PGraph’s UK excursions have come to an end (though I’m still in London). After spending a week in various pursuits (visting relatives, relaxing in small towns, touring plague villages, etc…), we reconvened in Brighton.

We wound up doing an improvised southern gothic play on Friday which was equal parts heavy and ridiculous (just the way we like it), and then we spent the weekend teaching workshops. We did a six hour class on “creating meaningful moments” Saturday, and we covered both Theatresports and focus (my “Chase the Ball” workshop) on Sunday.

It’s been a long time to be away from Austin (and Flip!), but a very rewarding experience with wonderful people that will hopefully plant many seeds for the future.

[Game Breakdown - Conjunctions]

At the recent Robin Hood Improv Festival, the opening night jam featured a setlist of improv games led by different instructors.

I led “Conjunctions” which is a simple game I came up with a while ago during one of The Hideout’s 48 Hour Improv Marathons. If you had asked me, I’d have said it was a few years ago but I just checked and the earliest email I reference it in was from 2014, so so much for my memory I guess! 

Conjunctions isn’t really played many places, but I think it’s super fun, and it went over well in Nottingham, so let me teach it to you now!

It works like this- The performers do a scene, but every so often the director yells out a conjunction, such as “And,” “Or,” “Because,” “Therefore,” and so on. The person speaking immediately repeats the word and keeps on talking.

Person A: We’re going to have to fire you-

Director: because-

Person A: because you sit on your computer and play Minesweeper all day.

Director: however-

Person A: However, we’d like you to still come to the company party next Tuesday.

Director: regardless-

Person A: Regardless, you’re fired.

Person B: Franky, I’m shocked.

Director: nevertheless-

Person B: Nevertheless, I love an open bar so I’ll come.

That’s it. That’s the game.

Conjunctions is especially well suited for newer performers. The director can gently steer them towards more constructive choices without just telling them what to, or that what they just did was wrong.

Also, even newer improvisers are decent at finishing sentences. It’s the good ole “jump and justify” principle. You take a jump (such as starting a sentence) and your mind will hand you a way to complete it.

I usually set it up for 2 or 3 performers, but there’s no reason it can’t work for more.

I ask the audience for a place 3 people might hang out, and after giving them a few examples of conjunctions, I ask them to shout out some more.

I have my own list of conjunctions to start with, and I write down their shouted words, too (if I haven’t already thought of them).

Here’s a starter list of 15 words for you to use. Most of them I’ll use exactly once, but that’s not a rule. I’ll lean heavily on “and” and “because,” for example.

And
Or
Because
And Yet
And So
However
Nevertheless
Therefore
Luckily
Actually
Additionally
Unless
Thus
In Conclusion

Finally the big gun… This is 100% a gag, but it never fails to work, and it can be a great way to put a cap on a part of or the whole scene:

“As per my last email…”

So there you have it- a super simple game that is good for improvisers of all experience levels and which the audience almost always enjoys.

[Table 5 Improv - One Night in London]

Just wanted to quickly shout out Table 5 Improv in London for hosting a super fun, free, community-oriented improv show in the cellar of Coin Laundry last night. Kaci and I guested with The Pretend Company during their set. We wound up doing a narrative format called “The Traveler,” which PGraph created as one of our first shows… at least as far back as 2007. Remind me to tell you how it works sometime.

The show was wild and fun, the vibes were good, and we all learned the true meaning of Christmas.

[Flip the Script]

While I’m away, Flip is being boarded at Howl N Woof dog daycare. They just sent me a “report card” yesterday with a bunch of photos, including the one above.

They also gave me a run-down of his demeanor:

[Do it Now]

We brought about 60 copies of our book on narrative improv, Do it Now, with us on our UK trip, and sold most of them. If you’d like a copy, you can find it here.

Until next time, when I’ll be back in Austin!