A type of improv that includes short, quick scenes or games with specific rules and guidelines.
Yes, and...: This is the fundamental rule of short-form improv that requires players to accept what their scene partner offers and build on it to create a scene.
Scene work: This involves creating a unique scenario and characters, and exploring the relationships and conflicts between them through spontaneous improvised dialogue and actions.
Object work: This refers to the use of physical props and gestures to create a believable environment and add detail to the scene.
Character creation and development: This involves developing unique characters with distinct personalities, mannerisms, and quirks, and maintaining consistency throughout the scene.
Status play: This is the use of verbal and nonverbal cues to establish characters' relative status and power dynamics, and exploring the resulting tensions and conflicts.
Game play: This is a technique that involves finding a pattern, theme, or premise within the scene, and then heightening or exploring it for comedic effect.
Group mind: This is the ability of the ensemble to work together as a cohesive unit, anticipating each other's intentions and reactions to create a seamless, interconnected scene.
Listening and reacting: This is the foundation of short-form improv, requiring players to actively listen to their partners, respond authentically, and build on the scene in a collaborative manner.
Scene initiation: This involves generating a creative and engaging suggestion to start a scene, often using audience input or other prompts.
Endings: This is finding an appropriate and satisfying conclusion to the scene, often using callbacks or other callbacks to previous moments within the scene.
Whose Line Is It Anyway-style: This type of improv includes a host who calls out different prompts such as games or sketches, and the performers must quickly come up with funny responses or actions.
Harolds: A style rife with callbacks and shared themes. It can seem messy but it is structured to create cohesion from what seems to be a stream of consciousness.
The Living Room: This form is more intimate and is typically performed in smaller venues with just a few performers. It focuses on realistic scenes that explore relationships, emotions, and communication.
The Armando: A single performer delivers a monologue inspired by a suggestion from the audience. Following the monologue, an ensemble performs improvisation based on the stories shared.
Gorilla Theatre: Audience members shout out a theme or topic to be acted out, and performers have to create a skit around the audience's suggestion.
Freeze Tag: In this form, two performers start a scene, and when one of them "freezes," another performer enters and starts a new scene using the frozen action as their starting point.
Short-Form Games: These are "games" or exercises designed to elicit short, comedic scenes. Examples include: 185, Questions Only, and World's Worst.
Musical Improv: In this type of improv, performers act out a scene and break into a song, often with audience participation. They then improvise an entire musical on the spot.