The games in this chapter are for groups to play standing or sitting in a circle. They make good party games or can be used as actor warm-ups. Want to Buy a … is a memorization game. It can help you memorize your lines for a play, rehearse for an oral report, or memorize facts for a test.
People of all ages sometimes have trouble focusing their attention. Zoom, Thumper, Guess the Leader, Pass the Clap, and Zip Zap Zop are all excellent focusing activities.
Sometimes theater is performed “in the round.” This means the audience sits on all four sides of the stage.
Important basic acting and improv concepts (see chapter 7) are taught in Give-and-Take and Yes And.
Listening skills are further developed in This Is a … and Operator, which is a favorite at indoor parties. These games require no setup.
Knots promotes team building and skills for working in groups—skills valuable in theater as well as everyday life.
Just like the gears of a watch or the parts of a machine, circles are for working together. Everyone is connected and cooperating with everyone else.
Memorizing lines is an important part of an actor’s job. This is a memorization and listening game that can get really crazy. Sit in a circle. If you are chosen to start the game, turn to the player on your left and say, “Do you want to buy a … ?” Fill in the blank with any object or animal that you think of—for example, a pig. The person next to you responds by asking, “A what?” and you repeat the animal name: “A pig.”
Then the person asks an “Is it” or “Does it” question about the pig, such as, “Does it oink?” You answer the question with, “Of course it oinks.”
This second person then turns to the third person in the circle and says, “Do you want to buy a … ?” He or she fills in the blank with a new animal or object, such as a car. The third person asks, “A what?” and the second person repeats, “A what?” You answer, “A pig,” and the second person says, “A car.” The third person then asks an “Is it” or “Does it” question about the car, such as, “Is it new?” The second person repeats his or her question about the pig, “Does it oink?” You say, “Of course it oinks.” The second person answers the question posed to them with, “Of course it’s new.”
Now it’s the third person’s turn to ask the fourth person, “Do you want to buy a … ?” and so on. Sound confusing? Just wait until you play it!
Here’s an example of how this game might work.
ZACK:
Do you want to buy a dog?
ANNA (to Zack):
A what?
ZACK (to Anna):
A dog.
ANNA (to Zack):
Does it bark?
ZACK (to Anna):
Of course it barks.
ANNA (to Joshua, on her left):
Do you want to buy an apple?
JOSHUA (to Anna):
A what?
ANNA (to Zack):
A what?
ZACK (to Anna):
A dog.
ANNA (to Joshua):
An apple.
JOSHUA (to Anna):
Is it red?
ANNA (to Zack):
Does it bark?
ZAOK (to Anna):
Of course it barks.
ANNA (to Joshua):
Of course it’s red.
JOSHUA(to Becky):
Do you want to buy a fish?
BECKY (to Joshua):
A what?
JOSHUA (to Anna):
A what?
ANNA (to Zack):
A what?
ZACK(to Anna):
A dog.
ANNA (to Joshua):
An apple.
JOSHUA (to Becky):
A fish.
BECKY (to Joshua):
Does it swim?
JOSHUA (to Anna):
Is it red?
ANNA (to Zack):
Does it bark?
ZACK (to Anna):
Of course it barks.
ANNA (to Joshua):
Of course it’s red.
JOSHUA (to Becky):
Of course it swims.
Whew!
To memorize his lines, an actor may tape record the other character’s lines, leaving space on the tape for his lines. Then, he can play the tape back and say his lines when the right time comes.
Think of the sound a car makes as it’s zooming by: “Zoom!” Now think of the sound a car makes when it screeches to a sudden stop: “Errrrr!” This activity lets you use your imagination, gets you focused, and helps you practice sound effects.
Sit in a circle and wind up an imaginary car. Make a winding-up sound with your voice as you do this. Set the imaginary car on the floor in front of you, push it with your hand to the person next to you, and say, “Zoom!” That person pushes it along to the next person, saying, “Zoom!” The car continues around the circle, “Zoom!” “Zoom!” “Zoom!” This continues until someone stops it by putting out his or her hand and making the loud screeching sound: “Errrrr!” That person changes the direction of the car, and pushes it the other way, saying, “Zoom!”
When the car comes to you, you have two choices:
The only way to change the direction of the car is to stop it first. If the car gets lost (if you don’t know who has it or where it was last), start over by winding it up again.
Here are more elements you can add to make Zoom even more fun and challenging.
Before theaters had curtains or lighting onstage, trumpets let the audience know when the play was about to begin.
To be successful at this game, you must focus, pay close attention, and observe everyone around you. Because this game requires no equipment and little explanation, it’s a great transition game when you have extra time you didn’t know you’d have.
Sit in a circle. Choose one person to leave the room while the remaining players choose another person to be the leader. The leader starts a movement, such as patting her knees. The other players follow by mirroring her movement. The leader changes the movement periodically, and everyone else in the group mirrors her action. The outside player, or guesser, comes back into the room and stands in the middle of the circle. The guesser has three chances to guess who the leader is.
The leader can choose any movement that the other players can do, too. For example, the leader can clap her hands for a while, then change to patting her head. Everyone continues to mirror the leader until the guesser correctly identifies the leader or has used up his or her three guesses.
For the next round, the leader leaves the room to become the guesser, and a new leader is chosen. Continue playing until everyone has a chance to lead and to guess.
Acting tip for the leader: Don’t make any sudden changes in movement. Let the movements flow from one into the next so that everyone else can easily follow this change.
Acting tip for the guesser: Use your ears as well as your eyes. For example, when the movement changes to a clap, see if you can tell where the sound of the clap first came from.
Acting tip for the other players: Don’t look right at the leader. If everyone is looking at the leader, it’s very easy for the guesser to identify her.
You can learn the basic concept of “give-and-take” with this activity while practicing rhythm, too!
Stand in a circle. Turn to the person on your left, make eye contact with him, and clap together. The goal is to clap at the same time. Next, he turns to the person on his left, makes eye contact, and claps at the same time as that person. Keep passing the clap around the circle. See if you can pass it in rhythm.
Be sure to focus and make eye contact as you take and give the clap. Always be ready for it, and keep it going smoothly around the circle. See how fast you can go.
Sing a song as you pass the clap. Keep the clap going with the rhythm of the song. “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is a great song for this activity. Try slow songs and fast songs. Just remember to focus and keep the rhythm.
This is probably one of the most famous theater warm-up games. Zip Zap Zop combines quick thinking with fast movements. Before you play, practice jumping, clapping, and pointing at the same time. OK, since you can’t actually clap and point at the exact same time, practice jumping and clapping and then pointing right after you clap.
The second thing you need to remember is the title of the game, in the right order: zip, zap, zop.
Stand in a circle. One person starts by jumping, clapping, and pointing to someone as she says, “Zip.” The person she points to jumps, claps, and points to someone else, saying, “Zap.” The person she points to then jumps, claps, and points to someone else, saying, “Zop.” The person he points to then jumps, claps, and points to someone else, saying, “Zip.” The game continues until someone gets out.
Play Tongue Twister Zip Zap Zop. Instead of saying “zip,” “zap,” and “zop,” say the words to your favorite tongue twister or song. “Peter Piper” works great. Just jump, clap, and point to someone saying, “Peter.” The person you pointed to jumps, claps, and points saying, “Piper.” The person he pointed to then jumps, claps, and points, saying, “Picked,” and so on.
Give-and-take is an important concept in acting. A good actor knows when to give focus to another actor and when to take focus. If an actor is saying a line, all eyes and ears should be on her. When it is time to say your line, be strong and say it like you mean it in order to take focus.
This game will help you learn the concept of give-and-take. It also helps you lose your inhibitions and not be afraid to get a little crazy.
Stand in a circle. One person is chosen to go into the middle of the circle and make a unique sound and movement. Repeating this sound and movement over and over, he goes up to someone else in the circle and “gives” the person this sound and movement. To “take” a sound and movement, the new person mirrors the giver’s actions until she is doing it exactly the same way. When the giver is satisfied that the new person has imitated this sound and movement correctly, he will nod his head.
The new person continues doing the sound and movement while moving into the middle of the circle. The giver takes this second player’s place in the circle. The new person makes the sound and movement her own by slowly changing it into a new sound and a new movement. Then she gives the new sound and movement to someone else in the circle, following the same pattern just described.
Continue giving and taking sounds until everyone has had at least one turn. As you get better at this game, you can make your sounds and movements more complicated.
The title song from the musical Oklahoma is the official state song of Oklahoma.
Thumper combines the focus of The Number Game (chapter 2) and the creativity of Give-and-Take for a fast-paced, competitive game. This is a great warm-up or energy-boosting activity for your theater group.
Sit in a circle. Pick someone to begin. He picks a short sound and movement that can be done from a seated position, and he performs this sound and movement. Then the person sitting next to him comes up with a different sound and movement and demonstrates it. Continue until everyone has come up with and demonstrated his or her unique sound and movement.
To start the game, choose one person to be the leader. Together, all of the players quickly pat or thump the floor with their hands while saying the following chant:
LEADER:
What’s the name of the game?
OTHER PLAYERS:
Thumper!
LEADER:
How do you play?
OTHER PLAYERS:
Fast and easy!
The leader makes her sound and movement and immediately follows this with any other player’s sound and movement. This second player makes his sound and movement, then someone else’s. (Always make your own first, then somebody else’s.) As soon as somebody else makes your sound and movement, it’s your turn. When it’s not your turn, keep thumping on the floor. The game moves quickly and continues until someone is out.
Play Animal Thumper. Everyone’s sound and movement must be inspired by an animal. Here are some examples:
When someone gets out, he or she stays in the circle and continues to thump, but that’s all.
Start each new round by repeating the chant. The game continues until only one person is left.
Supporting and cooperating with your fellow actors is an important skill and the basis for acting and improvisation (see chapter 7). To support your partner, agree with her ideas. Say yes to them. To cooperate with your partner, build onto her ideas. This game shows you how to do these things.
Sit in a circle. Make eye contact with someone and say a statement such as, “The grass is green.” The player you made eye contact with then makes eye contact with someone else and says, “Yes.” Then he repeats your statement, “The grass is green,” and adds “and” as well as his own statement, such as, “The sky is blue.” The person he made eye contact with then turns to someone else and says, “Yes, the sky is blue, and clowns are funny.” Each player repeats the phrase the previous player passed to her and adds her own. The game continues until everyone but one player is out.
How do you get out? Here are the rules.
When you’re out, leave the circle and help judge when others get out. Continue playing until one person is left.
Discover working together in rhythm with this game. This Is a … becomes an intense listening game, because you must hear what is being passed to you at the same time that you must tell the next person what you are passing to them. In addition, everyone is talking at once.
Sit in a circle and hold your object in your hand. To begin the activity, every player turns to the player on their left and says, “This is a …” You then say the name of whatever object you’re holding. Then turn to the person on your right and say, “A what?” Turn back to the person on your left and say, “A … ,” and the name of the object. Then turn right and say, “A what?” Turn left and say, “A … ,” and the name of the object. Turn right, take the new object and say, “Oh, a … !” Here you fill in the blank with your new object. Continue passing the objects around the circle until you get your original object back.
For a challenge, lie about what the object is. Pass a pencil around, but say it’s an elephant. See if it comes back to you as an elephant. If you can’t understand the person on your right, either say what you thought you heard or call the new object a “something” as you pass it on.
Acting tip: You are responsible for making sure the person on your left hears and understands you. That is your job. Don’t worry about hearing the person on your right. They are responsible for you. If everyone takes care of the person on his or her left, the game will be successful. Just like in theater, if you take care of your scene partners, you won’t have to be nervous because they’ll take care of you.
This is a quiet listening game that requires no preparation. The object of this game is to pass a message all the way around the circle so that it ends up being the same message as when it began.
Sit in a circle, and begin the game with one player whispering a sentence or phrase to the player on his right. That person whispers the same message to the person on her right, and this continues until it gets all the way around to the person on your left. The person on your left says the message out loud. You then repeat the original message out loud. If the message is the same, then you succeeded! If the message is not the same, it’s funny to hear how it changed.
Here’s an example of how this game might work.
SOPHIE (whispering to Noah):
The big green frog ate ten flies for lunch.
NOAH (whispering to Megan):
The big green frog ate ten flies for lunch.
MEGAN (not hearing what Noah says):
Operator!
NOAH (repeating the message, whispering again to Megan):
The big green frog ate ten flies for lunch.
MEGAN (still doesn’t hear it quite right but cannot say operator again, so she whispers to Todd what she thinks she heard):
A big dog ate a bunch of fleas at ten o’clock.
TODD (the last in the circle, says out loud):
The big dog ate a bunch of fleas at ten o’clock.
SOPHIE:
That’s not what I said. I said, “The big green frog ate ten flies for lunch!”
Well, they were close.
This is a game for people who want to learn to work together on a play, team, school project, or anyplace where you’re working closely with others.
Stand in a circle, reach your hands out in front of you, cross them at the elbows, and close your eyes. Everyone slowly steps into the circle and takes hold of the first two hands he or she comes across. Once everyone has found two hands to hold, open your eyes. All of your hands should be knotted up. The goal is to unknot your hands, without letting go, until you’re back in a circle. You might have to step over somebody, let someone crawl under you, or twist in crazy ways. Work together to do whatever it takes to get back in a circle.
Try doing this without speaking. With larger groups, have a Knot Race. See which team can straighten out its knot first.
Imagine what the life of an alien might be like. Does it go from baby to old age like humans? Work together to create the life span of an alien.
Players stand in a circle. One player goes in the middle of the circle and is born (or hatches) and shows everyone what the newborn alien is like. Be sure to make the sounds that the newborn alien would make. After a moment, that player crawls to another player. The new player mirrors the newborn alien, then switches places with the first player. The new player crawls to the middle of the circle and portrays the alien when it is a bit older. The new player shows everyone what a toddler alien might act like and sound like. When the toddler alien is established, that player approaches a third player in the circle. The third player mirrors the second player as the toddler alien, then switches places with her. The third player goes into the middle of the circle and makes the alien age a bit more. Now the alien is a child. Continue the game until the alien expires of old age.
Players stand in a circle. All players begin by patting their hands on their knees in a slow rhythm, saying, “Tonga, tonga, tonga,” in low voices.
One person holds her hands as if they are puppets. She turns them in toward her own face and says, “Bunny, bunny,” in a medium voice while opening and closing her hands. Then she points her hands at another player and says, “Bunny, bunny,” to that person. It is then that player’s turn to say, “Bunny, bunny,” to himself, then to another player. This is how the turn passes. “Bunny, bunny, bunny, bunny,” should be said exactly twice as fast as “Tonga, tonga, tonga.”
Whenever anyone is saying “Bunny, bunny,” the two players on either side of her face that player, wave their hands in the air, and say, “Toki toki toki toki toki toki toki toki,” in a high voice. The speed at which you repeat “toki” should be said exactly twice as fast as the speed at which you repeat “bunny.”
Rhythmically, think of “tonga” as a whole note, “bunny” as a half note, and “toki” as a quarter note.
This is a rhyming rhythm game with a funny tag line. Players sit in a circle. All players should be ready to say the line, “In my nose.” This phrase is said between all other lines. Start keeping a rhythm by snapping or patting your legs. The first player starts with a line that is easy to rhyme with, such as, “There’s a goat.” Then all players say, “In my nose.” The player to the right of who started then says a short line that rhymes with goat, such as, “Ride a boat.” Then all players say, “In my nose.”
See how far around the circle you can get using the same rhyme. Also, try to stay in rhythm.
This game is easy to explain but hard to play. It takes a lot of concentration to play this game without messing up. Players sit in a circle. A leader tells everyone the only two rules of the game:
Sounds easy, but it’s hard to do. It is a great way to practice focus.
Here’s an example of how to play. Charlie, Ann, Henry, Emma, and Delaney are sitting in a circle.
CHARLIE: Delaney.
Delaney touches Emma.
EMMA: Ann.
Ann touches Henry.
HENRY:
Emma. Emma touches Delaney.
DELANEY: Charlie.
To make this game even more difficult, choose an ice-cream flavor or a color for everyone to be and say that instead of names.
This warm-up game makes you think in three different ways at once. You have to listen to the other players, think of items in a category, and count in your head all at the same time.
Players sit in a circle. The first player says a category, such as color. Going around in clockwise order, each of the next seven players says a color. Without pausing to count, the eighth player says another category. The round continues until someone gets out. Here are the ways you get out:
This game can be played in small or large groups. In small groups, the players will have to say more than one thing in a given category. The game just continues until seven things have been said.
Suggestion: Rather than players getting “out,” try one of these consequences.
Here is an example of how to play: Carl, Dexter, Emily, Grace, and Timmy are sitting in a circle. Carl says the first category, and the game continues clockwise:
CARL:
States.
DEXTER:
Illinois.
EMUY:
California.
GRACE:
Hawaii.
TIMMY:
Ohio.
CARL:
Florida.
DEXTER:
Nevada.
EMILY:
Alaska.
GRACE:
Girl names.
Instead of saying another state, Grace changed the category because she is eighth.
TIMMY:
Hannah.
CARL:
Michaela.
DEXTER:
Margo.
EMILY:
Anna.
GRACE:
Nancy.
TIMMY:
Sports teams.
Timmy is out, because he was supposed to say another girl’s name instead of a new category.