ONE WORD1
TEAM GAME – TRAINING OF MODERATORS (TOM), MAY. 6–9 2010
Participants Time
Energy
Level
Individual
Team
3 - 12
*
*
***
5 Minutes
Visual
Verbal
Physical
*****
A classic from improvisational theatre, which prompts plenty of laughter on most occasions.
This is a strongly verbal game, and can prove tricky in English for non-native English speakers.
Trainer says:
"We're going to form a circle, and tell a story one word each at a time. When you say a word,
you point to the person who's going to say the next word in the story.
"At the end of each sentence, we don't need to say the punctuation marks.
Just start the next sentence, as you would do in normal speech."
Sidecoach
If the story breaks down, or the grammar gets too convoluted, chuck the story away and start a
new one. In improvisation, everything is disposable. There's always another one coming along.
Allow only one word from each person a time.
Recognise the end of a story and allow it to finish.
Debrief
"Who created the story? Who was the leader?"
•
"What responsibility does each person have for each other?"
•
"What responsibility does each person have for the story?"
•
"How does the speed with which you contribute the next word affect the quality of the
output?"
1
Jackson, Paul Z.: 58 ½ Ways to Improvise in Training. Crown: Bancyfelin/Bethel, 2008. pp. 31f.
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Impro note
One-word stories teach many improvisational skills, including the spontaneity needed to keep
up the pace of the story, flexibility - when you have to folIow a word you were not expecting and creativity.
2010-05-06 FNF PAK - ToM - Team Game-One Word.doc
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