Impro has lots of games. Literally hundreds, but when we go to shows, we generally see and play the same two dozen or so. This term with Impro Gym (students with a minimum four terms experience), we’re exploring why that is.

Is it because these core games (Accent games, Replays, Genre games, Opera, Sing-a-bout-its) hold true value for the player and audience? Are they so fabulous that their rules-of-play are inexhaustible in their joy?

Or is it that they’re the easiest to “pull-off”, and thus, actually hold little risk of failure?

I lean more towards the latter theory, and believe games with their endless rules are purposefully designed for us to fail, or, more importantly, succeed by failing with a spirited and playful attempt to reach the unreachable summit. That is, a mess of a backwards scene done with spirit beats an Opera done by rote anytime.

As players, we inch away from the danger of the game and make it easier to execute by using pattern and rule. That kills spontaneity, the lifeblood of impro.

Not that these core games can’t be glorious. They can. But it’s more about the spirit of the play than the rules of the game, and four weeks in to the term, I’m really pleased to see this notion being messed with by Gym students. Each week, we explore a core game, and then ask, “What’s fun/dangerous about this game?”

Then we try to break the game. Make it harder, more fun, more ridiculous, simpler, more complex … the idea being the original game is Hyde, and we’re searching for the Jekyll in him.

The results have sometime been disastrous, sometimes amazing; but with the spirit of play in the room, no ‘broken’ game has ever failed to entertain in that unique way impro can: by being spontaneous, committed, in-the-moment ridiculous.

As we move into the second half of the term, we’re now exploring the notion of ourselves and our scene partners as a game to be played, that everything we do can be the spark for something.

So, what are your rules as an improviser? What stuff do you often do?

That’s your game you bring, whether you realize it or not.

Let’s play.

T