“It’s sweeping the nation!”
That’s what Nick Leveski and I claim when we introduce the form. And if you all adopt it, we won’t be lying!
The Zipper has been the mainstay middle act in Leveski’s and my first-Thursday-of-the-month show, Action Pack. Our two person show Pack is the closer. We have a rotating group of opening acts.
And in The Zipper anyone from the audience can join all of the night’s performers on stage – no experience necessary.
It’s incredibly fun. It brings in a repeat audience. And it helps build a community.
So, uh, what is it?
It’s super simple. It’s really just Two Person Lay-ups.
The opening act finishes their act, accepts their applause, and leaves stage – but stays just off stage right, forming a line.
After demanding another round of applause for the opener, I announce “It’s time for The Zipper.”
“Anyone from the audience – from the booth or from behind the bar – can join us. We’re going to blow through a run of Two Person scenes. And it doesn’t matter whether you’ve ever done improv before or not – we’ll make you look good and I guarantee you’ll have fun.
“Anyone who wants to play, please line up over here on stage left.”
- When the number of audience members joining up outnumbers the cast of the Opener and Pack, we work to just ensure side lines are relatively equal.
- AND in moving improvisers on one side to the other, we’re trying to arrange pairs such that a scene isn’t set up to have two improv virgins in it.
- We often call out fellow improvisers and house staffers to join if they haven’t already.
- We love to goad friends and family members into joining us – and some of them love to straight up tell us “No “
“Know that you can join at any time. Like what you see and want to play? Just join a line.”
- Spoiler: The greatest scene all night – the most remembered scene at least – is that done by the person who stands up halfway through and humbly joins a line.
“The way it works is… There will be a scene on stage… At the front of the line on stage right is [name] and at the front of the line on stage left is [name]. It’s up to one of those two people at the front of the line to come running on stage when they feel the scene on stage got a good laugh.
“That’s the cue for the two people on stage to leave stage, and for the person at the head of the other line to join the new entering player for a two person scene of their own.
‘Inspired by ANYTHING.
“Now in leaving stage, if you came in from the front of the line from this side of the stage, go to the back of the other ine.
“The faster we get through scenes, the more we can do. So don’t hesitate to come on when it’s your turn.”
Do not ask the audience if there are any questions.
“Okay, so Nick is going to go to the back of that line and me and [name] – come on up – will do the first scene with me.
“And to get started we just need … any word from the audience.” Dealers’ choice of course on the Get; could really be Anything.
And then you get a word and Go.
And it’s fun. Always.
Now, to ensure “Always,” we ask 4 Things of our Opener when giving them the Pre-show Zipper Preview:
- Don’t leave the room after your show – line up on stage right
- Edit fast – set the example
- Break initiation inspiration from the originating suggestion – set the example
- Laugh louder than deserved – set the example
Bring The Zipper to your hometown. No attribution please.
But please always introduce the form as “sweeping the nation.”
Scratch that [insert record scratch effect]
IAIDB is international.
- Hello Impro Grund Söndag!
- Hello, that one day a student Tweeted that they followed only me and the Pope. Next day, WordPress said my site was hit from The Vatican.
PLEASE let me know, my international readers, if YOU run The Zipper at a show, and we can all step up our promotion to “the worldwide phenomenon.”
Slip into my DMs, Francis.