DN Character and Acting Game

© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg.
1
Character/Acting Games
The activities in this section can be used to help students create or further develop characters
they have been working on.
The activities highlighted in blue are clickable links that lead to

either a video or a longer written lesson.
Acting out a Story

One person (the group leader) reads a story then tells it again with
the students acting it out. Students choose their own characters. For
example: If you are going to tell the story of the Gingerbread Boy,
some students will be the Gingerbread Boy, some will be the old
woman or the little old man, and some will want to be the
townspeople or the fox. It’s alright if there are two or more of some
characters and it’s alright if gender roles are reversed. If there are
characters left over (no one wants to be the little old man) then the
leader plays the roles. Students sit in the audience until it’s their
turn to be in the story. Then they come up onstage and say their
lines (basically repeating after the storyteller!).
Great Ensemble Stories to Act Out:

The Mitten
The Gingerbread Boy
The Pied Piper
The Enormous Turnip
The Great Kapok Tree
Too Much Noise
The Bremen Town Musicians
The Three Little Pigs
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Stone Soup
One Monster After Another
© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg. 2
Actor’s Nightmare
Two players onstage, one of which gets their lines on paper (like a script). The other player
must respond by making up her lines. You can use existing plays for this, or use the printout
provided on this website. Coach students to try to remember to stay in character and to actually
‘act,’ rather than just reading or improvising their lines.
Or try this!
Actor’s Nightmare with Poems
Instead of scripts, use simple poems for younger students. Students make up the
next rhyming line!
Animal Characters
Ask the audience for animals or use the Animals printout. Have
players act out a scene in which the characters are based on animals.
Note: players do not become the animals, they only exhibit
characteristics of the animals. For example, ‘bull’ might inspire a player
to an obnoxious character, moving in a powerful way.
Or try this!
Totems
Write down a variety of totem animals on slips of paper. Or have students
contribute totem names to put in a hat. Have each player choose a totem before
they play a scene. Examples of totem animals: bear; deer; rabbit; horse; snake;
owl; turtle; crow; fox; wolf; tiger; frog; lion; hawk. Students may also add an
adjective or verb to their totem animal to make it more interesting. Examples:
Black Wolf; Laughing Eagle; Lucky Horse; Clever Turtle; Angry Frog; Sneaky
Crow; Brave Rabbit; White Buffalo; Racing Mouse; Grumbling Moose; etc.
The Annoying Game

(On Video under Characters and Improvisation.)
Put two chairs onstage. These represent a park bench or a bus stop. Ask students if they’ve
ever known someone who does something really annoying. Announce that in this game, an
ordinary person will be sitting at the bus stop minding her business when along comes someone
who is really annoying. The person waiting for the bus must pantomime a simple activity such
as reading or painting her nails. The person entering the scene must come up with an
extremely annoying habit, way of speaking or mannerism (such as constantly sneezing or
talking non-stop). The person innocently waiting for the bus must then invent a ridiculous
excuse to leave (such as, “I have to go, um, make copies of all my books!”). The annoying
person then becomes the person waiting at the bus stop and play continues until all actors have
had a chance to play both roles. Rules: no touching the person; nothing too vulgar or
disgusting; no repeats.
Answer the Door

Two players onstage. One is in the ‘house,’ the other will come to the door. Give each player an
identity. For example, the player inside the house is a bored housewife and the person coming
to the door is a flower delivery person at the wrong house. The goal of this game is for players
to learn to establish their characters before dialogue takes place. Coach actors to take their
time in their environments and to imagine what happened in the hours or moments leading up
to the scene.

Award Ceremony
(Full version in 75 No-prep Drama Lessons)
One player presents a (fictional) award to the next player who must improvise an acceptance
speech. The acceptor then becomes the presenter! Give ‘presenters’ the option of coming up
with their own award, or drawing one from a hat. Awards may be funny or serious.
Examples of Serious Awards:

Pulitzer Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
Olympic Gold Medalist
Oscar Winner
Grammy Winner
Examples of Funny Awards:

Last Place in a Marathon
World’s Oldest Bachelor/Bachelorette
Hairiest Person Alive
World’s Worst Psychic
“Old Maid” Champion
Bartender
Two players onstage: a bartender and a customer. The leader asks
audience players for a problem. The customer goes into a bar and
explains his woes to the bartender. The bartender has to solve the
problem with something he pulls out of a hat, such as: WD40;
bubble gum; a tennis racket; an oven mitt; silly putty.
Or try this!
Singing Bartender
Have players SING the entire scene.
Beats in the Music

Play a piece of classical music that has dramatic changes. Ask students to listen for any changes
and to write down a word that signifies the change such as: louder; more energetic;
depressing; slower. Discuss how many the students found. Explain the relevance of beats in a
play.
Becoming Characters
Have the students move about the space. Tell them that in a minute, they are going to become
a character. They will move like that character and create a facial expression that they think
that character would have. The leader calls out four different characters and each student
silently chooses to be one of the characters. Without talking, they mill about the room and
silently greet the other players as their character. Side-coach “How old is your character?” “How
fast does this character walk?” “Does this character have lots of energy, or is he slow?” etc.
After a minute, invite students to add dialogue. At the end of the game, have one of each
character get into a small group and come up with a skit that features at least one of each
character. For example: If you played using the King, Wizard, Princess and the Farmer, have
one of each join together in a small group. You may choose to put all of the Kings in one area
of the room, all of the Wizards in an another area, and so on, and pull one student from each
group to put them together.
Character suggestions:
King, Wizard, Princess, Farmer
Snake, Elephant, Lion, Bunny
Policeman, Teacher, Actress, Race Car Driver
Beauty Queen, Thief, Mail Carrier, Doctor
Hillbilly, Rock Star, Spy, Cheerleader
Detective, Construction Worker, Talk-Show Host, Clown
Box of Hats
This one takes a while to assemble, but is really fun to have once it’s done. Find a big container
such as a plastic tub or bin. Start collecting interesting hats such as: a helmet, a sombrero, a
wedding veil, etc. Once you start collecting hats, it’s hard to stop! Bring in the Box of Hats
occasionally for some really crazy fun with the students. You’ll want to hide it before class and
establish a rule that only one player gets to pick a hat at a time.
Or try this!
Character Walk with Hats
Have Box of Hats “offstage.” Invite students to go up one at a time, choose a
hat, and move from one side of the stage to the other as a character who would
wear that hat.
Hat Skits
One at a time, invite students to choose a hat and then invite them to walk
through the space as a character who would wear that hat. At the sound of a
bell, or when the music stops, have them find two or three other players who
have hats of a similar color. Once small groups are established, invite players
to come up with a three-minute skit using their “hat” characters. Use “A Short
Play” format to make it easier.
Box of Scarves
Assemble a box of scarves of varying sizes and colors. Light-weight scarves
are more versatile for the movement game. Use the box of scarves in place of
a costume box to get students thinking in terms of using their imaginations
rather than simply putting on a ready-made costume. Make the box of
scarves available for students to use in the skits they put on. One scarf per
student is a good rule. Students may or may not use the scarves to tell their
story. But if one of their characters was an old woman, for example, the
player could wrap a scarf around her shoulders like a shawl, or over her head,
tied under her chin.
Or try this!
Scarf Characters
One at a time, players choose a scarf, choose a way to wear the scarf and go up
in front of the class and give a character name and movement using the scarf as
inspiration.

Scarf Skits
Using above activity, have all scarf characters move around the room the way their character
would move. At the sound of a bell, or when the music stops, players find two or three other
characters MOST like their character. Then have them start moving through the space again,
then ring a bell and have players find two or three other scarf characters LEAST like their
character. This is all totally arbitrary, of course, no right answers and no wrong answers. When
players are in small groups, they must come up with a skit featuring their scarf characters.
Bubble Gum
(On Video under Imagination and Storytelling)
This is a classic skit (below) that can be an excellent way to warm-up creative muscles! It can
be played by all ages and can take up the entire class period if you are not careful! Below is the
skit written out, but the basic idea is that it starts with the gum chewing kid and then every
actor takes the stage as a different character who interacts with the gum in some way. Lastly,
the gum-chewing kid returns, picks up the gum and chews it! Encourage students to find a
unique way of interacting with the gum (no duplicates) and discourage too many disgusting
things!
Scene: The sidewalk

Cast: Kid, jogger, jump-roper, dog, old man, basketball player (and more if you wish)
A kid walks onstage chewing gum. He says, “I’ve got this new gum. It has five different
flavors, and it’s supposed to be really good for blowing bubbles.” He blows a huge
imaginary bubble. It pops and flies out of his mouth. He says, “Oh no, where did it go?”
He looks everywhere and can’t find it. He finally wanders offstage looking at the ground.
Then a Jogger enters and gets his foot stuck on the gum. A jump-roper gets it stuck on
her rope. A dog comes by, sniffs the gum and pees on it. An old man wanders on and
gets the gum stuck on his cane. A basketball player dribbles by, and gets the gum stuck
to his ball. (You can add more characters that do silly things to the gum.) Finally, the
kid returns. Spots the gum. He is excited to find it, “There it is!” He pops it into his
mouth and starts to chew. “Tastes even better than I remember!”
Character Development through Walks

Play some music and have group members walk around trying out various postures until they
develop a character. Next, offer a situation for them to interact in such as: in a grocery store; in
an elevator; a party; etc. This part should be pantomimed only. Next, introduce a new situation
and invite participants to add dialogue.
Character Interview
Have students walk around the space silently. Ask students to think about
a book they are currently reading (or a book you are reading in class).
Have them choose one character. Ask students to think about their
background, how they walk, talk, what motivates them etc. As they are
walking, they become that character. They introduce themselves to each
other as they are walking about the room. Let this go on for a minute or
two. Pause the game when students are greeting each other. “The person
you have just met will be your partner.” Then in pairs, have them sit
down, start interviewing each other. One person goes first. Students stay
in character, asking questions about their backgrounds and lives. Have
entire class come together as a group at the end.

Ask!
What did you notice when playing this game?
What new information did you gain about either your own character, or a
character you met?
What surprised you?
How does this affect how you feel about your character or other characters?
How is this useful?
Character Name Game

Make up a list of character names and put them in a hat. Have each student choose a name.
Invite students to come up with a character based on a name. Next, put students in small
groups and have them come up with a skit that involves all the characters.
Colors
Have players walk about the space. Call out a color. Players must create a movement, pose or
expression that is reflective of that color. (Use “color” list in LISTS section.)
Or try this!
• Use colors in place of character traits in other improv games such as Party
Quirks, Restaurant Game, Hitchhiker and more.
• Have each player choose a color from a hat. In groups of three or four, they
come up with a character based on their color and write a skit based on the
characters in their group.
• Invite older students to assign their character a color and have them develop
their character by listing all of the traits of that color and choosing one or two to
play in a scene.
Color Your Nursery Rhyme

Read aloud or hand out a paper with a nursery rhyme on it. First, read the nursery rhyme in a
variety of different ways, while the group imitates in a chorus. Or have the group try it without
you reading it first. Next, invite players to take the stage one at a time and recite the nursery
rhyme in a different way.
Sample Ways of Reading Include:

Suspenseful Very loudly
Angrily Depressed
Sadly Stupidly
Incredulously Like a teenager
Suspiciously As if it is a commercial
Excitedly Like an opera singer
Like a grandma or grandpa Helium Voice
Nervously Like a dog
Very loudly Mouth full of gum
Like a radio announcer Boastfully-like bragging
Happily Like a cheerleader
Like a rock star Like a politician
Very softly Monotone

Continuing Emotions
Start a neutral scene with two players. For example, a customer goes into a store to return
something. Have the two players act it out straight. Then, have them do it again, using emotion
suggestions from the audience. For example: in the second round of play, the customer is
fearful and the clerk is jubilant. (They can each have a different emotion, or both the same.)
Costume Box
Assemble a box of simple costumes (there is a printout with a list of examples to get you
started). Invite the students to choose a costume item one at a time, then move throughout the
room silently, at a leisurely pace. Have actors put on their costume piece and think about what
kind of character would wear such a thing. Choose a made-up character, one they’ve never
heard of. How old are they? What are their likes/dislikes? How do they move? Slowly? In a
hurry? Instruct the players to form groups of three with the characters that seem least like
their own. No right or wrong. Shift group members to even out numbers if there is confusion.
Have the students introduce themselves as their characters. Tell the students that they have
ten minutes to come up with a short play that has a beginning, middle and end as their
characters. (See also: prop box.)
Customer Service
One player is the clerk at the customer service desk. One at a time, players enter the scene
trying to return something. Director gives each player an obstacle (from the party
quirks/obstacles printout). Customer service player must guess what is wrong with the
customer while playing the scene.
Death by Household Object

(On Video under Imagination and Storytelling.)
Players in a circle. Each person takes a turn going into the middle of the circle and acts out a
death scene in which an ordinary household object kills he/she. Encourage players to take a full
ten seconds to die. As a storytelling activity, ask students to write a three-minute scene in
which one or more of the characters is killed by an ordinary household object.
Dinner at the Nursing Home

Two to four players seated at a ‘table’ onstage. Players
engage in dinner conversation, but they have trouble
hearing each other and misinterpret everything the other
players say. The goal of this game is to exaggerate
communication difficulties. It’s a great game to play
before playing an extreme listening activity.
Other nursing home situations:

Bingo Night at the Nursing Home-one person is the
caller and the residents have trouble hearing what was
called.
Old People on a Tour Bus-one person is the ‘tour

guide,’ while the bus riders misinterpret everything she
says.

Director's Choice
Three players onstage. First the director asks for a location, and the three actors perform a
short, simple scene at that location. The director then asks for an emotion from the audience,
and the actors redo the scene all displaying that emotion. Next, the director asks for a movie
genre, and the scene is redone in that style. And finally, a literary style is asked for and the
scene is re-performed as such. Actors are encouraged to change things from the basic scene as
they see fit for the new style. This activity demonstrates the wide variation in ways that one
simple scene may be played.
Do not Open
Three actors stand in front of a box marked “Do Not Open.”
Pantomime Version
One person decides to open it, and each actor decides what is inside.
Improv Version
Each actor has an attitude about opening it. One person does not want to open
it. Another person wants to, and the third person is ambivalent.
Characters Version
Each person is given a specific character and comes up with a unique viewpoint
about opening the box. (A police officer, a thief, a hairdresser, for instance.)
Elevator Scenes
Divide class into small groups. Tell students that the scene is an elevator in a five-story school
building. The last class has just ended and everyone is leaving for the day. The students in the
elevator are from the same class--so they know each other. Give each student a definite
personality type: typical jock, male chauvinist, rich snob, school bully, class brain, etc. Halfway
down, the elevator breaks down. Their objective is to get to the bottom floor so they can go
wherever they were heading after school. Variation: Put one group onstage at a time and give
them a different setting and characters each time.
Scenes/Characters:
High-rise Office Building: wealthy
executive; secretary; janitor; security
guard; flower delivery person
Hospital: Surgeon; nurse; wounded

patient; lost little boy; pregnant woman
Apartment Building: apartment
manager; thief; two roommates who hate
each other; cable guy
Department Store: rich lady; perfume

salesperson; pickpocket; security guard;
celebrity

Emotion Statues
(Use Emotions in the List Section)
Students stand in a circle or scattered about the space in a neutral position, with their hands at
their sides, feet about shoulder's distance apart. Call out an emotional state such as ecstatic,
worried, depressed, etc. and give students ten seconds to transform into a pose that reflects
that state. Encourage students to make the transition slowly, paying attention to details.
Entrances
(Full version is in 75 No-prep Drama Lessons)
Create a door onstage. One at a time, give students the opportunity to come onstage as a
character, they must enter as that character three different ways. (In a hurry, angry, afraid).
You may also announce a place (fancy hotel) and have the students be characters entering the
lobby (the maid arriving for work, a businessman, a rich woman, a celebrity). If you group
students this way, you can then have them make up a short scene about what happens in the
hotel lobby. They can discuss their characters (who they are and what they are doing in the
hotel) and build a scene from there.
Experts
(Full Version in 75 No-prep Drama Lessons)
Two players onstage. One is a reporter, the other is an ‘expert’ in a specific field. The reporter
draws a topic out of the hat and begins interviewing the expert who must pretend to be an
expert by making up things about the topic. This is an excellent game that helps students think
on their feet!
Or try this!
Funny Experts
Use the list provided in the ‘75 No-prep Drama Lessons’ section and
invite students to come up with outrageous, impromptu explanations
as if they were an expert in the field on ridiculous topics such as
procrastinating.
Audience Suggestion Expert

Take three suggestions from the audience on what the expert must
speak about. The expert MUST choose one of the three suggestions!
Fairytale in a Minute
In small groups, ask students to list their favorite fairytales. Write them down as they call them
out. When the list feels complete, invite each group to choose one fairytale. They have one
minute to agree, or you will choose one for them! After the minute is up, have each group write
their fairytale on an index card or a slip of paper. Now tell the groups that they have ten
minutes to figure out how to tell the story in ONE MINUTE. Actors can be narrators, characters,
furniture, etc.
Family Portraits
Arrange students in groups of five to ten and have one group take the stage. Choose one
person to be the photographer (or play the photographer yourself), and have the rest portray
family members. Tell students that you are going to be taking a series of family portraits and
ask them to arrange themselves as though they are taking a formal picture (some standing,
some sitting, or kneeling). First, take a ‘regular’ family portrait. Next, tell students that the
photographer is going to be calling out different kinds of families and they will have three
seconds to change into a new type of character with a different expression and physical
position. The result may look like a weird slide show! Below is a list of suggestions for themes.
Family types!
Evil family Criminal family
Celebrity family Bodybuilder family
Dude Ranch family Very Intelligent family
Hilarious family Spy family
Fighting family Sick family
Depressed family Egotistical family
Model family Shy family
Circus family Zombie family
Invisible family Cartoon Character family
Rock Star family Clown family
Religious family Elf family
Famous Person Café

Choose one actor to play the waiter. Then choose three
actors to go up onstage and send one out of the room. While
he is gone, the audience suggests the name of a famous
person for the off-stage actor to be. The actor returns, and
another actor leaves the room while the audience decides
who he will be. After all three actors have gone out of the
room, they will play a scene in a cafe in which each actor
knows who the other two are, but not who he is. Each player
must guess who they are based on clues given by the waiter
and the other two famous people.
First Line/Last Line

(Full Version in 75 No-prep Drama Lessons Games.)
Create a list of opening lines to scenes and another list of ending lines. Invite two
students to take the stage. Give one student a ‘first line’ of dialogue and give the other
the ‘last line.’ Together, they must develop a scene that begins and ends with the lines
they’ve been given.
Or try this!
Scene Work
In pairs or triads, students draw a first and a last line and write a scene
that they memorize and rehearse. For this exercise, you may wish to give
all pairs the same first and last line just to see how creative students can
be when given the same material. Limit scenes to five minutes or less.
Make sure students can answer these questions:
Who are the characters?

What is their relationship?
Where does the scene take place?
What problem are they trying to solve?
What is at stake?
What force(s) are working against them?
What inner obstacles must the characters overcome in order to
get what they want?

Friends/Enemies
Put players in pairs and give them a topic for conversation. At first, they will have a
friendly conversation, but when the leader rings a bell, players must start arguing about
the subject. When the leader rings the bell again, they go back to discussing the topic in
a friendly manner.
Sample topics:
Who should take out the garbage
What to have for dinner
Where to go for vacation
Who should be President
What kind of music to listen to
Whether to dust or vacuum first
What present to bring to a wedding
Sample scenarios:
In line for a movie, players discuss which movie to watch
One cookie left, players decide who should have it
Lost in the forest, players talk about which way to go
At a diner, players decide which breakfast to split
At the racetrack, players choose a horse to put down $1 on
In a cabin on vacation, players select a board game to play
Advanced Friends/Enemies
Instruct students to become increasingly friendlier and more
argumentative as the game progresses!
Fortune Teller
Two students onstage—one is the fortune teller and the other is the client. The fortune
teller makes a bizarre prognostication such as “Ah…I see that in your future, you will be
attacked by flying monkeys.” The person whose fortune is being told must explain why
that will probably come true!
Found-Object Puppets
Invite each student to create a puppet out of an ordinary object and bring it to class.
Encourage students to create a personality and a name for their puppet. Instruct
students to find three other players with puppets LEAST like their own, and have the
groups create a short skit involving their puppet characters.
Funeral
One player lies dead in a coffin downstage. (Tip-for a more peaceful game, pick your
most energetic student to play the dead guy.) One at a time, players must approach the
coffin and say their final goodbyes. Offstage players must listen carefully to onstage
players because every character builds on the story of the dead guy’s life. EXAMPLE:
Player One approaches dead guy and says “Uncle Vermon, I will miss going fishing with
you and hanging out on the back porch with you while you got drunk, but I won’t miss
the way you always stole money from my daddy. Goodbye.” The next player must go
along with the fact that the dead guy is named Vermon, is middle-aged and is
somewhat of a scoundrel. But they can add anything that adds to the story, such as:
“Vermon, I wish you hadn’t died so suddenly. It’s terrible that someone murdered you. I
only wish they would catch the person so that you could rest in peace.”
Or try this!
Box of Hats Funeral
Another version of this game is described under “Box of Hats.”
Get out of that Chair!

(On Video under Characters/Improvisation)
Players in a circle, a chair in the middle. One person sits in the chair. Players take turns
trying to convince the player to give up the chair. Encourage players to be inventive with
their ideas for getting the person out of that chair. Discourage players from using
violence or threats. This is a tactics game that illustrates the concept that characters
always want something.
Good Advice, Bad Advice, Worst Advice

Have three players take the stage, standing in a line facing the audience. A host asks
the audience members for a problem, such as “My dog is afraid of my cat. What should
I do?” players in turn give:
Good Advice
Which could actually work.
Bad Advice
Which is probably not practical or realistic.
Worst Advice
Which is completely ridiculous.
Greetings
(Full Version in 75 No-prep Drama Lessons)
Have the entire group form two lines facing each other. Each side is given a line, such
as “Hi, how are you?” And the players on the other side say “Fine, thank you.” The
leader calls out a way of greeting such as “Greet each other as if you are old friends.”
Next, the players walk toward each other, meet in the middle and deliver their lines ‘in
character.’ The point of this game is to show how one line of dialogue can change
dramatically given different characters and situations.
Be sure to also check out Open Scenes.
Examples of Ways to Greet Each Other:

Like old enemies
Like snobs
Like long lost friends
Like people in a big hurry, but friendly
Like rude people in a big hurry
Like weird people

Have You Seen Charlie?
(On Video under Characters/Improvisation.)
Two-three people stand onstage waiting for ‘Charlie,’ (an actor waiting offstage). Each onstage
player must ask about Charlie and offer a short description such as, “Have you seen my friend
Charlie? He has eyes that bulge out of his head.” The next person must offer a different trait
such as, “Have you seen my friend Charlie? He moves like a slug.” And so on. The off-stage
actor playing Charlie then enters the stage displaying all three traits!
TIP: Make sure the student offers a sound, a movement, and a physical trait.
Or try this!
Here Comes the Monster
Students describe the monster’s traits before the actor arrives onstage. (He has
spaghetti for arms, sounds like a screeching bat, and moves like a cheetah).
History Detective
This takes a bit of preparation and can be an excellent arts integration lesson that may be used
year after year. Get an old suitcase and put items in it that relate to an historical figure you are
studying in class. Make five or six “historical figures” suitcases. Divide the class into five or six
groups. One at a time, the groups must go “onstage,” discover the bag, open it, retrieve the
contents and decipher who it belongs to.
Hitchhiker
(On Video under Characters/Improvisation-Use
Emotions in Lists or Obstacles and Party
Quirks in 75 No-prep Drama Lessons)
In this game, students practice taking on the

emotions of others. Place four chairs onstage,
these will form the front seat and the back seat of
a car. Turn the car a little ‘sideways’ so that all
players can be seen by the audience. Choose two
people to go first. One will be the driver, one will
be the passenger. Establish a relationship
between the two, such as: a husband who is lost;
and a wife who is trying to get him to stop and
ask for directions. The two begin improvising a
scene. Choose another player to be the hitchhiker.
Give the person playing the hitchhiker has a personality quirk that the other people in the car
must notice, such as: won’t stop whining; has an incredible itch; sings instead of speaks. The
driver and the passenger must gradually take on the characteristic of the hitchhiker. Soon, they
pick up another hitchhiker who has a different personality quirk. Again, everyone gradually
takes on their characteristic. When the scene is over, the driver gets out, and the other players
rotate one seat over. Continue playing until all students have had a turn.
How Old Am I?
Establish a simple setting such as a corner bus stop with a bench in the playing area. Each
Player focuses on his/her chosen age. Five or six players may be at the bus stop at the same
time. However, players are not to interact with one another in any way. Side coach: Feel your
age! Feel the age in your feet! Your eyes! The bus is a block away! It’s coming closer! It’s here!
At the end, ask audience players to guess the ages of the stage players.

Interpretations
Ask someone in the group to tell a story. It can be any story, but if students need a prompt, ask
for something specific such as: the time you were most afraid; how you got your first pet; worst
day ever; most unusual vacation; etc. Next, invite three different groups of players to act out
the story in succession. Each new group must interpret the story differently! This game
illustrates how scenes/stories can change depending on the actors, director, or playwright.
It’s Good to be King (or Queen)

Invite one player to play “The Royal Highness.”
She sits in a chair in front of everyone. One at a
time, the other players must approach her and
offer a gift. Students can choose their own
character, and the gift can be anything. “Your
highness, I am the Duchess of Nothingville, and
I’ve brought to you the finest air-filled chocolate in
all of the land.” The monarch can either accept the
gift, and give the character a place in his/her
court, or reject their offer sending the actor back
to town, or give the person the crown, so that
he/she becomes the new monarch. The goal of the monarch is not to reward the most
expensive, enticing gifts, but to reward how well the gift was presented! If a player portrays a
peasant, who offers the monarch a rock, but does so with a strong, committed character, and a
convincing statement, the monarch might be compelled to make the peasant the new monarch!
Some players will not want to give up the monarchy, and may need to be asked to pick a new
monarch so that others will have a chance to play! Remind players continuously to listen to the
offers being made. Remind the ruler that it is their job to reward those who are very
entertaining and convincing!
It’s Not My Fault

(On Video under Imagination and Storytelling)
Two players are given a situation and play out a scene in which h every line of dialogue starts
with “It’s not my fault.” Players continue back and forth, escalating the stakes!
Sample situations!
A husband and wife have returned to find that their house has been robbed.
Two basketball players have just lost a very important game.
A couple taking a road trip have just run out of gas on a deserted road.
Two friends have just missed the last bus of the evening.
A couple dining in a restaurant realize that neither of them has enough money to
pay for their meal.
Two dog walkers have lost the six dogs they were walking.
A pilot and a co-pilot have lost control of the plane and it’s going down.
A hairdresser has just cut a client’s hair way too short.
A vacationing couple have locked themselves out of their mountain cabin. It’s
snowing and they are freezing.
Two police officers have just lost the suspect they were pursuing.
A doctor and a nurse realize that they have just amputated the wrong leg.

Job Interview
Two players onstage. One is the boss, one is the job candidate. Have the job candidate leave
the room while the class offers suggestions for a type of job. The boss decides on one. The job
candidate comes back in the room and the boss begins to interview the job candidate (who
doesn't know what he/she is interviewing for!). Nonetheless, he/she must try to get the job!

Have the students move about the space. Tell them that in a minute, they are going to become
a character. They will move like that character, create a facial expression that they think that
character would have. Without talking, they will look at the other players and silently greet
them as that character. Side-coach “How old is your character?” “How fast does this character
walk?” “Does this character have lots of energy, or is he slow?” etc. Have the students be the
character for a minute or two then switch to another character.
Character suggestions:
Snake, Elephant, Lion, Bunny
Policeman, Teacher, Actress, Race Car Driver
Or make up your own-make sure they are all different personality types
After they have played all four characters, ask the students to divide into groups. Say, “If you
liked being the King the most, go over here. Wizards in that corner, Princesses here and
Farmer’s on that wall.” From there, you can break the students into groups that contain one of
each character, and have them write a short play (using the short play format). OR You can
have the students join you in a circle and do one-sentence story. You start the story. Students
will naturally use their characters. Once you have a fairly complete story, have them act it out.
As the narrator, you can “clean up” the story or embellish it.
Lines in a Pocket
(In 75 No-prep Drama Lessons.)
This game is also known as ‘Bucket.’ Two or three players
onstage. Before the game is played, have the group write down
random lines (the more ridiculous the better), and put the lines
in a hat, scatter them on the floor, or have the actors put a
couple of lines in their pockets. Give the stage players a
suggestion for a scene, such as: mother and daughter shopping
for a wedding dress; two chefs in a kitchen; strangers riding the
bus; boss firing an employee. Have the actors start improvising
their scene. At various times during the scene, they must pull a
line out of their pocket and work it into the scene. This works
best when the actors justify reading the line, such as: as the
boss is firing the employee, he tells him that the reason was
that he is being fired is because he said something awful to
another employee (pulls line out and reads it). The other player
must react as if the line is normal and continue the scene.
Make It Bigger
Players in a circle. One person thinks of an emotion and walks across the circle portraying that
emotion. He taps another player and takes his place. The second person crosses the circle
exaggerating the emotion a little and taps another person who carries it even further.
Encourage players to make it just a little ‘bigger’ each time and to use their whole bodies.

Make it More Interesting
One player starts improvising an activity such as shopping at the grocery store. On a cue given
by the lead player (such as ringing a bell), the player needs to make whatever he was doing
more interesting, without talking. If the player was shopping at the grocery, he needs to make
shopping more interesting; he is not allowed to start doing something else entirely, such as
playing the guitar. Instead, he may continue shopping as though he is dog-tired. This is a great
activity for actors who tend to rely on their voices, or who lack focus.
Make Me
Invite two actors to the stage. Take suggestions from the audience for what character ‘A’ is
doing, such as packing a suitcase. The other actor enters the scene and must try and make
them do something. In this example, the second actor could try and stop the first actor from
leaving. It’s up to the actor entering the scene as to what he’s going to try to get the other
character to do.
The Many Faces of Mad

This activity helps young actors explore the theatrical concept of “indicating vs. acting.” This is
when actors, instead of being in the moment, make a stereotypical facial expression or gesture
to show how they are feeling. For example: If a scene calls for one person to be very angry, the
actor may raise his voice and shake his fist at the other character to show that he is angry. Not
only might this feel inauthentic, it may be the wrong choice for his character. Many people
show anger by lowering their voices or by distancing themselves. This concept goes beyond
emotions to the five senses. People react differently to various tastes, temperatures, etc. Give a
brief explanation of this concept before starting the activity.
Have students stand in a circle. Explain that you are going to call out certain emotions or
situations, and that each person is to react the way they would in real life. Tell students that
they don’t need to jump into a pose right away; it’s more important to be “real” than it is to be
fast. Let them know that it’s okay to imagine the situation for a moment before reacting. Tell
students that this is a silent game.
“Many Faces of Mad” Prompts:

What does your face look like when you are mad? Do you frown? Stare at the
other person? Do you squint your eyes?
What does your body look like when you are mad? How do your muscles feel?
Which ones tense up?
How do you show people when you are too hot? What does your body do? How
do you stand? Do you attempt to cool yourself? How?
What does your face look like when you are sad? How do your eyes feel? Where
else in your body do you feel the sadness?
What happens when you get really excited? Does it only show on your face, or
do you feel it somewhere else in your body? Do you move, or stand still?
How about when you are bored? When you are bored, do you feel like moping
around on the couch, or do you get up and try to find something to do?
What happens in your body when you are afraid? Do you feel like running, or do
you just stand there frozen in place? Where in your body do you feel fear the
most?
How about when you are freezing cold? Do you hop from foot to foot? Do you
dig your hands deep into your pockets, or do you stand very still, shivering?

Ask!
Did you feel successful at making each activity real for you?
Which ones were the hardest?
What did you notice about the group as a whole?
Did everyone look the same or different in each scenario?
Why do you think there was such a variety?
How can we use this activity to be better actors?
How can you apply this to your character?
Market Day
Divide the group in two. One half of the players will be sellers, at the market, and the other half
will be buyers. Have the sellers pantomime setting up their booths, either in a row, or scattered
around the edges of the room. The sellers must decide what they are going to sell. The goal is
for them to come up with something really good to sell, and to be very convincing, in order sell
the most goods to the buyers. The buyers enter when the market is ready. They move from
booth to booth, listening to the sellers pitch their wares. Each buyer has two slips of paper
(money). They can spend all of their money at one booth, or buy from more than one
merchant. Buyers can go around the market and listen to all of the sellers before making their
decisions, or buy on the spot, if they know they want something. Play should continue for about
five minutes, then announce that the market is closing soon. When the round finishes, the seller
with the most money wins! Then the players switch places, and the buyers become sellers, and
the sellers become buyers.
Monologue Chain
Put all players in a circle, with one player in the middle. The middle player starts improvising a
monologue. At any point in time, any other player may step in and take the middle's player's
place and continue the monologue. Coach students to make the transitions very smooth.
Monster Mash
(Full Version in 75 No-prep Drama Lessons.)
Students pull three things out of a hat: a strange
physical attribute; an unusual sound; and a way of
moving. They must use all three to create a unique
monster, give it a name and a back-story. Then, in
small groups, students can create a short play that
includes each monster.
Noisy Restaurant
Establish three tables of customers, and one server on-stage. Give the restaurant patrons topics
for table conversations. The server travels to each table where the sound goes up. The players
at the other two tables continue conversing, but in pantomime. Their conversations must
remain fluid, which requires that the players remain focused and engaged.
Not-so-secret Terror
Two players onstage improvise a scene. One player has a secret fear (something unusual. e.g.
fear of twist ties, peanut butter, or paper bags) which affects everything but is never
mentioned. When the second player realizes what it is, he too catches the phobia. Audience
must guess the phobia or audience members join in as they discover it. Finally, the first player
relates a brief story explaining the origin of the phobia.

Observations
Actors learn to become aware of everything. Instruct students to practice observing their world
for the next few days. Ask them to try and see something they haven’t noticed before. Students
make keep a record as they watch their world in this way.
Things to observe:
On your way to school On the property, where you live
Just outside of where you live In nature
In the car Something about your pet
In a classroom Something about your family members
In the cafeteria Something about your best friend
In pictures/art you have at home Something about your body
One Minute Experts

One at a time, students take the stage and draw a random topic out of a hat. They must speak
for one minute as though they are an expert on the subject! Let students know that they do not
need to convey accurate information; it is more important to deliver the information
convincingly.
Sample topics!
The sun Anger management
Squirrels Orchids
Electrolysis Tarantulas
Chocolate Vegetarians
Open House
(Full Game in 75 No-prep Drama Lessons.)
A realtor ‘shows a house’ to a couple of prospective buyers. The realtor describes the house in
great detail; the two buyers are given an obstacle or an attitude. For example: a realtor shows
a mansion to a couple of thieves who are casing the joint!
Open Scenes, or The Subtext Game

Put all players in pairs. Give actors a scene situation and only two lines of dialogue that they
repeat back and forth over and over. The point of this game is to demonstrate how one line of
dialogue can take on new meanings given different situations. Two lines in each scene are
repeated over and over in a predetermined situation, i.e., for scene one, character A is stuck
underneath a fallen tree, and character B is not strong enough to lift the tree.
Dialogue: A: Help me.

B: I can’t.
Situations: Character A is stuck beneath a fallen tree and

Character B is not strong enough to lift it.
Character A is a prisoner tied to a chair. The kidnapper

has left the room.
Character B is another prisoner, who is unbound, but
deathly afraid of the kidnapper.
Character A is working on a math problem.

Character B doesn’t know how to solve it.
Park Bench
Create a bench onstage using an actual bench or three chairs. Choose three players to be in the
scene and ask them to think of a famous person to portray, or allow them to choose a famous
character out of a hat. Have the three players start a scene on the park bench in which the goal
is for each character to try and figure out who the other two characters are. Once a player
thinks she has identified another character, she should say a line that indicates that she knows
who he is without actually naming him. For example, if she suspects that one of the players is
the president of the United States, she might say, “I didn’t vote for you, but I think you are
doing a good job anyway!” Once a character has been identified, he makes an elaborate
excuse to leave and a new player takes his place.
Party Quirks
In this game, one person is chosen to be the party host and the remaining players are guests
who arrive at the party (each with a different quirk). Have the host take the stage and
assemble the rest of the players slightly offstage, ready to make their entrance. Give each party
guest a ‘quirk’ such as: hasn’t slept in days; glows in the dark; lies constantly, etc.). One at a
time, have the guests ring the doorbell and be greeted by the party host. The host must try to
figure out what quirk each guest has without the guest mentioning their quirk by name. Play a
few rounds with a new host and four to five party guests each time.
Suggestions for quirks:

In love with the host
Feet made of lead
Spaghetti for hair
Obsessed with video games
Believe you are invisible
Pro-wrestler
Allergic to everything
Barbie
Pass a Phrase
Students stand in a circle in "actor's neutral." Leader says a
phrase, with expression. The person to her/his left says the same
phrase, but with a different emphasis. Each student in turn gives
the phrase a different emphasis/style until it comes back to the
leader. The point here is to see how many different ways the
same set of words can be expressed. To go further, add a
gesture to the phrase and pass both around the circle.
Payphones
Four to five players in a row downstage, standing as if they are
inside payphones (phone boxes). Each player chooses a character and a scenario and begins a
one-sided conversation that is barely audible. The leader chooses one player who suddenly
becomes loud enough to be heard. The leader continues to direct students to raise or lower
their voices at random giving the audience the experience of listening in on a variety of
conversations. This game is great for helping actors to develop focus and to stay in character,
as they must keep their conversation going while another actor has the scene.

Pet Show
Put students in pairs. One person is the pet owner. The other person is the pet. They decide
what the pet will be, come up with a name and a trick. The owner leads the pet on, introduces
her and the animal performs. Then they take turns! If you have one extra person, he can play
the judge. He could judge the show, ask the owners questions about their pets and decide
which pet is the winner.
Phone Conversations
Actors often must talk on the phone and create the illusion that there is someone on the other
end of the line. Give each actor a character and a scenario, such as ‘A teenager has an
argument with his/her best friend.’ One person takes the stage at a time, playing out one side
of a telephone conversation. Variation: Assign this activity as homework. Have students script a
one-minute conversation (in which they include both sides of the conversation) and then
rehearse their side of the conversation for performance in the next class.
Playing Card Status

Two players onstage. Each player gets a playing card that the other player does not see.
(Important: Give one player a high card and one person a low card.) Let players know that the
higher the card, the higher the person’s status. Establish an improv situation such as
passengers seated next to one another on an airplane. The actors interact with each other
basing their characterization on their status. When the scene has ended, ask audience members
to identify which character had higher status.
Or try this!
Group Playing Card Status
Four players onstage. Attach a card to each player’s forehead, so that players
can see each other’s card, but not their own. The players improvise a scene, in
which the status of the characters is defined by the cards. Players don’t know
their own status, so the other players will have to endow them.
Notes: Set up a location where status is important. Examples would be a royal

palace or a fancy hotel with guests and service personnel. See also: Queen of
Hearts
More variations!
Players can only see their own card, but not the others.
Players have multiple cards and switch cards in the middle of the game.
Players play an improv scene and then line up in status order to see if they
got their status right.
Principal's Office
In this game, two actors play students who are in trouble at school, and a third plays the
principal. Take suggestions from the audience as to what the students have done wrong. The
actors playing the students must make up a story together and convince the principal it is the
truth. The key to this game is that the actors don’t know what the other will say, so they must
work together and accept each other’s ideas as the scene unfolds!

Queen of Hearts
(A playing card status game.) Tell the group that in a moment, they will each be given a playing
card that indicates a certain status (refer to the scenarios and lists below). The higher the card,
the higher the status. Write down the cards and the corresponding characters on the board.
Next, have participants line-up. Stick a playing card that denotes a person’s rank on each
person’s back. Players mill about, talking with one another, treating each other as they would
due to their status. After a period of time, stop the game and have participants line up
according to status. Note: there are thirteen identities for each setting below, depending on the
number of players, and time allotted, you could play the game twice, or toss in two of certain
characters.
Castle
King-King
Queen-Queen
Jack-Prince/Princess
Joker-Jester
Ten-Knight
Nine-Wizard
Eight-Lady in Waiting
Seven-Guard
Six-Dungeon master
Five-Blacksmith
Four-Cook
Three-Maid
Two-Stable Boy
Ace-Beggar
Fancy Cocktail Party

King-Millionaire Host
Queen-Celebrity Guest
Jack-Mayor
Joker-Doctor
Ten-Lawyer
Nine-Model
Eight-Aspiring Actor/Actress
Seven-Musician (on break)
Six-Teacher
Five-Construction Worker
Four-Security Guard
Three-Bartender
Two-Waiter
Ace-Party Crasher
Ask!
How did it feel to be your character?
How did people treat you?
What did you learn about yourself?
What role does ‘status’ play when developing a character?
Is it important to know a character’s status? Why?

Restaurant Game
(On Video under Characters and Improvisation.)
Three actors onstage. Two people sit at a restaurant table as
patrons, one is the waiter. Ask for suggestions for a type of
restaurant from the audience and choose one, such as
‘steak-house.’ Ask actors to play out one version of the scene
‘straight.’ The waiter comes in and says, "May I take your
order?" Customers choose items found on a steak-house
menu. Next, whisper obstacles to each player and ask them
to play the scene again. (For example: the waiter is late for a
hot date, one customer is really cheap and the other
customer can't make up her mind.) Players act out exact
same scene as before, but add dimension to the scene with
their personality quirks. Class must guess the obstacles. Use
"List of Obstacles and Party Quirks" for ideas/obstacles to
whisper to the players.
Return Counter
Two players. One player leaves the room while the other player receives suggestions from the
audience for something to return such as: a radio that only tunes in to one station. He/she
must try and return the item without saying what it is. The 'customer service' player must try
and guess what the item is and then come up with a totally ridiculous return policy.
A Scarf
(Material needed is a piece of fabric or a large scarf.) Assemble group in a circle, or in an
audience formation. Drop a scarf in the center of the circle or on the stage. One at a time,
invite actors to pick up the scarf, turn it into something, and recite one line of dialogue in
character while using it. For instance, one player may cover their mouth with it and declare
“This is a hold-up, give me all of your money.” Another person can lay it flat on the floor and sit
on it, bathing in the sun. Another person can tie it like an apron “Would you like a hot dog or a
hamburger?” Instruct students to go anytime, but only one person can go at a time, and there
can’t be any repeats. Once students have had their turn, ask them not to go again until
everyone has had a chance. You can decide to go in order, because it keeps the game more
organized, but this can put pressure on students who are not ready.
Scenes in a Mall
Two players onstage. One is the shopkeeper, the other is the customer. The shopkeeper knows
what kind of store it is, but the customer doesn't. The shopkeeper does not name specific
items, and the customer must try to figure out what is being sold in the store. When he thinks
he knows, he says a line such as, "I'll take a pound of jelly beans, please." (It was a candy
store.) If he's wrong, the shopkeeper dies an elaborate death. If he's right, the shopkeeper
does a 'happy dance.' The customer then becomes the next shopkeeper.
Sentimental Garage Sale

Invite each participant to bring in an object they care about. Set up the stage with a few tables
and place the objects on them. One person plays the seller and another person enters as a
buyer. Have players improvise dialogue as the buyer enters the sale. When the buyer selects a
random item to purchase, the seller goes into a lengthy (improvised) explanation of the history
of that object and why it is important to him or her. The buyer ups the stakes, offering more
money or other enticements. Ultimately, the seller decides that he/she doesn’t want to sell it
after all. The buyer then becomes the seller and another person enters the playing space as the
buyer. Play until all participants have had the opportunity to be both buyer and seller.

Shoebox Game
Bring in a shoebox, and have students take turns pantomiming taking a pair of shoes out,
putting them on, and becoming that character. (A ballerina will lace up her point shoes, a
fireman will put on big rubber boots.)
Sit-Stand-Kneel
Put three players onstage and instruct them that they are going to improvise a scene. However,
at all times during the scene, one actor must be sitting, one must be standing and one must be
kneeling. During the scene, if an actor changes position, one of the other actors must shift
accordingly. Coach students to work the stage positions into the dialogue as naturally as
possible, rather than merely shifting stance.
Sit, Stand, Kneel with Lines

In this game, players learn how a single line can have new meaning based on their body
position. Divide into teams of three or four. If you have access to chairs, give each player a
chair. Next, give players a single line such as “I really need help.” They must go around the
circle repeating the line in either a sitting, standing, or kneeling position. Each player must
choose a position that is different from the one the player before them. Side-coach players to
observe how the line changes based on their body position.
More lines to use:

I don’t want to. It’s not too late.
It’s time to go. I give up.
Please don’t do this. I don’t feel so good.
Leave me alone.
Stage Business Pantomime

Create a list of typical stage business activities and invite actors to go onstage one at a time
and start a scene silently with their stage business. This activity helps students become aware
of the importance of being believable even when there are no lines being spoken. Ask actors to
incorporate an attitude either about the activity, or an emotional state that their character is in.
Statues Come to Life

In this version of the Statues game, players can be a shopper, a salesperson, or a magic statue
that comes to life. Choose one player to be the statue maker, and one person to be the
shopper. Everyone else will be a statue. When ready, the statue maker says, “Go crazy!” Each
statue begins to dance around, moving and shaking her body every which way until the statue
maker yells, “FREEZE!” All statues freeze immediately. At this point, the statue maker welcomes
the shopper to the statue store and shows him around. They stop at each statue and turn them
on, one at a time, by touching one shoulder. When a statue is turned on, it begins moving and
acting like whatever kind of statue it is. As soon as the statue maker and the shopper can tell
what kind of statue it is, they turn it off by touching its shoulder again, and move to the next
statue. After they have checked out all of the statues, the shopper chooses which one he wants
to buy. The chosen statue becomes the next statue maker. The previous statue maker becomes
the next shopper, and the original shopper becomes a statue. Now the game is ready to begin
again. Tips for statues: When you’re a statue and you’re in your frozen position, think about
what kind of statue you will be when you are turned on. Use the position that you’re frozen in
to help come up with ideas for this. For example, if you freeze while you are lying face down on
your stomach, you may want to become a snake statue, or a swimming statue. If you freeze
standing up with your arms in a circle above your head, you may want to become a ballerina
statue, or a basketball hoop statue.
Stereotypes
Come up with a list of stereotyped characters and
give them a trait that goes against the stereotype
such as: a librarian who teaches skydiving on the
weekends or a tough-looking biker who is a
physician. Invite students to either write a
monologue in which the character describes how
others perceive him, or tells a story about how his
stereotype has affected him in a negative way. Or,
put students in small groups and give them each a
stereotype and an improv situation and either have
them improvise a scene or create a story together
that involves all of the characters.
Story Interrupters
One person gets up in front of the group and starts telling a story or giving a lecture on a
subject. Other group embers interrupt him by asking bizarre, unrelated questions. He must
answer the questions and then continue the story or lecture from where he left off.
Strange Situations
The class divides into pairs. The lead player gives a situation, such as one person is a customer
trying to return something, and the other person is the clerk working in the shop. Players start
by having a normal conversation, then the lead player adds a new twist such as: the customer
speaks with an accent and the clerk is old and deaf.
Sample situations:
Restaurant
A waiter waits on a customer.
Customer is very cheap and the waiter wants to quit.
Doctor’s Office
A doctor sees a patient.
The patient is a hypochondriac and the doctor is an imposter.
Car Dealership
A salesman tries to sell a customer a car.
The salesman is new and doesn’t know what he’s talking about. The customer
has a crush on the salesman.
Suitcases
Purchase or borrow four/five old suitcases and pack them lightly with random items. Divide
class into small groups and give each a suitcase. Ask teams to create a scene or a short play
inspired by the suitcase and the items in it.
In addition to some simple clothing items, here are some suggestions for packed items:
Bag of money (fake) Framed picture of someone

A disguise Love letters
A gun (fake) Sparkly ring in a box

Tag Team Monologue
Two players onstage. Audience players suggest a character such as a fireman, ditch digger,
world’s oldest man, etc. One stage player starts delivering a monologue as that character. At
any given moment, the second stage player can ‘tag’ him and continue the monologue. Play
continues back and forth until the leader hears what seems like an ending, and calls ‘scene.’
Talking Objects
(Full Lesson: Talking Objects.)
Divide students into small groups and give each group a situation involving
objects talking to each other, such as “hair products on a shelf bragging about
how amazing they are.” Each student decides what hair product he/she will
become. Students can either rehearse or perform this activity as an improv.
Scenes should be short, and everyone should have a chance to participate.
NOTE: When a “person” is present in the scene, such as an ice cream
customer, that player is imaginary-not played by a student in the scene.
Technical Support
Two players at opposite ends of the stage, facing the audience; one is the customer who has a
problem with a product and the other is the technical support representative. Each pantomimes
being on the phone. The actor playing the customer is secretly given the product, but cannot
mention it by name in the conversation; the support rep must help him/her while trying to
figure out what the item is.
Therapist
(Full version in 75 No-prep Drama Lessons.)
Split the class in half and have one half of the students draw
slips of paper. They are the “patients.” The remaining
students are the “therapists.” Let students know that for the
second round, roles will be reversed. The actors improvise a
therapy session in which the therapist tries to find out what
the patient’s problem is. The patient cannot say outright what
it is, and the therapist can ask the patients any questions,
except “What is your disorder?” in order to guess what the
person is suffering from. This game is played best when two
students at a time take the stage, but for older students, the
game can be played in pairs scattered throughout the room.
Or try this!
Therapist’s Office
In this version of the game, start with a “therapist” onstage. In walks the
“patient.” Therapist must greet patient and begin the session. Once the therapist
has guessed the patient’s disorder, the patient becomes the therapist and a new
patient enters the office. Every actor gets a chance to play therapist and patient.
This Just In
Two news anchors report headlines; one begins a news story that the other must finish. For
example, the first player says, “Today at the zoo, an ape managed to escape from his cage.”
His partner must finish telling what happened! At the end of the story, the second ‘news anchor’
begins with another headline, “In our next story…”

Toy Story
Ask students to think of their favorite childhood stuffed animal or toy. Invite them to move
around the space as if they were that toy. Next, have them find two or three other players. In
small groups, have students create a short play featuring characters inspired by their childhood
toys!
True Stories
This is a directing game. In small groups, players take turns telling true stories about something
that happened to them. You can provide a springboard such as: the time you were most
scared; a time when you were really proud of yourself; the best day of your life; etc. Other
group members listen intently and vote on the most interesting story. The storyteller then
chooses other group members to act out his story. (He may or may not play a character.) The
actors improvise the story and the director/storyteller gives the cast notes before acting it out
again. The goal is to make the story as true to life as possible.
Understudy
(Use Scene Starters in 75 No-prep Drama Lessons.)
A scene is started played by two to four players. Mid-scene the lead player interrupts, and all
characters onstage pick a replacement for themselves from the audience. The new players
should take over the original characters, and stick to the story that was unfolding.
Unlikely Love Scenes

Two players are given the names of objects/animals/etc. and must play out a one minute love
scene as the ‘unlikely lovers.’ For example: A bottle of ketchup proclaims his love for a jar of
mayonnaise.
More ideas:
Cat and mouse Sun and moon
Hair dryer and curling iron Ghost and exorcist
Ice water and hot sauce Giant and elf
Weird Gifts
(An endowment game.) Assemble a collection of simple items such as: a pen; a hairbrush; a
cup; an empty bag; a screwdriver; a fake flower; a candle; a rubber band; a piece of costume
jewelry; an orange; etc. Put students in pairs, and have one person choose an item. They take
turns giving the item to each other with various attitudes/intentions. Let students know about
the concept of “endowment.” This usually applies to props handled onstage. An empty suitcase
can be made “heavy” by the way the actor carries it. A ring can be valuable or worthless
depending on how the character perceives it. Students improvise a line as they give the gift,
such as, “here, I thought you might need this,” or “will you please take this?” The lines can
change each time the endowments change. Here are some examples:
Give the item as though:
It is your favorite object. It brings bad luck.

You can’t wait to get rid of it. You are afraid of it.
It smells bad. You already have too many of it.
It is extremely heavy. You can’t bear to part with it.
It has magic powers. It’s illegal and you don’t want to be caught
It’s burning hot. with it.
It was stolen.

What Room Are We In?
Actors take turns pulling a room of the house out of a hat and pantomiming an activity that can
be done in that room. Audience players guess the room when the actor calls ‘scene.’
What’s in the Bag?

As homework, ask each student to bring a paper bag to class that contains three items that
could belong to a character of their choosing. When they get to class, put the bags on a table
and have players randomly choose bags (not their own!). Each player decides on a character
name, age, occupation and at least one physical mannerism. Players can take turns introducing
themselves onstage, or you can have students get into small groups and write skits that would
involve the characters they have just developed.
Will You Buy My Donkey?

This is a game that helps students learn to not ‘break character.’ Have all players in a circle or
scattered about the space. Choose one person to play the donkey seller and one person to play
the donkey. The donkey seller must approach other players and ask, “Will you buy my donkey?”
The player she approached must answer “No, thank you,” with a completely straight face. The
seller may move on to another player, or she may stay and try to convince that person to buy
her donkey by bragging about the donkey’s attributes or talents. She may invent outlandish
things such as “My donkey can do gymnastics!” The person playing the donkey must go along
with the donkey seller’s statements. If an approached player laughs (breaks character), they
become the donkey. The donkey becomes the donkey seller and the donkey seller rejoins the
group.
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© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg.

The activities highlighted in blue are clickable links that lead to

Acting out a Story

Great Ensemble Stories to Act Out:

The Annoying Game

Answer the Door

© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg. 3

Examples of Serious Awards:

Examples of Funny Awards:

Beats in the Music

© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg. 5

Scene: The sidewalk

Character Development through Walks

© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg. 6

Character Name Game

Color Your Nursery Rhyme

Sample Ways of Reading Include:

© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg. 7

Death by Household Object

Dinner at the Nursing Home

Other nursing home situations:

Old People on a Tour Bus-one person is the ‘tour

© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg. 8

Hospital: Surgeon; nurse; wounded

Department Store: rich lady; perfume

© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg. 9

Audience Suggestion Expert

Famous Person Café

First Line/Last Line

Who are the characters?

© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg. 11

Get out of that Chair!

Good Advice, Bad Advice, Worst Advice

Be sure to also check out Open Scenes.

Examples of Ways to Greet Each Other:

© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg. 13

In this game, students practice taking on the

© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg. 14

It’s Good to be King (or Queen)

It’s Not My Fault

© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg. 15

King, Wizard, Princess, Farmer

© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg. 16

The Many Faces of Mad

“Many Faces of Mad” Prompts:

© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg. 17

© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg. 18

One Minute Experts

Open Scenes, or The Subtext Game

Dialogue: A: Help me.

Situations: Character A is stuck beneath a fallen tree and

Character A is a prisoner tied to a chair. The kidnapper

Character A is working on a math problem.

Suggestions for quirks:

© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg. 20

Playing Card Status

Notes: Set up a location where status is important. Examples would be a royal

© Drama Notebook www.dramanotebook.com pg. 21