Improv Comedy Games: Accepting Circle

Series Summary

“So what is the deal with airports? You walk in and everybody is in such a hurry. Its like the time your dad left without you at the gas station and made you chase the car down the road while your brother and sister are in the back sit giving you the finger...what?...why is everyone leaving?...sir, please don't throw your beer at me...why is my microphone off?...” Stand up comedy and improv comedy is a difficult career and making it is no laughing matter. It takes work, practice, persistence, and wit sharper than Oscar Wilde's pen. It is important for a comedian to be relevant, creative, intelligent, and accessible, even when objects are being thrown at him or her from an angry customer in the audience.

In this free video series, let comedian Matt Jackson school you in the art of humor as he teaches you how to do improv comedy. Learn different improvisational techniques and games, how to apply those techniques to different situations, and how to use the art of improv comedy to make people laugh. This step by step comedy lesson is sure to make you laugh and get you closer to your dream of telling jokes for a living.

Video Transcript

"Hi guys, we're here today learning how to some impromptu exercises. The first exercise we're going to show you guys is called accepting circle. To play accepting circle, you're going to want to get your group of improvisers to form a giant circle in your play space. You're then going to have one initiator begin by turning to the person on the left, making some sort of gesture and then also a noise. Like, rrri, urrr, at which point in time, that improviser is then going to imitate the gesture and the noise to the next person on the left. Rrrr, urrr, Ha, ha. Now, since there's only two of us here, it can only go so far. But, if you have a giant circle, eventually, the gesture and the noise is going to make it's way all the way around the circle. And what you're looking for, is this, this sense of agreement. You're trying to agree with what you're partner has said and imitate it and pass it on. Now, naturally, the larger the group you have, the more possibilities for variables you're going to have. And, by the time that it gets back to the original initiator, it might have changed a little bit. But, it's a fun game to play and I think you guys, I think you guys will enjoy it."