Tag-Team Monologue

Multiple players contribute to a single monologue, tagging each other in. This develops collaborative storytelling, listening, and seamless transitions in narrative.

Tag-Team Song

Similar to Tag-Team Monologue, but players contribute to a song. This enhances musical improv skills, collaborative song creation, and quick lyrical thinking.

Tag Typewriter

A variation of Typewriter where the narrator/typist can “tag” in another player to take over the narration at any point, creating a tag-team storytelling experience.

Talk – No Talk

On a signal, players can either talk freely or are silent (their characters could talk but choose not to). This explores dynamics of silence and speech.

Talk Show

One host improvises a title and intro for their show and introduces guests who have secretly picked a location they are from. The host asks questions to reveal the guest’s location. Guests remain and can chime in.

Talking Numbers

Every line of dialogue must include a number. This encourages creative integration of numerical elements into dialogue.

Tableau

An emcee shows the audience a picture. The group has 2-3 minutes to gather materials and recreate the photo or painting with nearby objects. This is a visual improv game that encourages creative interpretation and collaborative physicalization.

Team Substitution

One team starts a scene, and a second team completes it. This encourages collaborative storytelling across different groups and maintaining narrative coherence.

Tempo

Each player gets a different speed for their actions or dialogue. This explores pacing, rhythm, and how speed affects character and scene.

Text Chain Tea

A variation on the The Actor’s Nightmare. One player improvises a scene while another, or two, uses a text chain from someone’s phone as their script.

Text/Subtext

Players perform a scene where they must clearly show the difference between what their characters are saying (the text) and what they are actually thinking or feeling (the subtext). This highlights emotional depth and unspoken dynamics.

That’s Right Bob

Two improvisers act as hosts on a TV shopping channel, selling a product to the audience. Each line they say begins with “That’s Right Bob.” This helps improvisers listen to each other and “yes and” what has been said previously.

That’s Right Experts

Similar to “That’s Right Bob,” but two players act as experts discussing a topic, with each line beginning with “That’s right [other expert’s name],” reinforcing agreement and building on each other’s offers.

Theatresports

A competitive improv format where two or more teams compete against each other in a series of improv games, judged by audience members. It combines elements of improv performance with the excitement of a sporting event.

They Said, They Said

Similar to “He Said, She Said” but often involving three or more characters, where characters provide narration or commentary on each other’s actions and dialogue within the scene.

Three Activities

Player must guess and perform three activities.

Three-Headed Broadway Star

Three players stand together as a single “Broadway star” character. They collectively sing an improvised song, with each player contributing one word at a time, requiring extreme group mind and vocal synchronization to create coherent lyrics and melodies.

Three Line Environment

Three Lines / Three Line Exchange

Players establish an entire scene’s environment (who, what, where) using only three lines of dialogue. This pushes for efficiency and strong, clear offers to quickly set the scene.

Three Series

Players form a circle and pick a category (e.g., car makes, girls’ names). The first person states an example and points to someone else. This continues with different items in the category until everyone points at one person. The pattern is then repeated with a second category, eventually running multiple categories simultaneously without pointing. The idea is to listen for the item right before yours to know when it’s your turn.

Threesome (Similar to I am a Tree)

This is a fun warm-up game. One player offers something (e.g., “I am a slice of cheese”). A second player jumps in and adds something to the offer (e.g., “I am a slice of bread”). A third player jumps in and adds again (e.g., “I am a pickle”). The first player then leaves, taking one of the others with them, and the remaining player restarts by saying what/who they are.

Three Line Scenes

Pairs improvise scenes with a total of three lines. Either actor can say the first line, followed by a response, and then a response to that. Whatever is said is wildly applauded.

Three Line Solo

One player performs a solo scene that is limited to exactly three lines of dialogue. This focuses on extreme conciseness, impactful storytelling, and strong character choices within a very brief format.

Three Noses

This is a warm-up game where players stand in a circle. One player initiates a sound and gesture involving their nose. The next player repeats that, and adds a different nose-related sound and gesture. This builds a cumulative sequence that requires memory and physical dexterity.

Three Rules

Players perform a scene where they are given three specific rules or constraints that they must adhere to throughout the improvisation (e.g., “no one can sit down,” “every line must be a compliment,” “someone must leave every 10 seconds”).

Three Sentence Scenes

Scenes are limited to exactly three sentences. This forces conciseness, strong scene initiation, and efficient narrative progression.

Three Sentence Story

Players collaboratively create a story, with each player contributing exactly three sentences before passing the narrative to the next person. This fosters concise storytelling and shared narrative building.

Three Through the Door

One player acts as a director/casting agent, while another serves as three consecutive actors. In three vignettes, each actor enters, goes through a brief interview/audition, leaves, and immediately returns as a new character.

Three-Way Dubbing

Player A dubs for Player B, B dubs for C, and C dubs for A, leading to comedic confusion.

Time Jump

Starting with a moment between two characters, the scene jumps forward by increasing amounts (days, months, years), showing how their lives unfold.

Timeline

Players improvise a scene or series of scenes that unfold along a specific timeline, moving forwards or backwards through time. The scenes must justify the passage of time and how it affects the characters and narrative.

Timed Scenes

Scenes are performed under a strict time limit (e.g., 30 seconds, 1 minute). This forces players to make quick decisions, get to the point, and complete narratives efficiently.

Tom’s Diner

Inspired by the Suzanne Vega song, players improvise a scene set in a diner, focusing on the small observations, mundane interactions, and internal monologues of the characters present.

Tossing

A physical warm-up where players mime tossing an imaginary object to each other. The focus is on clarity of mime and defining the object’s weight, size, and characteristics through the act of throwing and catching.

Touch to Speak

Players must make physical contact before saying a line of dialogue. This forces physical connection, proximity, and intentionality in dialogue.

Traditional Freeze

Two players start a scene inspired by an action. At any time, another player says “freeze.” The first two freeze, and the caller tags one out, assumes their exact position, and starts a new scene inspired by the pose.

Trait Plate

Trait Plate is a storytelling game where players in a circle collaboratively build a narrative and create characters. The game focuses on listening and acceptance, as each player introduces their character and then adds a new trait to the next player’s character. Players must immediately adapt to the new information given to them, leading to a fun and spontaneous story.

Translate Gibberish

One player speaks a line of gibberish with clear intention and emotion, and another player immediately translates it into English, interpreting the meaning and continuing the scene.

Triangles

Each person secretly thinks of two other people in the room. When “go” is shouted, everyone tries to maintain an equilateral triangle with their two chosen people, causing the group to move around and potentially find equilibrium.

Triple Play

This can refer to a scene performed in three different ways (e.g., three emotions, three genres) or a scene involving three distinct storylines or character groups that interweave.

Trivial Pursuit

Similar to the board game, players improvise a scene that takes the form of a Trivial Pursuit game, with characters asking and answering questions on various topics, often with comedic or absurd responses.

True Truths and a Lie

In small groups or a large circle, each student shares two true facts about themselves and one lie. The rest of the group then works collaboratively to identify the lie, while the speaker defends or explains their statements.

Tug-O-War

The class is divided into two groups, which mime a tug-of-war fight. The objective is for the mimed rope not to stretch or shrink, and for one group to “gladly lose.” This encourages acceptance and collaborative miming.

Turkish Army Drill

A physical warm-up where players follow a series of rapid-fire, often absurd, commands given by a “drill sergeant.” The commands might involve specific movements, sounds, or poses, pushing players for quick, precise responses.

Turning Circle

Players stand in a circle. One player starts a sound or gesture, and the player next to them builds on it, and so on. The “circle” continually turns or shifts, meaning the next person to contribute is not always the immediate neighbor, requiring constant awareness.

TV News

Players improvise a scene in the style of a TV news broadcast, with anchors, field reporters, and possibly expert guests, covering a strange or mundane event with dramatic seriousness.

Two Scenes

This format involves two distinct scenes being played simultaneously or intercutting rapidly. The challenge is for players to maintain both narratives and allow them to subtly influence or comment on each other.

Two’s Company

When more than two players appear on stage, one must leave. This forces efficient scene work and clear focus.

Typewriter

An author types a story, providing key moments for onstage players to act out. The scene alternates seamlessly between the typist’s narration and the embodied dialogue and action of the onstage characters.

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