COLUMNS: How to Play Improv Games – Scene, Audience Interactive, Times Square NYC

• Category: Scene Work, Audience Participation, Listening, Justification
• CLICK HERE to download PDF

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Columns (AKA Human Mad Libs, Call’Ems)

How To Play

Here’s how teachers can lead “Columns (Human Mad Libs)” in their classes:

• Setup:
  • Set up two to four chairs at the downstage corners of the playing area (or designated audience volunteer spots).
  • Players start offstage.
• Introducing the Game (MC Set Up):
  • Invite two to four audience volunteers to sit in the designated chairs.
  • Explain the concept: “Have you played the Mad Libs games/books, where you fill in the blanks with nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.? Well, this is HUMAN MAD LIBS!”
  • Instruct the volunteers: “When our players point at you, simply shout out the first word or phrase that comes to mind, and they will use it in the scene.”
  • Optional but Recommended: Demonstrate this process with the volunteers, giving them a brief practice round.
  • Get a starting suggestion from the audience (e.g., a location, a household object, a relationship, etc.) to kick off the first scene.
• Game Play:
  • Scene Start: Players enter and begin the scene by establishing strong WHO, WHERE, and WHAT choices. Give each player 2-3 lines of dialogue to set up the scene before introducing the “gimmick.”
  • Using the “Columns”: After the initial setup, players begin to use the audience volunteers (your “Columns”) to fill in the blanks in their dialogue.
    • Lead Your Helpers: Instead of asking direct questions, point and make eye contact with a volunteer, leaving a natural blank in your sentence for them to fill.
    • Examples:
      • “I just came back from the __________”
      • “I need to buy a __________”
      • “Please help me __________”
      • “Oh no, coming right towards us is a very hungry __________”
  • Repeat and Justify:
    • Since volunteers are often not trained speakers, repeat everything the COLUMN says exactly. This also gives the improviser an extra second to process the input.
    • Then, “YES AND” and justify the offered word or phrase, incorporating it seamlessly into the scene’s reality before passing the focus back to your scene partner.

Tricks & Variations

Here are some tips and variations for teachers leading “Columns”:

• “Call ‘Ems” Variation: Instead of having dedicated volunteers on stage, players can point to ANYONE in the audience to get their word or phrase. This adds an element of surprise and expands participation.
• Demonstrate Clearly: Before the game, always clearly demonstrate how players will point to volunteers and how volunteers should respond.
• Encourage Fast Responses: Advise volunteers to say the first word that comes to mind, not to overthink it.
• Player Training: Emphasize to players the importance of not asking direct questions but creating clear “blanks” for the volunteers to fill.
• Embrace Absurdity: Remind players that the humor often comes from the unexpected words provided by the audience. The job is to justify anything the audience offers.

Benefits

“Columns” offers several key benefits for students:

• Enhances Focus and Presence: Demands intense listening to the audience volunteers’ input and quick processing to integrate it.
• Boosts Communication and Connection: Promotes clear non-verbal communication with the audience and strong collaborative communication between scene partners as they justify and build.
• Fosters a Lighthearted Atmosphere: The unpredictable nature of the audience’s words often leads to hilarious and surprising moments, keeping the game fun and energetic.
• Develops Justification Skills: Trains players to integrate unexpected offers seamlessly into a scene, a fundamental improv skill.
• Encourages Adaptability: Forces players to think on their feet and adapt their scene based on external, unpredictable input.

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