Improv games

The following books compile different improv games used both in training to practice specific skills and on stage to perform an improv show based on games.

The Improv Book (Alison Goldie)
/ 22 de April de 2024

A smart, witty and accessible guide to the rewarding and joyful practice of improvisation. An asset to students and teachers of improvisation in schools, drama schools, higher education and theatre groups, both professional and amateur. It will also be of benefit to organisations and individual readers who want to discover how improv stimulates creativity and confidence in all areas of life. The Improv Book opens up this exciting discipline to a wider audience.

The Extreme Improv Big Book of Improv Games (David Pustansky)
/ 7 de June de 2023

The Extreme Improv Big Book of Improv Games. Do you enjoy having fun? Are you in need of an excuse to act like a fool on a Thursday evening? And have you a hankering for some ridiculous word games in your life? If the answer to any of these questions is YES then this is the book for you! The Extreme Improv Big Book of Improv Games is a fantastic resource of dozens and dozens of fun to play Improv Comedy games. This book will not only teach you the rules of each of the games, but also give you hundreds of pro tips so you can become an improv master! Written by Extreme Improv’s founder and resident supervillain David Pustansky, this book is riddled with ideas, infested with insights and boiling over with more improvised comedy goodness then legs on a centipede! If you want to inject new life into your improv skill set, this book breaks down tons of classic improv games, and explains how to play them successfully, the logic behind the rules, and when you should or shouldn’t break them! In addition to the classics, the book also includes bucket loads of Extreme Improv’s original creations…

The Big Book of Improv Games (Andrew M Spragge, Karen L Eichler)
/ 7 de June de 2023

The Big Book of Improv Games: A compendium of performance-based short-form games What would you do with over 500 improv games? Would you like to own the most comprehensive collection ever published? Who do you know that loves improvisation? The product of years of research, The Big Book of Improv Games will amaze you as you flip through it, discovering page after page of performance-based games, many that will be completely new to you! Are you ready to become an Improv Powerhouse? Feed your passion for improv, go beyond the basics, and turn good improv into great improv with The Big Book of Improv Games! You’ll discover over 500 ways to make stuff up, along with full, expert descriptions, tips, and variations so complete anyone from beginner to expert can pick up the book, read through any game, and play it with confidence! Games are divided into convenient categories, making it easy for you to design an entertaining, varied play set for your show, jam, or practice: Scene Games Quirky Games Non-Scene Games Guessing Games Singing Games Step-Out Games Games are cross-referenced with similar games so you can find new favorites to try! Also included are helpful appendices, including: Glossary…

Theatrical Improvisation (Jeanne Leep)
/ 26 de May de 2021

Theatrical Improvisation: Short Form, Long Form, and Sketch-Based Improv Theatrical Improvisation provides an in-depth analysis of short form, long form, and sketch-based improv–tracing the development of each form and the principles that define and connect the styles of performance. Brimming with original interviews from leaders in the field such as Ron West, Charna Halpern, John Sweeny and Margaret Edwartowski, Theatrical Improvisation presents straightforward improvisational theory, history, and trends. Includes easy-to-follow resources on teaching improvisation, with assessment tools, exercises, games, and classroom assignments to enable instructors to incorporate and assess improv in the classroom. Leep offers a practical, essential, and engaging guide for anyone who wants to better understand the art, teach, or perform improvisation.

Impro II, exercices et analyses (Robert Gravel, Jan-Marc Lavergne)
/ 16 de March de 2021

Con Impro II, Robert Gravel y Jan-Marc Lavergne dan seguimiento a su primer libro Impro I Reflexiones y análisis presentando una serie de ejercicios de improvisación teatral que se realizan tanto en las escuelas de teatro como entre bastidores de la Liga Nacional de Improvisación. Este libro está dirigido a profesores de teatro, líderes de grupo, así como entrenadores, jugadores y entusiastas de las muchas ligas de improvisación de todo el mundo. El lector encontrará ejercicios de calentamiento, ejercicios básicos y los llamados ejercicios de exploración. En total, más de veinte ejercicios destinados a profundizar en el dominio de la improvisación teatral. Varias fotos y tres análisis de improvisaciones “realizadas” en Montreal o en París ilustran gratamente determinados ejercicios. Si bien revela un poco los “secretos” de los profesionales de la improvisación, este libro es sobre todo una herramienta para continuar la investigación en el teatro en todas partes.

Impro : Tome 1, Réflexions et analyses (Robert Gravel, Jan-Marc Lavergne)
/ 16 de March de 2021

A true phenomenon of expression which has won popular favor through exceptional performances, this theater hockey game is attracting more and more fans. Everyone wants to play improv. This book is written by the two greatest improv specialists: Robert Gravel, founding player, star player, and Jan-Marc Lavergne, fine commentator and analyst. After a “serious” reflection by Robert Gravel on the adventure of improvisation as a theatrical utopia, the work presents the transcription of three magnificent improvisations with accompanying comments and analyses. Following are the official regulations of the LNI, referee signs and a brief chronology of events marking ten years of this theatrical game. Defense and illustration of theatrical improvisation. The short study by Robert Gravel (star player and teacher of the game of theater hockey as practiced since 1977 by the LNI, p. 13-49) is followed by the commented and analyzed transcription of three improvisations. In appendix: LNI regulations – Referee signs – Chronology of significant LNI events.

Group Improvisation: The Manual of Ensemble Improv Games (Peter Gwinn)
/ 1 de March de 2021

Over 40 improv games for developing group chemistry are included in this concise book, organized into sections: Bonding, Focus, Awareness, Creation, Energy, Dynamics, and more. Every group, not just improv teams, benefits from increased communication, and author Peter Gwinn reveals many secrets about how to facilitate this connection in fun and creative ways. The many improv games and exercises he presents here, appropriate for high school age or older thespians, help heighten awareness, break the ice, increase concentration, and wire brains together. Gwinn and his colleagues at the iO Theater in Chicago developed the concept of “The Group Mind” to create a synergy between team members. With this increased connection, your actors feel part of a greater entity, with a sense of excitement, belonging, and importance that takes teamwork to a new level.

The Playbook: Improv Games for Performers (William Hall)
/ 12 de February de 2021

Improvisation games, formats and notes. Over 370 games for performance and class. This book is perfect for individuals and improv groups who want to expand their collection of games. Teachers will love the variety of drama games for their classes. Over 11 long form formats are also included. You will also find useful tips, resources as well as notes on improvisation. The games have been collected since 1986…and cover the familiar to the obscure. The Playbook offers games – from the classic to obscure – and breathes new life through variation. It includes different versions when appropriate for some of the 370 documented games, so that each ensemble can add variety to a set list, find new joy in an old format, or embrace risk by experimenting with a twist on a trusted cast/audience favorite. All the games are indexed by category. This feature is immensely helpful to performers scrambling to find just the right Audience participation, Restriction, or Music-based scene – when time is of the essence. Recall a game concept or a component, but not the title? Search and find a game multiple ways. Unfamiliar terms are explained in the short glossary. This quick tool can be a…

Jeux et enjeux : La boîte à outils de l’improvisation théâtrale (Mark Jane)
/ 12 de November de 2020

Jeux et enjeux : La boîte à outils de l’improvisation théâtrale Whether you’re a passionate beginner or a seasoned professional, Games and Challenges: The Improv Theater Toolkit is an invaluable source of information for anyone interested in the art of improvisational theater. Packed with 130 exercises, covering the basics as well as short and longer forms of improvisation, this book is designed as a practical support allowing the theory to come to life. Thanks to a unique blend of European and North American traditions, it offers you a great diversity of approach, and explores areas ranging from spontaneity to narration, from masks to the adaptation for the stage of theories of Travel of Heroes of Joseph Campbell.

Teaching Improv: The Essential Handbook (Mel Paradis)
/ 2 de January de 2020

Teaching Improv: The Essential Handbook: Your step-by-step guide to teaching short form improv (Enseñar improvisación: el manual esencial: su guía paso a paso para enseñar improvisación en formato breve) Do you want to teach improv, but don’t know where to start? Are you looking for ways to structure improv games into effective lesson plans? Introducing Teaching Improv: The Essential Handbook, a new resource packed with 16 step-by-step lesson plans that will take the stress out of planning your improv classes. We’ve done the hard work for you, by organizing today’s best improv games into fun, skill-based lessons that your students will absolutely love. More importantly, you’ll see them grow into confident and creative performers. This resource was created by the same award-winning publisher of Teaching Drama: The Essential Handbook, a #1 best-seller on Amazon which has sold over 35,000 copies and has been translated into 5 languages. Go beyond improv games. With this book you’ll get: 16 detailed, full-proof lesson plans that cover the “9 rules of improv” Notes on how to introduce improv concepts in clear, concise language Over 114 improv games and activities Reflection and journaling exercises after each lesson Homework handouts and YouTube video links to deepen…