AND NOW

I’ve been thinking about a game that moves stories forward while training improvisers to accept, explore or alter ideas even when they don’t initially see merit in their partner’s offers.

In Keith Johnstone’s “WHAT COMES NEXT?” – (one of the best impro exercises devised) a performer asks “WHAT COMES NEXT”. Another improviser yells out the suggestion to move the story forward. 

Example: 

What comes first? “Walk outside!” — 

What comes next? “Greet your neighbour.”

What comes next? “Notice YOUR dog tied to a rope in their yard.”

The first performer can accept the idea by performing it or reject it with a cheery, “nope”. If an idea is rejected, a new one would be offered.

“What Comes Next” is great for training partners in how to inspire each other. 

BUT….

When I want improvisers to learn how to deal with offers that don’t always inspire them (which happens often in shows), I don’t want them to avoid difficult offers with a pleasant “nope” to any offer.

so…

I developed a cousin exercise to “What Comes Next?” called “AND NOW!”

GAME: AND  NOW

ORIGIN: Shawn

BENEFITS: 

• Move scenes forward, 
• take responsibility for the scene,
• share control
• learn to deal with ideas that don’t always inspire you and recognize value in ideas that you are compelled to dismiss
• train yourself to see when it’s best to “cut your losses” and rewind your scene to a healthier place

# PEOPLE: 1 or more

GOAL: Create a scene as you share control with your partner trying to inspire actions and pulling back scenes that have lost their potential

PROCEDURE: 2 PERSON VERSION

1. The first character says something, 
2. The next character begins their response with the two words “AND NOW…” Followed by a brief description of what happens next in the scene.
3. This goes back and forth. IF one partner is uninspired by a suggestion, they hold off their judgement and simply commit to their partner’s idea, trying to make the best of the offer.
4. After two or three more suggestions, (AND NOW’S),  if either person is still dissatisfied with the offer, they can reset the scene to a healthy point with their “AND NOW…” statement, pulling the scene back to the point where they felt the scene still inspired them.

EXAMPLE: 

Lawrence enters the room and says, “I’m Home!”

Tom says: And now we greet at the entrance excitedly (they do it)

Lawrence: And now I reveal the box I’ve brought in! (he does it)

Tom: AND NOW I offer you some coffee (He offers the coffee.)

Lawrence: (Lawrence isn’t excited by the last offer but he accepts it and tries to move the story forward from that point) AND NOW we drink and put on our radiation suits.

Tom: (has no idea where the radiation suits come from but does the activity to support his partner) AND NOW we move the box onto the table. (they do it)

Lawrence: (feels like the previous suggestions delay the story and chooses to rewind back to the entrance) AND NOW we go back to meeting excitedly at the door. (They do it)

Tom: AND NOW you reveal the box you brought.

Lawrence: AND NOW WE OPEN IT!!! (they do)

Tom:  AND NOW we pull out the plutonium rod

Lawrence: AND NOW we place it into the time machine and power it up for the first time.

Lawrence’s first impulse that the secret in the box needed to be dealt with was probably correct. Once the scene got delayed with the coffee suggestion, Lawrence realised he should probably go back a few suggestions to the box giving the partners and their scene another chance.

It’s possible that by giving the scene a chance with the coffee, they might have found something useful (POSSSIBLY). And if nothing comes out of it, they can try again. This healthy attitude to try and sometimes fail is a useful tool to develop.

TEACHING TIPS: Keep an eye on the performers. If one of them seems disappointed but is doing nothing to fix the scene or isn’t redirecting the scene back to a healthy moment, stop the scene and ask the performers how they feel about the story. Encourage them to bravely say AND NOW- we return to entering the cave, AND NOW we go back to our first Kiss and we don’t get distracted by the waiter… etc etc.

VARIATION:

Try it SOLO – The character on stage precedes their actions with an ENTHUSIASTIC “AND NOW…” (When they lose enthusiasm, Remind them that they can go back in the scene to a place they were more inspired.  IF  THEY DELAY Their suggestion after saying AND NOW, tell them to make bad suggestions immediately and play them out for a few moments knowing that they can erase them later. The freedom to fail is a key element of a calm and creative mind.)

Try it with replacements: In a group of 3 or more, off-stage performers are ready to jump in if the onstage performers let scenes continue too long after a suggestion has damaged the scene. Remind offstage performers not to leap up EXACTLY when they hear a “bad suggestion”. They leap up if the following few suggestions haven’t improved the scene and the onstage performers aren’t calling the scene back. Part of this exercise is about learning how to fix a scene that might be going down a bad path.

IMPORTANT: You are getting practice fixing broken scenes and pulling scenes back to healthy points. The “bad” offers aren’t the problem. The problem is when no one takes responsibility for the damaged scene.