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home Fill In The Blank
Audience participation Rating: 5
Audience suggestion: Starting place/word to finish sentence
Members involved: 2-3 people

OVERVIEW

Get a suggestion from the audience of a place for two people to be at, or an activity for them to be doing. One actor sets the scene, and the other follows. Once the scene is going, one of the actors fails to complete a sentence and the audience shouts out a word to complete the sentence. The actor then repeats the word so everyone hears it and keeps on going as if the scene never stopped. The suggestions will ultimately direct the scene. Both actors fail to complete sentences for awhile. The actors keep going until they can find a logical end to the scene.

INTRODUCTION

We are about to do an improv called fill in the blank. Two actors will start a scene and from time to time they will not finish their sentence, it will then be your job to fill in the blank. Just shout out a word and the actors will have to make sense of it. Did any of you play mad libs as a kid? It works just like that; for instance, if I was to say Mary had a little_____. You would say? Just don’t go with the obvious; it makes it more fun. So to start I’ll need two actors up here and I’ll need a suggestion to get them started. Give me a place where two people would meet.

DO’S
If the audience goes to the gutter, try to find ways to bring it back out
Don’t always go with the obvious use of the word
Give the scene a plot
Have fun with the audience
Make sure you repeat the suggestion loudly
Don’t be afraid to hold out for a better answer or to ignore someone who won’t shut up
A third actor can always come up as a new character

DON’TS
Don’t stop at an illogical place
Don’t ignore the suggestion
Don’t force a joke
Always agree
Don’t stop until you finish the scene, or at least finish with a big joke
Stay true to the initial setup

SKILLS NEEDED
Listening
Good scene work
Communication
Fast wit
Work with audience
Vocabulary
Physical
Timing back