IMPROVISATION UNIT
OVERALL OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the use of 
improv by performing an improvised scene and evaluating improv exercises.*
  LESSON 1: Intro to improv. 

  LESSON 2: Improv for vocal responses. 

  LESSON 3: Improv for movement.

  LESSON 4: Improv for character study. 

  LESSON 5: Improv for sensory awareness. 

  LESSON 6: Improv scenes. 
* Half-way through unit, evaluation sheets will be handed out. Students are to 
keep the questions in mind as they finish the unit. These sheets are due on the 
last day of the unit.


Improvisation Unit
INTRO TO IMPROV
OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate an understanding of improv guidelines by 
using them in an exercise.
HOOK: Show "Raiders of the Lost Ark" clip where Indy pulls hi gun on swordsman 
in city. Explain that as improvised, not originally scripted.
STEP 1: Ask students what the word "improvisation" means. Ask students what they 
think improvisation in theatre is. Ask them why improv is important to theatre.
STEP 2: Give students a brief history of improv and discuss current styles of 
improv in theatres (ie. theatre sports, game show, variety show, rehearsed 
show).
STEP 3: Have students take notes on the do 's/dont's of improv. List them on the 
board:
Do's: Take cues from scene partner. Be spontaneous.
Don't(s): Don't ignore/deny scene partner. Avoid asking questions (acting is 
doing, not telling).
STEP 4: Conversation with a speck (demo game). Emphasis on using the rules. One 
player is voice of speck, other is passerby. Passerby tries to locate and deal 
with the speck appropriately.


Improvisation Unit
IMPROV FOR VOCAL RESPONSES
OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate ability to respond vocally by participating 
in an exercise.
HOOK: Hold "Best Actor Trophy" as you stand in front of class. Ask students if 
they watched the last academy awards, oscar, or like ceremony.
STEP 1: Academy award game. Students come forward one at a time to give a brief 
acceptance speech. Students must say at least two sentences, must thank at least 
three people, and mention the title of the film/play they received the award 
for.
STEP 2: Gibberish interview. One student acts as host of a talk show. He/She 
must introduce the name of show, subject of discussion and the guest. Host then 
calls on audience members to ask questions of the guest. -The guest can only 
speak gibberish. The host must repeat the question to the guest in Gibberish and 
make up an interpretation based on the guest expressions/vocal tones. Students 
must stay on subject, host must not ignore guest's expressions.
STEP 3: Add to the rules words that can't be used in the interview.
STEP 4: Add to the rules words that must be used. *Anytime rules are broken a 
buzzer sounds and the violation utterance is thrown out.


Improvisation Unit
IMPROV FOR MOVEMENT
OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate ability to improvise movement by 
participating in an exercise.
HOOK: 12 Students are made to stand in line against chalk board as they arrive 
at class.
STEP 1: Most deaths in a minute exercise. The 12 students are separated into two 
teams. Two students from the audience are chosen as counters. The teams compete 
for the greatest number of deaths (be creative) they can act out in one minute. 
No repeats.
STEP 2: Slide show. One player is chosen as a host. Host chooses a subject (ie. 
family reunion, B-day party, X-Mas). 4-10 players act as photo subjects. Host 
clicks to each slide, narrating what it's about. Before each click, the photo 
croup has 10 seconds to figure out what they will do.
STEP 3: What Are You Doing? (2 players). One player starts with an action (ie. 
rolling dough). The other player asks, "What are you doing?" The first player 
responds with an unrelated activity, such as "I'm pouring milk." The other 
player then performs that activity and the question is asked again. Play 
continues until one player does the wrong activity or is stumped to suggest a 
new activity. Activities cannot be too closely related (ie. stirring cake mix 
and beating eggs).
STEP 4: Animal scenes. Two players are given a place, relationship, and 
situation. Each player is also given an animal. They must improv a scene, giving 
their character the attributes of the animal while remaining human.


Improvisation Unit
IMPROV FOR CHARACTER STUDY
OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate ability to develop a character by 
participating in an exercise.
HOOK: Display hats that symbolize profession/character types. Ask students how a 
person who wears each particular hat might behave. What are they like? Get a 
brief character study for each hat.
STEP 1: Have a large box of hats hidden from view of students. Choose (2-3) 
students to come in front of class. Give each a different hat. Give them a few 
seconds to devise a character, then put them in a situation with one another 
(ie. at a coffee shop, in an elevator, at the checkout counter).
STEP 2: Talk show. Choose 3-4 players to be certain professions. Choose an 
object and a few topics. A host is chosen to guide discussion and mediate the 
talk show. Discussion must be based around object and must include one of the 
topics. Add rules to emphasize character.
STEP 3: Scene of the murder. Several students are singled out as witnesses. Each 
is given a card with their name, occupation and certain information that wilI 
lead to a solution of the murder mystery. Witnesses are led out of the room to 
the scene of the murder (a stuffed dummy). The remaining students play the roles 
of detectives and are brought to the scene to solve the case. First detective to 
solve the case wins.
Materials: 10-20 hats, Character cards, Dummy.


Improvisation Unit
IMPROV FOR SENSORY AWARENESS
OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate sensory awareness by participating in an 
exercise.
HOOK: Sit in front of class with a pair of slippers and a warm blanket covering 
shoulders or lap. Pretend it is a cold night and you're warming yourself by the 
fire after coming in from the cold.
STEP 1: Pull out several objects from a box (ie. cup, goblet, tissue, chocolate 
bar wrapper). Have students take one object and describe its taste, feel, sound, 
look, smell to their neighbor.
STEP 2: Lead students in an exercise of performing a short action sequence with 
the object, paying strict attention to the senses the object stimulates.
STEP 3: Have students switch objects and repeat exercise.
STEP 4: Have students improvise a short scene of small talk (ie. Bus Stop) while 
performing the last exercise. Students cannot make mention of the object they 
have in the conversation.


Improvisation Unit
IMPROV SCENES
OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate ability to use all previous elements 
together by performing an improvised scene.
HOOK: Come to class equipped as a referee (whistle, stopwatch, stripes). Blow 
whistle. Explain that today is the game day. Up to now they have been in 
practice. Now they must put all that practice to work in a final improv scene.
STEP 1: Break students into teams. Give them 30 seconds to list words, images, 
activities, colors, etc on a specific topic (ie. Christmas, summer, skiing). 
Blow whistle. Give them 3 minutes to come up with a scene using as many of those 
words/ideas as possible. Blow whistle.
STEP 2: Have students perform their scenes.
STEP 3: Give each group a famous fairy tale and a style in which to perform it 
(ie. Hansel and Gretle as a western). Give them 5 minutes to prepare a scene. 
Blow whistle. 
* Scenes must have:1. Beginning, Middle and End 2. Strong defined characters 3. 
Follows rules of improv
STEP 4: Have students perform
STEP 5: Add to the fairy tale scene by giving them an object to incorporate. 
Reinforce the standards for a good scene.


Improvisation Unit
IMPROVISATION PROJECT
You are to write a two-page essay which contains the following information 
concerning the Improvisation Unit
  1. Define what improvisation is.
  2. How does a improvisation help an actor?
  3. What were some of your favorite improvisational games? And Why?
  4. What did you learn about yourself?
  5. How can improvisation belp an individual in his/her daily life?
This essay will be worth 100 points. You will be graded on each of your 
responses to the above. questions. Please remember to include your NAME, DATE, 
and CLASS PERIOD. This may be hand-written or typed.
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