Pre-Show Improv Activity

Get students into the spirit of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s existential adventures with two improv games that will put students in the characters’ shoes! 

Please note that this activity includes two improv games: Questions and Party Quirks. Determine whether students will play one or both games, and adjust the first steps of the activity accordingly. 

• Activity Preparation
  • Set-Up: 
    • For the game Questions, clear enough room for students to make two lines. The people at the head of each line should be able to step forward on “stage” to have a scene. 
    • As needed, preview the games Questions and Party Quirks with the videos Improv: Questions (CornerStone SF) and Improv: Party Quirks (Cornerstone SF). Consider whether students would benefit from seeing these videos example before the activity. 
    • For the game Party Quirks, consider setting the classroom up with an audience and a designated stage. Four students will participate in a scene at a time. One student should be able to step outside the room briefly.

This activity will take approximately 30 – 65 minutes. 

Improv Game: Questions

1. Ask students what they know about improv. If students are unsure of the meaning, share the definition of the word improvisation: a performance that an actor, musician, etc. has not practiced or planned. Share with students that improv theater is a kind of performance art that was invented in Chicago, and that this is a game that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern actually play in the script. (~1 minute)
2. Students may be aware that a commonly held rule in improv is “yes, and.” Clarify that this rule means that the people involved in a scene are building a shared reality. (~5 minutes)
   • If Player A says, “Grandma, happy birthday! I made you this cake,” the reality has been established that the two characters are grandmother and grandchild, and that today is grandma’s birthday. Saying “no” to this reality might mean saying something totally unrelated, like, “It’s time to start the obstacle course, Cadet.” 
   • For novice improvisers, it can be helpful to establish that students should avoid saying the word “no” during a scene. Students that they should never remain in a scene where they feel uncomfortable. In this case, they can just say “scene” to end and exit the scene.)
3. Explain the guidelines. Note that this is a game that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern play in the script. (~5 minutes)
   • Two players will participate in a two-person scene
   • Player A and Player B will have a conversation by saying one line at a time, but every single line must be a question
   • No questions can be repeated
   • As desired, play for students the video Improv: Questions (CornerStone SF) as an example 
   • Each scene should start off with a suggestion, which can be any word or short phrase; students can use the suggestion as a point of inspiration if they would like (Consider using a tool to help with suggestions, like a random word generator)  
4. Split the group in half and have them form two lines. The first person in each line will step forward and play the game. When one player makes a mistake or stalls for time, the scene ends and the pair should return to the back of their lines. A new pair then steps forward and the game repeats. (~15 minutes)
   • If desired, the game could be played tournament-style. For additional examples on how to play this game, see this resource by Hoopla Impro, a London-based improv theatre.
5. Once everyone has had a chance to participate, have students return to their seats or stand in a circle to debrief. (5 minutes)
   • What strategies made this game successful? 
   • What about the game was difficult? Why? 
   • Outside of the context of this game, what are the benefits of only asking questions? What are the drawbacks? 

Improv Game: Party Quirks

1. Ask students what they know about improv. If students are unsure of the meaning, share the definition of the word improvisation: a performance that an actor, musician, etc. has not practiced or planned. Share with students that improv theater is a kind of performance art that was invented in Chicago. (~1 minute)
2. Students may be aware that a commonly held rule in improv is “yes, and.” Clarify that this rule means that the people involved in a scene are building a shared reality. (~5 minutes)
   • If Player A says, “Grandma, happy birthday! I made you this cake,” the reality has been established that the two characters are grandmother and grandchild, and that today is grandma’s birthday. Saying “no” to this reality might mean saying something totally unrelated, like, “It’s time to start the obstacle course, Cadet.” 
   • For novice improvisers, it can be helpful to establish that students should avoid saying the word “no” during a scene. Students that they should never remain in a scene where they feel uncomfortable. In this case, they can just say “scene” to end and exit the scene.)
3. Explain the guidelines. In this game, one player does not know key information: who the other characters are. The disorientation and subsequent investigation in this game mirrors the experience of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who are desperately seeking clarity and understanding. (~7 minutes)
   • Four players (Players A – D) will participate in a scene. 
   • Player A will leave the room and cover their ears. 
   • The other three players will be assigned characters or traits based on audience suggestions. Possible suggestions to ask for include a celebrity, an occupation and emotion, and an unusual physical trait. For example, the audience may suggest Steph Curry, a terrified dentist, and a person whose head is a jack-o-lantern.
   • Players B-D will enter the scene one at a time as their characters. They should give small clues as to who they are in the way they move and what they say. These clues should get more and more obvious, particularly if Player A is struggling to guess who they are. 
   • Have Player A enter the room and pantomime setting up for the party. The Players B, C, and D should “knock” on the door offstage and enter one at a time to interact with the host. After a few moments of dialogue, the next person can join the party. 
   • Player A should have conversations with each guest. If they have a guess about the identity of each person, they should share it. If Player A is right, that guest should depart the party. 
   • For more examples on how to play this game, see this resource by Hoopla Impro.
4. Select or gather four student volunteers from the class. Send one out of the room and source suggestions for each remaining player from the audience. (~3 minutes)
5. Begin the game. As desired, prompt students to snap for Player A if they are getting close to correctly identifying any of the characters. (~20 minutes)
6. Once everyone has had a chance to participate, have students return to their seats or stand in a circle to debrief. (~7 minutes)
   • For people who were Player A: How did it feel to be looking for clues? What was it like to not know who everyone was? 
   • For people who were Players B – D: How did it feel to be giving clues? 
   • How might it feel if people walked around never knowing who other people were? What if we never automatically knew where we were? What would that be like? 

---

• This activity addresses the following standards:
  • Illinois Arts Learning Standards
    • Anchor Standard 1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
    • Anchor Standard 6: Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.
    • Anchor Standard 10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
  • Common Core State Standards
    • CCSS.ELA.SL Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
    • CCSS.ELA.SL6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. 

Posted on March 28, 2024 in Learning Guides, Productions