Earmuffs
An exercise in lip reading and body language interpretation, where players wear noise-canceling headphones and try to guess random names and phrases.
Eastenders
Similar to “Wild West” but with British soap opera-themed shout-outs (e.g., “ave it” to pass, “get out of my pub” to pass across, “you’re not my mother” to swap places, “OI!” to reverse direction).
In this game, someone is given a category and must quickly name 8 things within that category. Their partner shouts encouragement for each one, and there’s applause at the end. It encourages rapid-fire idea generation, builds group trust and support, and helps overcome self-censorship.
Elements
A long-form handle for a two-part show. A specific movie style is suggested, and typical elements (characters, occupations, situations) are gathered from the audience. Part one is a collage of unrelated scenes based on these elements. After intermission, a chosen scene is replayed, and then the whole movie is played, incorporating the original scene.
Elephant
Description not available in research material.
Emotional Door
Each player thinks of an emotion. One person (the host) begins setting up for a party, acting in the manner of their emotion. Other players knock and enter, acting in their own emotions. The host and subsequent players must identify and adopt the new player’s emotion.
Emotional Family
A family all share the same emotion.
Emotional Manipulation
A two-player scene opens with a line of dialogue that manipulates the other player’s emotional state (positive or negative). Player 2 should accept this manipulation and let it change their character’s emotional state.
Emotional Mirror
Players form pairs, facing each other. One is the leader, the other the “mirror.” The leader makes slow movements (waist up), which the mirror duplicates exactly. Roles can switch, and eventually, both players can be mirror and mirrored simultaneously.
Emotional Options
A scene is interrupted at frequent intervals, and a new emotion is assigned to a character. The scene then continues with the character embodying that emotion.
Emotional Quadrants
The stage is divided into four quadrants, each assigned an emotion. Players start a scene, assuming the emotion of whichever quadrant they are in. Players may move between quadrants, changing their emotion accordingly.
Emotional Replay
Two players play a short scene. Then, they replay the scene based on audience suggestions for a particular emotion.
Emotional Rollercoaster
Players are given a randomized location and emotion/event. They act out scenarios, and the given emotion/scenario changes, requiring players to match the new emotion as they continue the scene.
Emotional Symphony
Description not available in research material.
Emotional Transfer
Each player gets an emotion, and by the end of the scene, their emotions have switched.
Emotional Transition
Two emotions are suggested; a player will start with one and end with the other.
Emotional Zones
Various games where a player’s position on stage corresponds to an emotion or status.
Emotions
Two onstage characters, each paired with an offstage emotional caller. A scene starts “neutrally,” but characters must assume and justify random emotions as provided by their offstage companion.
Emotions Characters
Students act out a character’s emotions to practice literary analysis, sharpen recall of story detail, and build empathy. One student is the actor, and another is the “emotion conductor” using hand signals to guide the actor’s emotional portrayal.
Endowment Circle
Players form a circle, and one improviser volunteers as the focus. Others enter one at a time to perform a brief vignette, successfully endowing a new quality, trait, or biographical detail for the focus player to assume. [186]
Endowments
Attributing other players with physical, emotional, or other characteristics, or getting other players to perform actions or behave in a specific manner.
Energy 1-10
Everyone in a big circle, squatting down. They count 1 to 10 together, moving up with increasing energy level. “1” is hardly audible, “10” is as loud as possible, with everyone standing straight and hands reaching up. [187]
English/Gibberish Switch
A scene is played in the local native tongue. When an offstage bell rings, the current speaker must immediately continue speaking their dialogue in gibberish. The scene continues until the bell strikes again, and players revert to their own language.
Entrances and Exits
Players enter or leave the moment their assigned word is spoken.
Environmental Freeze Tag
Similar to Freeze Tag, but the “freeze” applies to the environment, and new players must justify the last established environmental element.
Epistolaries
A “play-by-post” role-playing game where players write letters, in character, and send them to each other through the post. They collaboratively solve a mystery and prevent something terrible from happening.
Escalating Scene
Improvisers work to establish a “Base Reality” (who, what, where). Then, they latch onto one “Unusual Thing” and gradually escalate how unusual it is, which is the “Game” of the scene.
Everybody’s It
A fast-paced tag game. Players spread out, and when “Everybody’s it!” is proclaimed, they try to tag others while avoiding being tagged. Once tagged, participants sit down, extend their arms, and try to tag those still running.
Evil Stick of Gum
One player is chewing an evil stick of gum that speaks for him unexpectedly. A player sits offstage and verbally abuses the other characters, who think that their scene partner is the one doing the talking.
Evil Twin
The moderator provides a relationship or activity. Two players begin the scene. At any point, one player can be replaced by another actor, who is the “evil twin” and does something evil, horrible, or bizarre, then changes places again with the original actor. The original actor must then justify the strange behavior.
Evolution
The group forms a circle. Everyone starts as an egg (hands above head). They find another egg, play Rock, Paper, Scissors. The loser stays an egg, the winner becomes a chicken (arms as wings, chicken noises). Chickens find chickens, eggs find eggs. Winners become dinosaurs, then ultimate people.
Exaggeration Circle
Students stand in a circle. The teacher starts with a simple gesture. The next student must make the gesture a little more exaggerated, and this continues around the circle until it is completely over the top.
Excuses
Two or more actors are on stage. One asks questions like “Why are you late?” or “Why didn’t you do the dishes?” The second actor must immediately invent a silly excuse. More participants can join to “corroborate” or challenge the story.
Expert Double Figures
Four players take the stage. Two are “arms,” one is the “interviewer,” and one is the “expert.” The interviewer and expert sit with arms behind their backs, and the “arms” kneel behind them, putting their arms through to act as the characters’ arms.
Eye Contact
Players explore a typical scenic premise without making eye contact. At a caller’s whim, music plays, during which players must unflinchingly hold eye contact until the music stops. Dialogue typically halts during these interludes.
