecturer/presenter/expert/narrator-- whatever frame you choose for the slide show.  This player asks the audience for a suggestion appropriate to how you’ve chosen to frame the slide show.  e.g., the slideshow will be “my family vacation” and the audience is asked to suggest the place where that vacation took place; the slide show is for a college class and the audience is asked to suggest the topic.

The narrator begins.  Each time they want a slide they say “click.” This is the cue for the other players to forma tableau.  The narrator then explains what the slide is that the audience is looking at.  Sometimes the narrator might suggest what the slide should contain.  Sometimes she may simply “click” and then allow the other players to suggest things through the choices they make. 

3 helpful devices: “Let’s zoom in...” allows the narrator to focus on a particular aspect of the photo.  But the players cannot literally enlarge the image, take the opportunity to alter the picture--show the audience something they hadn’t seen previously.

“Oh I’m sorry, that slides in backwards...” When the narrator turns the slide around it gives the players license to totally change the picture.

"What’s that slide doing there...?!”

Don’t crowd the picture.  Not every player has to be in every slide.  Listen to each other.

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Chainsaw Death:

4 players works best in a 4-minute format.  3 players step into the soundproof booth.  The 4th player solicits three suggestions from the audience.  A victim, where they were killed and what they were killed with.  This order is important and sometimes players have a hard-time remembering.  The acronym j-lo, which stands for job, location, object, can be helpful (When soliciting the “victim” from the audience you might ask for a professional [job] or for character).

When these suggestions are confirmed the second player is brought in.  The first player gives this information without using any words to the second.  Each time the 2nd player thinks he knows the job or location he claps, letting the first player know he can go on..  When he has all three he uses the object to kill the first player.  The third player enters and the second player tries to communicate the suggestions without using words or any of the clues that the first player used.  Same with the fourth.  When the fourth kills the third, the ref asks what the three suggestions are.  If she gets it right, the game is over.  “Hooray!” If any of the suggestions are missed, the first player has the remainder of the original 4 minutes to correct the mistaken information.  Players 2, 3 and 4 guess together.

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Pillars:

2-4 players.  Basically, the players solicit suggestion(s) from the audience and a scene is played.  Before the scene begins, however, 2 or 3 audience members are invited on stage.  They are placed as “pillars” in convenient locations, where they can be easily reached by all players, but don’t obstruct the action.  Then during play the, at various points the players place their hands on the “pillars” and the pillars supply the next word that the player must use.  E.g.  a player says, “I hate it when my mom ___,” and places their hand on a pillar, who says “knits me underwear.” This is then repeated by the player and incorporated into the scene.

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Lazy Susan:

4 players, a fifth introduces the game and calls the changes (See explanation below).  The 4 arrange themselves in a square, two upstage, two downstage, two left and two right.  When play begins, the two downstage players will make a scene.  But first the Down-Left player asks the audience for a suggestion.  When the player has taken a suggestion she speaks it out loud.  She then turns to the Down-Right player and the two repeat the suggestion together, making eye contact.  The fifth player then calls “Rotate right!” Which means that the Down-Left player moves right, the Down-Right player moves up to Up-Right, the Up-Right player moves to his left (which can get confusing), the Up-Left player comes down and asks the audience for a suggestion.  She repeats it to the audience to signify her acceptance, then turns to the player to her right, the two make eye-contact and repeat the suggestion in unison.  This continues until all four pairs have a suggestion.  Then the 5th player rotates them one more time, each pair repeating the suggestions in unison but to the audience.  When this is complete the play begins--the downstage pair playing a scene until the 5th player calls rotate (in either direction).

As in Clap Scene a general rule of thumb for the person calling the changes is to space them out at first, giving the players a chance to establish scenes.  Then increase the frequency of the changes.  An ending that audiences often find satisfying is lots of back and forth changes as scenes seem to be nearing a conclusion.  This creates a kind of chaotic frenzy that the fifth player steps into and says something to the audience like “Lazy Susan, Ladies and Gentlemen!” Signifying that the game is over. 

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Variety Act:

Teams should have something other than rehearsed improv in case this should come up on the “Wheel o’Doom.” This could be a 4-minute dramatic scene, a two-minute monologue, a dance, a song, a rehearsed, comic-sketch, poetry, a demonstration of juggling or acrobatics--anything that is not improv.

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Hybrid:

When the Wheel o’ Doom stops on this selection, the team that spun it gets to combine two of any of the above 9 games.  E.g.  Clap scene with a possessed artifact, Lazy Susan and The Show Must Go On.  When it is the two other teams turn to play this game they must do the hybrid that  the first team established.

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