Exercise for practicing building organic group games collaboratively and ensuring everyone steps up to participate.
ORGANIC GROUP GAME REVOLVER – Players divide into two lines on either side of the stage. The rule is that you can’t enter stage until the player ahead of you in line enters stage.
First a suggestion is given. Then one of the two players at the top of the two lines enters and initiates with a Self-Contained Emotional Statement. Now, one of the two players now at the top of the two lines enters and provides a “join” – agree, tangentially heighten a detail, react, do whatever. Now, one of the two players at the top of the two lines has to enter if the scene is going to be heightened into a game with more players. A player cannot enter the game before the person ahead of them in their lines does.
The key is every student is forced to take part in the game. They can’t just stay idle waiting because in this exercise they are forced into their turn.
If a player had a good idea they can’t execute on, that’s good fodder for discussion. Improv is a great hobby for people who like to talk in bars about what they could have done.
Players One and Two should give the space/opportunity for Player Three to come on (being actively engaged in the environment will help), as opposed to just immediately engaging in more lines of dialogue.
Editing is a move in and of itself. In the revolver, as in the showcase, allow a “move” to be the edit. We don’t want players not editing when called for because they are thinking about how to initiate the next scene.