Limerick

The Limerick is a terrific team building exercise. Five players are ideal as each can take one line of the limerick, but you can play with as few as two, alternating lines between them.

The standard Limerick has 5 lines, and each person represents one of those lines. With each line comes a specific responsibility.

Step 1            

Arrange a row of 5 players in front of the group. To begin it helps to clap, stomp or speak the rhythm of the limerick to refresh everyone’s memory and get the team feeling the same energy.

Step 2            

Ask the audience to suggest a topic.

Step 3            

The player at stage right (the left side from the audience’s point of view) begins with a simple sentence about the topic. It should be 8 or 9 syllables long. It’s important to use the right structure, which is why it’s good to bang out the basic rhythm together beforehand. It should also end with an easy word to rhyme with. So if the topic is oranges, don’t start with “There once was a boy who ate oranges,” but with something like “Some oranges can be hard to peel,” “I’d like to eat oranges all day,” or “Oranges are juicy and sweet.”

Step 4            

The person to the first player’s left delivers the second line of the poem. It should be the same length as the first, rhyme with it, and have a logical connection. So if the first line is “Oranges are juicy and sweet,” the second line should NOT be “They are a treat” (too short), “I really do like them a lot” (doesn’t rhyme) or “I think I will turn up the heat” (unrelated to the topic). A better second line would be “I like them much better than meat.”

Step 5            

The next person to the left says the third line, which should be shorter (5 or 6 syllables) and should NOT rhyme with them. It should, however, be easy for the next person to rhyme with: “Don’t offer me lamb…”

Step 6            

The next person says the fourth line, which should be the same length as the third, rhyme with it, and be closely related to it. In many limericks, the fourth line is part of the same sentence as the third: “…or honey baked ham.”

Step 7            

The fifth line should be 8 or 9 syllables, rhyme with the first two lines, and be a logical ending to the limerick: “Because oranges are all that we eat!”

Step 8            

Rotate the players down to the right one spot, and have the last person come to the beginning of the line. Repeat steps 2 through 7 until every player has taken a turn starting a limerick. The reason for this is to show how the different parts have different rhyming and setting up responsibility, also how important it is to listen to your teammates. Each position contributes to the overall goal of creating a limerick.

The Oracle

The Oracle

The Oracle is a game that can be played by people of all experience levels. It is often used as a warm-up game in acting classes, or before a live improv performance. It is good for team building skills, requires listening and trusting of your fellow performers.
Step 1
3 actors are placed in a vertical line, with one standing, one sitting in front of him in a chair and one sitting on the floor in front of the chair. The idea is that the three actors embody one person. They create the “oracle,” or an expert.
Step 2
The audience is informed by the “host” or “director” that the actors on stage are collectively playing the oracle. The oracle is a special being that will answer any question asked of it, speaking as one person and using one word at time to create their answers. An example question may be given, such as “Oracle, what is the meaning of life?”
Step 3
The standing player at the top of the oracle should start the answer to the first question, the middle player will start the next answer, and the bottom player will start the last answer. The question should always be repeated in the answer: “ The”… “meaning”… “of”… “life”… “is”… and continue until the question has been answered. Once the end has become obvious, the player who’s turn it is to speak the next word will then end the sentence with a punctuation mark: “Period.”
Step 4
The host will ask the audience for questions to ask the oracle. The players attempt to find the direction of each sentence one word at a time. The sentence often goes in a different direction than the first actor intended, but the results can be hysterical, especially if all 3 players remain committed to one another.
Step 5
The host should find an organic conclusion to the game. An answer is sometimes so incredibly funny that it becomes the perfect moment to end the game. The host will wrap up the game by thanking the oracle expert and the audience. It is important to always end on a high note, leaving the audience wanting more.

The 168 joke

This is a great exercise that my comedy troupe used to do to open up our Improv Performances at the Star Theatre. It’s the joke that just keeps going and going. The director of the show would first tell the audience how the joke works, give examples (below) and encourage audience response whether it be good (applause) or bad (groans). This would keep the exercise organized.

The basic premise is this: “One hundred and sixty eight (whatevers) walk into a bar, and the bartender says, ‘I am sorry, but we don’t serve (whatevers) in this bar.’ The one hundred and sixty eight (whatevers) then say ‘(ba dum dum)’.”

Then we would always use these next two jokes as examples, which would start the pace of the exercise and encourage the rhythm to keep going: “One hundred and sixty eight doctors walk into a bar, and the bartender says, ‘I am sorry, but we don’t serve doctors in this bar.’ The one hundred and sixty eight doctors then say ‘But we just came in for a shot’.”

Or

 “One hundred and sixty eight doctors walk into a bar, and the bartender says, ‘I am sorry, but we don’t serve doctors in this bar.’ The one hundred and sixty eight doctors then say ‘What kind of operation are you running here?’.”

And

“One hundred and sixty eight lawyers walk into a bar, and the bartender says, ‘I am sorry, but we don’t serve lawyers in this bar.’ The one hundred and sixty eight lawyers then say ‘You mean, we’ve been disbarred?’.”

At this point, the director would then ask the audience for suggestions to feed the performers. “Someone, please shout out a profession!” The players would then take the suggested professions and plug them into the joke, ending it each time with a unique punch line. Any profession, real or made-up would do: Teachers, Game show hosts, Flight Attendants, Plumbers, Bee Keepers, Mimes… you name it, and we come up with a punch line for it.

After about 4-5 rounds, we would take advantage of the laughter and the tone in the room by taking it to the next level. The director would then ask for random objects to plug into the joke: “One hundred and sixty eight basketballs walk into a bar, and the bartender says, ‘I am sorry, but we don’t serve basketballs in this bar.’ The one hundred and sixty eight basketballs then say ‘Well… shoot!’.”

 As always, a good director knows to end a scene on a high note. He waits until a good punch line and a big laugh from the audience before waving his hand to bring down the lights and end the scene while everyone is still having a good time.

Story, Story, Die

It sounds a little morbid, but Story, Story, Die is a fun improvisational exercise that strengthens creativity and hones listening and reacting skills.  One person is the director and up to ten people are storytellers.  A name and an object are chosen at random, these will be the topic of the story.  Storytellers must watch the director closely, when the director claps and points at a new storyteller that person must seamlessly pick up where the story left off and continue on.  When continuing with the story the storyteller must not pause, repeat the words that have just been spoken or say something that does not make sense.  If they violate any of these rules spectators yell, “Die!” 

At this point the storyteller must step forward and declare the kind of death they will now perform.  For instance they might say….”Death by Pantyhose!” or “Death by Sour Milk.”  or even “Death by Papercut!”  Then the storyteller must act out the death to the last gasping breath at which point they are considered eliminated from the game and the remaining storytellers continue on, at the directors lead.  The last storyteller remaining must tell the moral of the story, if the audience rejects the moral they too must perform a death.

This improv game forces storytellers to listen carefully, never knowing when it will be their turn to continue the story.  It also developes team work, as the storytellers are forced to work together in order to further the story