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I

Acknowledgments By Carman Dewees

In the summer of 2009, David shared with me that of all the

accomplishments of his career – including The Compass

Players, the first improv theatre in the United States – he was

most proud of Life-Play. This surprised me because without

Compass there would be no Mike Nichols, no The Graduate.

Without Compass, improv in its cabaret form might not exist.

Life-Play is about people exploring life and themselves. It is

one person playing with another person, by phone or in

person. The noncompetitive games connect us, rejuvenate us,

and allow for growth.

Many events and people have spontaneously come together in

the creation of this Handbook. I want to thank David Shepherd

for his poetic nature and creative instincts that have helped me

more deeply appreciate each moment of my life.

Also I would like to thank Michael Golding for sharing his

improv teaching experience. Chris Britt, thanks for your

vision, sharp questions, and friendship. Anne Grossetete, your

heart and playfulness has been very important to us. Also, I

would like to thank: Nancy Fletcher, Tony Czajkowski, Willie

Wyllie, Howard Jerome Gomberg, Sky Halm, Mike Fly,

Rosemary Dewees, Michelle Burke, Aimee Swift, Sean

Vernon, Jill Pellarin, Laurie Blair, Sarah Bazydola, Connie

Michener, Suzy Quinn, Walter Leopold, Devon Fitzgerald,

Mária Dewees, Doug Britt, Bill Gural, Will Luera, Eli Gerzon,

Lisa Rowe-Beddoe, and Ann Lorda. This Handbook is printed

by CollectiveCopies, in the Pioneer Valley.

January 2011

II

It is well to remember that the greatest value of play is

enjoyment. Play develops the capacity to enjoy as well as the

resources necessary to enjoyment. Play also contributes to

sound intellectual achievement. Play creates happy emotional

condition of the organism-as-a-whole. Play involves social

values, as does no other behavior. The spirit of play develops

social adaptability, ethics, mental and emotional control, and

imagination.

~ Neva Boyd, sociologist, teacher, and a mentor to Viola

Spolin

III

Table of Contents • Introduction: What Is Life-Play?…………………………………….1

• Why Do You Play Life-Play? ……………………………………….2

• Introduction: Our History…….……………………………………...3

• Training: Introduction ……………………………………………….4

• Training: The Life-Play Format……………………………………..7

• Training: Strong Emotions…………………………………………...8

• Training: Emo-Pitch (warm-up)……………………………………...9

• Training: 1, 2, 3 Sentence (warm-up)……………………………….11

• Training: Four-Sided Where (warm-up)…………………………….13

• Training: Repetition Poem (main game) …………………………...15

• Training: Ideal Meal (main game)…………………………………..17

• Training: Event Puddle (main game) ……………………………….19

• Training: The Latin Version of Event Puddle –

Ana Maria Salicioni…………………………………………….22

• Training: Tomorrow If (main game)………………………………...23

• Training: Believe It (main game)…………………………………....25

• Training: Two Views (main game)………………………………….28

• Training: Zoom Story (main game)………………………………....30

• Training: The Life-Play System……………………………………..33

• Play: Discovery – David Shepherd …………………………………34

• Skills: Learning, Playing, and Teaching Life-Play –

Carman Dewees and Michael Golding………………………....35

• Skills: Active Listening – Scot Coar………………………………...37

• Skills: Smart Play – Carman Dewees……………………………….39

• Skills: The Guide–Player Relationship –

Carman Dewees and David Shepherd………………………….41

• Skills: About Feedback – David Shepherd………………………….43

• Connect: Your Fellow Players – Howard Jerome Gomberg………...45

• Connect: Life-Play with Teens – Michael Golding…………………46

• Connect: Life-Play for Groups – David Shepherd…………………..48

• Invent: How to Develop Games – Carman Dewees ………………...50

• Invent: The Future of Life-Play – David Shepherd………………….52

• About: Bios of Contributors…………………………………………53

• About: Recommended Reading……………………………………...54

• About: Contact Us…………………………………………………...58

IV

Hearing is the first of our senses to be switched on, four and a

half months after we are conceived. And for the rest of our

time in the womb—another four and a half months—we are

pickled in a rich brine of sound that permeates and nourishes

our developing consciousness: the intimate and varied pulses

of our mother’s heart and breath; her song and voice; the low

rumbling and sudden flights of her intestinal trumpeting; the

sudden, mysterious, alluring or frightening fragments of the

outside world—all of these swirl ceaselessly around the

womb-bound child, with no competition from dormant Sight,

Smell, Taste or Touch…. If we are looking for the source of

sound’s ability—in all its forms—to move us more deeply than

the other senses and occasionally give us a mysterious feeling

of connectedness to the universe, this primal intimacy is a

good place to begin.”

~ Walter Murch, godfather of film sound design

1

Introduction: What Is Life-Play?

Life-Play is a collection of noncompetitive games played

over the phone or in person. You can cocreate a story,

express an emotion, improvise a poem, or examine a belief.

Games are created so anyone can play. It’s fun and easy to

learn!

Mária and Rosemary enjoy Life-Play.

Who Plays?-

• Friends and family

• Students and teachers

• Artists

• Seniors

• People in remote places

• Social workers and therapists

Look for discovery when you go into a relationship with

another Player. Discover what that relationship is or could be

or has been.

~ David Shepherd, cofounder of Compass and Life-Play

2

Why Do You Play Life-Play?

I play to explore widely, from a safe space.

I play to build trust …with others and within myself.

I play to be present, to be honest.

I play to communicate directly.

I play to paint with my full palette of emotions—angry to

sad, mad to glad.

I play to express feelings, shift feelings, and let them flow

through me.

I play to be amazed at how many feelings I have about even a

small event.

I play to engage with other people’s perspectives.

I play to hear the rhythm of a new voice, which gently

coerces me to be in the moment.

I play to connect with friends and family through shared

experiences, which brings us closer despite being separated

by thousands of miles.

I play because it opens me up to rich parts of myself that

I’ve forgotten even existed.

I play to see my life clearly, sharply!

I play because I can be in my bathrobe. And it doesn’t cost a

penny of gas.

3

Introduction: Our History

Life-Play came out of a need—felt acutely by three men in

2008—for noncompetitive games to be improvised over the

phone. Chris Britt, filmmaker, and Carman Dewees, radio

producer, were friends—ex-magicians living close to Boston.

David Shepherd lived in Western Massachusetts, near

Amherst. In 1955, David produced the first improv theatre—

Chicago COMPASS—and later Improv Olympix, which

became Canadian Improv Games, now in 300 high schools.

Since 2008, Life-Play games have evolved through play by

family and friends.

My experience is what I agree to attend to.

~ William James, psychologist and philosopher

Carman, David, and Chris

4

Training: Introduction

The Basics-

• Feel free and open to express all feelings (sing,

shout, laugh, cry, express any emotion or nonsense).

• Foster a safe environment.

• Avoid sarcasm.

• Be flexible.

• Be willing to end an improvisation after 2 to 3 minutes.

• Accept the rules of the games and your Guide’s

directions.

• Play with confidence, pleasure, and responsibility.

Playing-

It’s usually two people playing—over the phone or person to

person. We have had three to seven people playing on

conference calls and have had bigger groups playing at in-

person gatherings.

Player and Guide-

Most games have a Player (actor) and a Guide (director).

Some games have two Players and no Guide (1, 2, 3 Sentence

and Two Views).

• The Guide changes. Different people take on the role

of the Guide.

• And the Guide provides the Player with sentences to

start stories, with places for improvisation to take

place, etc.

• The Guide helps the Player to create the details and

emotions without which the work is boring.

• The Guide aims to make the Player look good—this

involves active listening and active support.

• The Guide follows his or her intuition, slicing in

quickly. When it’s hard to slice in, you may have to

5

talk over your partner. Better yet, slice in with a short

word like “More,” “Detail,” “Color,” etc.

Trainer- The group leader for calls and gatherings.

Equipment (optional)-

If playing by phone (or Skype), use a headset to expand your

freedom of movement and improve the call quality. Many

Players like to keep a copy of the Menu by the phone, as a

reference.

Safety-

At any time, either the

Guide or the Player can

stop a game.

Etiquette-

Ask permission before

you share your

partner’s play with

others.

Types of Games-

We have Warm-Up

Games (Emo-Pitch, 1,

2, 3 Sentence, and

Four-Sided Where) and

Main Games (all the rest). Warm-Up Games help Players

engage their emotions, turn off their brain, and explore their

environment with detail and emotion.

6

Which Games to Learn First?-

• Easiest Games: Emo-Pitch, 1, 2, 3 Sentence, Four-Sided

Where, Repetition Poem, Two Views, and Ideal Meal.

• Intermediate Games: Zoom Story, Event Puddle

• Advanced Games: Believe It, Tomorrow If

• [Games Being Tested: Time Warp, Emo-Switch, I

Dream, Never Say, Let It Talk]

Be prepared to be flexible and adapt, because our games

change and grow, as do the rules.

7

Training: The Life-Play Format

1. Event/Theme and/or Suggestion-

• Player—Introduce an event or theme from your life that is

important, emotional, surprising, amusing, and/or

pleasurable.

• Guide—If needed, help the Player clarify the event or

theme. Then, if needed for the game, provide a suggestion.

2. Experience-

• Player—Choose a Main Game that you will develop as

your event/theme.

• Guide—Slice in, developing a back and forth, an

interaction. Add short comments and questions! Be real.

3. Insights-

• Player—Insights are moments of reflection, where the

Player (and/or the Guide) says something interesting about

what happened within the game, talking completely from

the heart. It’s working out an idea that’s in your head, in

real time, out loud. It’s trying to make sense of something

that touched you deeply. The Player and/or the Guide talks

about him or herself but also describes something

universal.

• Guide—The Guide helps the Player uncover an insight by

asking idea-oriented questions, cajoling, joking, and

not being afraid to be awkward. When you help the

Player uncover an insight and the Player is speaking from

the heart, ask follow-up questions, spelling out the

implications of what is being said. Support the Player in

moving toward a surprising insight about him or herself,

your relationship, and/or Life. The Guide then clarifies any

part of the rules that were not understood or followed.

8

Training: Strong Emotions

Alarmed

Amazed

Angry

Annoyed

Anxious

Ashamed

Aroused

Awed

Blissful

Blue

Bored

Cheerful

Compassionate

Confident

Confused

Contemptuous

Dazed

Discouraged

Disgusted

Dismayed

Disturbed

Embarrassed

Enthusiastic

Envious

Fascinated

Frightened

Frustrated

Furious

Giddy

Grateful

Grieving

Guilty

Happy

Hateful

Hopeful

Hopeless

Horrified

Hostile

Hurt

Impatient

Inspired

Irritated

Jealous

Joyful

Lonely

Longing

Loving

Mad

Mystified

Nervous

Nostalgic

Open-hearted

Optimistic

Outraged

Panicked

Passionate

Pessimistic

Pining

Proud

Puzzled

Rapturous

Remorseful

Repulsed

Sad

Satisfied

Scared

Sensitive

Skeptical

Spellbound

Stimulated

Surprised

Suspicious

Terrified

Thankful

Thrilled

Tickled

Uneasy

Unhappy

Upbeat

Upset

Weary

Worried

Zestful

9

Training: Emo-Pitch (warm-up)

Instructions-

Does the Player understand that this is a Warm-Up game?

Emphasize getting emotions flowing. Trainer, be the Guide.

Give your Player a strong, simple emotion to play with (if

necessary, see the emotion list). Ask the Player to express it

nonverbally, gutturally, in gibberish, sighs and/or coughing.

Then speak and finally sing the emotion. Speak or sing it,

faster, slower, or even chant it. The Guide should push with at

least one comment like, “Feeling,” “More!” “Stronger,” or

“Detail.”

Basics-

The Guide pitches the Player a strong emotion (the Player can

reject); nonverbal vocalizations, leading into words and

then song; the Guide pushes for more emotion and/or detail.

Example-

[David playing about his partner Nancy]

Guide: Let’s see…“Love.”

Player: (Pauses and breathes.)

Sigita sigita so bo Sigita sigita so bo…boshigo, boshigo. La, la

la shi go! Sho bid do loo. Yo did it go shee Yo sho yack dee.

Cas shidi ca shid da Shod iit do do.

You are so wonderful in the kitchen. You are so wonderful in

the bed. You are so wonderful in the shower bath. You are so

wonderful talking and giving me advice. You are so wonderful

going about your business and then telling me how to fix my

computer. You are so wonderful, I can’t get over you. I’m

going to honor you and care for you for the rest of my life.

(Sings without words)

Observations-

• Let the Player become comfortable expressing himself or

herself in as many ways as possible. If the Player is not

10

comfortable singing, ask him or her to imagine that you

are not there! Then ease the Player into song: First sing

each word, then tie them together; explode or whisper

them. Get the Player out of prosaic speech and into other

tempos, rhythms, and pitches. Explain that our adventures

take Players in many new directions, from moaning and

groaning, to roaring and tweeting—whatever will get them

ready to play with a full range of emotions!

• This is a good time for a Player to learn the difference

between a strong emotion like joy, shame, anxiety, anger,

boredom, guilt, or fear, and a weak one like annoyance,

contentment, irritation, loneliness, condescension, or

playfulness. Reading from a longer list, the Trainer can ask

the Player to judge whether specific emotions are strong or

weak; if necessary, have the Player express them outright.

Metaphor- Faucet (such as, turn on the “emotion faucet”)

I don’t sing because I’m happy. I’m happy because I sing.

~ William James, psychologist and philosopher

Marnie turns on the “emotion faucet.”

11

Training: 1, 2, 3 Sentence (warm-up)

Instructions-

This game involves two Players (no Guide). Either Player

speaks one word, then the Players go back and forth, each

improvising one word. When one Player jumps to two words,

the other Player follows to three words and a sentence. And

then back down again. Build toward ping-pong rhythm

between the Players.

Basics-

Follow pattern of 1, 2, 3 Sentence and back again—fast ping-

pong rhythm, words, and gibberish.

Example-

(Both Players pause. Either can begin with the first word.)

Cats; Porch; Kick; Mountain; Ahhh; Egg; Fart; River; Big

Wave; Thunderstorm; I love; I love thunderstorms; Babies

love thunderstorms; House shutters are red; One day I was

walking down the street and my friend who was next to me, got

hit by lightning; The ground is really warm in the summer;

And after it rains it’s so damp and … so wonderful; And it’s

dry under the ground; Ahhhhhhh; The sky is blue again; I like

rain; Smells like new paint; I just painted; Everything’s green;

Green grass; Pink windowsill; Full refrigerator; Owwww;

Tired?; Hungry!; Ham; Turkey; Bacon … Period.

Observations-

• Increasing the speed of the game turns off the intellect, but only when combined with listening.

• Practice listening for the feeling underneath the word(s)

spoken.

Metaphor- Ping-Pong

12

When you are in a state of reflection you are including

another; when you initiate you deny yourself.

~ Viola Spolin, mother of improvisation

13

Training: Four-Sided Where (warm-up)

Instructions-

The Guide gives the Player a “Where,” such as “your

apartment,” “a café,” or “a supermarket in Arizona.” The

Player explores all four sides of the location. The Guide

supports by pushing for “Feeling” and “Detail” from that

environment—front, back, right, and left.

Basics-

All four sides; the Guide pushes for feeling and detail.

Example-

Player: In front of me is a silver lamp that my father bought

for me. It matches another lamp in the corner of the room that

spirals upward. He bought it for me when I lived in

Cambridge. And I have fond memories of going to pick out the

lamp in between Harvard and Central Square, in an ultra-

modern furniture store.

Behind me is this huge hole—the closet. And blocking the hole

there’s a red fleece jacket that’s hanging up and a blue shirt

and blue jacket. There’s also a purple shirt that’s a button up.

Guide: Are these garments wet?

Player: No, they are all dry in the closet, waiting to be worn.

Guide: How does that make you feel? Do you look forward to

wearing them?

Player: It makes me feel that I have too many things to wear.

And then I think, I always wear the same thing and am lazy.

So, it makes me feel like an asshole for having all these shirts.

To my left is my desk. It’s a slab of wood on top of two filing

cabinets. My father made it for me. He got this slab of wood

somewhere and he cut it. It’s shellacked on the top—especially

smooth.

14

And then to my right is an abstract painting that I did last

week; it has spirals.

Guide: How do you feel about the painting?

Player: It’s very colorful and relaxing to look at. It’s very

naturally shaped with the green blue and green spirals.

Period.

Observations-

The Guide should feel like he or she is in one place with four

sides. Detail and feeling make the four sides come to life.

Metaphor- Box Yourself Out

The question isn’t What do you look at? but What do you see?

~ Nina Michelson, author of “Silence and Music,”

unpublished manuscript

Ryan plays from his dorm room.

15

Training: Repetition Poem (main game)

Instructions-

The Guide gives the Player an emotion and then a short

phrase (repetition) to start every sentence of the poem, such

as:

• I won’t …

• What I’ll do is …

• I love …

• Sorry …

• This is a great day for …

• Why don’t you …

• Come over here …

• Do you doubt …

If a Player can’t deal with this combo of emotion and phrase,

he or she should ask for another suggestion.

Most Repetition Poems are composed of 6 to 15 lines and

gradually build to one strong attitude. New Players can

plunge easily into poetry because they can hang onto a phrase

that becomes as familiar as a friend.

Note: Rhyming is not required when improvising this game.

Repetition comes to an end when the Player says, “Period.”

Basics-

The Guide gives a strong emotion (like mad, glad, sad, or

scared) and a “repetition;” Player improvises a poem.

16

Example-

Guide: The emotion is “Irritated,” and the repetition is,

“That’s quite enough.”

Player: That’s quite enough … the phone rings and

rings … Quite enough.

Oh, so many cars, that’s quite enough.

Houses, roads ... that’s quite enough.

Space, there’s never enough space.

Birds, birds, that’s quite enough.

Swimming, swimming ... so peaceful.

Books, books everywhere, that’s quite enough.

Laundry, letters, bills, that’s quite enough.

Reaching toward mountains, hills, noises, that’s quite

enough.… Period.

Observations-

Pitching conflicting pairs (like the emotion “Love” and the

repetition “I hate …”) is passive aggressive, leading the Player

into the intellect, rather than the heart.

Metaphor- Drive, Drive, Drive

Poetry often enters through the window of irrelevance.

~ M. C. Richards, poet, potter, and writer

17

Training: Ideal Meal (main game)

Instructions-

Here’s an adventure in cooking and eating—to be improvised

in 2 to 3 minutes. The Player describes what ingredients are

available. The Guide asks quick questions such as “How

many?” and “How much?”

As the Ideal Meal is cooked, the Guide asks quick, sensible

questions about the process that can be answered in a word or

two: “How long?” for instance. Or “What kind of knife?” The

Guide imagines him or herself as an assistant.

To add drama to the Ideal Meal, the Guide can create a

problem in the preparation, such as “Uh-oh, that egg looks

rotten.” Or “You dropped your spatula on the floor.” Show

how much can happen on the road to an Ideal Meal. And if the

Player does not do so, the Guide should introduce another

character into the kitchen as a surprise. For example, your

friend stops by to eat dinner, or your mother calls.

Finally the Meal is eaten. As the Player describes serving it

and how it tastes, the Guide can ask, “Is it still hot?” Or “Is it

done?” Make the improv a product of two imaginations.

“Period” or “The end” signals that the Ideal Meal is over. The

Player chooses an ending, but if the adventure stretches longer

than 2 or 3 minutes, the Guide can request or impose an

ending with “Find an ending,” or “Wrap it up.”

Basics-

Describe part of cooking and eating; the Guide brings in a

surprise character (if the Player does not do so him or herself);

2 to 3 minutes.

18

Example-

Guide: What’s the theme or event?

Player: A recent cooking experience.

Guide: Okay.

Player: Right … Where I live, I am reputed to be a nothing

cook: I don’t cook anything, anytime, anywhere. So, my

partner, Nancy, got me to cook applesauce. And for that she

provided half a dozen apples, cider, and also figs. And I was

very happy with this very simple task and I did it expertly. I

cut up all the apples without touching the skins. I thought that

was very good; we’re going to have skins with our applesauce.

And I proceeded to look for the other ingredients, like

cinnamon and maple syrup, and got the whole thing going in

the oven. Then I went to talk to my son on the phone. And in

the process of deliberating with him, and coming to several

agreements, I forgot about the applesauce completely. When I

ran out into the kitchen, the pan was baked solid to the

bottom. And I had to call up a friend of mine and ask him to

bring something over to serve as a kind of dessert for the Life-

Play session I was going to have at my house. However, later,

I scooped into the mess and discovered it was delicious....

Period.

Observations-

There should be some surprise introduced by the Guide—

either in the cooking/eating process or in the introduction of a

character.

Metaphor- Food Story

The only way we know you are good-natured is when you fail,

you stay positive.

~ Keith Johnstone, author of Impro: Improvisation and the

Theatre

19

Training: Event Puddle

(main game)

Instructions-

The Player jumps into the past week and picks out, in one

sentence, an event to reveal—for instance, a party, a fight, or a

new friend. Then, without telling a story, the Player stacks

up all emotions felt at that moment. Many of them may

seem contradictory—affection, anger, confusion, pride. Spill

them all out!

With the Guide’s help, the Player slides from one remembered

emotion to another, touching as many as 3 to 5 distinct

emotions. The Guide makes sure the game pulls forth many

emotions, without becoming a story.

Players find that a barely remembered event may be loaded

with meaning. If a Player can’t remember last week, he or she

can pick out any event from the past and play that as Event

Puddle.

Basics-

The Player picks one event and states it in one sentence; the

Player explores emotions, supported by the Guide (not a story

game).

Example-

Guide: What’s the one sentence to begin your Event Puddle?

Player: My car breaking down when I lived in New Mexico.

Guide: Great.

Player: I felt stupid (laughs uncomfortably). And I felt very

frightened because I was in the middle of the desert and

there’s nothing but ranches around. And the towns are like

fifty miles apart. And …

Guide: What did you hear?

20

Player: [Pause] I heard silence … silent night. Stars were

bright and I tried to take solace in how beautiful it was. But I

was afraid of who I would encounter in the night. The

unknown and Republican North ... West, North-East New

Mexico, where people drive with shotguns behind their heads.

And I couldn’t find anyone out and it was getting late, and I

tried to go to sleep. And I could not find a comfortable

position in which to sleep. Mmm …

Guide: If your car could speak … what would it be speaking

to you about, in that moment?

Player: You … you knew you needed more gas to get through

this area and you didn’t take the time to do it. It would have

just taken a second to fill up. The … the gas station that we

just passed obviously has been closed since eleven and that’s

a ridiculous time for a gas station to close. So I was … I was

just out of luck. I had kind of put myself in this position

intentionally. [Pause] With the intention of frightening myself,

I guess. And I ended up sleeping on the desert floor and being

very afraid someone would come and shoot me or rape me or

kill me or something. I was just at my wit’s end… I had no

sense of reality. All of my sense of reality was negative ...

Period.

Observations-

• This is not a story game!

• The Guide must demand two simple things from the

Player: State one event in one sentence and wade

around in one puddle of feelings until you come out

with 4 or 5 emotions.

• This adventure enables a Player to discover from a

seemingly ordinary event exactly what emotions have been

throttled and swept away. In preparing to play Event

Puddle, we review the flat facets of our lives, sharpen

them into prominence, and appreciate the rich texture of

living.

• Plunge the game into your experience. Do not push your

experience into the game.

21

• This is an emotion game. We don’t want analysis—feel

the feelings!

• Larry Quigley, the originator of this game, explains how

he discovered it: “I work weekly with a group of men who

follow a four-round process intended to reveal personal

issues and then do something about them. The first round

creates presence. The strategy is to grasp what’s going on

in the body and then describe what emotions this body

experience evokes.”

• Here are two exercises to help you deepen your experience

of the game:

o Delve into the life of someone you know or want to

know well. Imagine, for instance, a moment when

that person’s sister blew up at him. Well, his

obvious feeling is dismay, but behind it may lie a

smidgeon of guilt at having provoked her anger.

And on top of that there may be curiosity. Why

was her reaction so sharp? And regret: How can

this breach be repaired? Or anxiety: Will he be able

to repair it? Even self-justification: What right does

she have to upset me?

o Ask the Player to suggest a typical event in the life

of a friend or relative, then examine it as Event

Puddle. See how many different emotions light

up on this one happening.

Metaphor- Puddle

When we are not sure, we are alive.

~ Graham Greene, English writer, playwright, and journalist

22

Training: The Latin Version of Event Puddle By Ana Maria Salicioni

The Life-Play game Event Puddle reminds me of a very

frequent, spontaneous, almost stereotypical occurrence in

many Spanish-speaking societies. I even dare to say it is the

very essence of the so-called Latin-blooded spirit.

The illustration that comes to mind could be a sudden,

unplanned encounter of the Player with the Guide. These two

people may be friends or just acquaintances. After the Guide’s

very quick “How have you been?” or “What’s new in your

life?” the Player may just go off with a very dramatic, nonstop

account of something that happened to her last week. (In case

the reader wonders why I use “she,” my answer is, yes, it’s

usually women telling stories so openly.) The story is told in a

very dramatic tone, even full of gestures and a rich body

language; it is also very brief in many cases. The Guide is

listening, and rarely commenting, with a “Oh, wow,” “Oh,

no!” or “Oh, my God”—he or she might not even have the

opportunity to do so, mostly because of the very agitated way

the account takes place. Eventually, the Player may say

something like “Well, I have to go now,” to which the Guide

will just respond “Good to see you” or “Take care.”

David, Andrea, and Carman play Event Puddle.

23

Training: Tomorrow If (main game)

Instructions-

There are three ways to start this adventure:

1. Imagine moving into another’s space. 2. Imagine one or more people coming into your space. 3. Imagine moving and discovering a new space.

You play the game by imagining what you want to happen,

good or bad. The game should show exactly where you might

be or want to be—tomorrow.

Your Guide makes sure you describe faces, clothing, and

motion of people you meet—by insisting that you have

movement and sketch out the colors/details.

Basics-

Spoken in present tense; the Player moves through a scene, in

his or her future; the Guide pushes for movement and

color/details.

Example-

Player: I’m in Venezuela. And I’m visiting my long-lost

daughter. She’s happy to see me. She’s about 10 or 11.

Guide: What is she wearing?

Player: She’s wearing a dress, something plain.

Guide: What color?

Player: Red. It’s a summer dress. The weather is in the 80s

and 90s. And, I’ve just gotten off the plane and she’s meeting

me there. We embrace … she runs up to me and I swing her

around while we’re embracing. Then I put her down. She

doesn’t speak any English, so I have to use my Spanish. It gets

in the way sometimes, except when I’m drunk. I have not been

drinking on the plane, so I don’t have that advantage. But I

talk to her, I ask her basic questions like, “How are you doing

24

in school?” and “What do you like to do when you’re not in

school?” And I’m feeling glow … I’m feeling connections …

completed circles that have been dangling since I found out

about this child and was told I would never meet her and she

would be moving to Venezuela. I’m still angry about that. But

this is a great relief to me—to actually see her and be held by

her.

Observations-

• Speaking in the present tense, step into the future.

• This is a scene game, not a story game!

• If you play regularly, notice what patterns your

imagination takes. For instance, David’s Life-Play partners

have noticed that every time David plays, he wants either

to transform where he lives or jump into a totally different

world. The game was shouting at him: “You don’t like

where you are living, so why are you staying there?”

Metaphor- Keyhole

If your mind isn’t clouded by unnecessary things, this is the

best season of your life.

~ Wu-Men, Zen monk from 13th-century China

Devon plays Tomorrow If.

25

Training: Believe It (main game)

Instructions-

The Guide suggests a topic (like society, politics, behavior,

or marriage) from which the Player will pull his or her

strong opinion opposite to what he or she believes. The

Player is free to reject and ask for another. Then the Player

expresses the opposite point of view—vehemently.

The Guide supports the Player by pushing with short, specific

questions and comments aimed at heightening the emotion of

the Player. The aim is to get the Player to play more

vigorously and show passionate belief in what he or she

doesn’t believe. Finally, the Guide should ask the Player,

“What do you really believe?”

Here are some topics to “believe in”—the more sensitive the

better:

• Marriage and divorce or separation

• Education—at any level

• Local, domestic, or international politics

• Employment and wages; unemployment and benefits

• Nutrition and what to buy, eat, or shun

• Where to live: country, state, town, or neighborhood

• Where to travel or vacation and where not to go

• How many kids to have and how to bring them up

• How to organize or decorate your home

• Whom to socialize with—at work or at home

Basics-

The Guide suggests a topic; the Player pulls a clear and

opposite opinion from that topic; the Player passionately

expresses his or her opposite opinion (speaking it like he or

26

she believes it); the Guide pushes with short, specific

questions or comments to uncover the Player’s passion.

Example-

Guide: How about … child labor!?

Player: Child labor.

Guide: I hope that’s controversial enough. (laughs) I have a

different one if you want.

Player: No that’s good. I like that.

Guide: Okay.

Player: If you go to any country, you’ll see little children

selling gum. They get experience in the world. Experience

doing things: being out in the world. Not just corrupted by

their parents. Not just distorted by what their parents think.

We need this in developed countries also; we need this in

Europe, we need this in America, we need this in Canada.

What you need is the kid working in a family business. Get the

kid out of the house.

Guide: They shouldn’t go to school?

Player: No, this is school. Learning how to market! You have

to learn early and you’ve got to learn to fail, fail, fail. Oh, you

can’t sell this, it’s difficult. You learn what your angle is.

Guide: Who gets the money?

Player: Part of it goes toward the kid’s future education. I

believe it should be put aside for the kid in the future. And the

kid learns a little bit of responsibility, how to apply themselves

[sic], a little creativity. How to fail! You think those little kids

selling chiclets in Mexico city learned the first time? They

didn’t sell any chiclets until they rubbed dirt on their face.

Rub a little dirt, learn, they came home many days failing,

failing. But it teaches work ethic. It teaches people that there’s

a bigger world out there.

Guide: Don’t the families need the money right away? Isn’t it

like using the children a little?

Player: Well, in America, essentially school is daycare. So

when you send your kids out, the money should be put aside.

27

In developing countries, the money needs to be taken, but in

this country it’s the spirit of the thing. This is something that

could really work in our country and would be wonderful for

the kids, the family, and greater society! Period.

Guide: What do you really believe? Didn’t you convince

yourself?

Player: Yes, I kind of convinced myself, because my friend

does homeschooling, so I think it lets kids experience the

world a little bit. Not be so sheltered with people who are just

like them.

Guide: Send your child abroad to sell gum? (laughs)

Player: Send your kid to Mexico to sell gum for six months.

(laughs) I think it’s a good idea for kids to meet new people

and not be in a ghetto of children. Being only with people who

are just like them, the same age, I think that’s not healthy for

kids. But …

Guide: What do you really believe?

Player: So … what I believe is that kids should not have to

work, but they should be able to be around different types of

people, not simply with people their own age or with their

family. They should be in the community. That’s what I

believe.

Observations-

• As the Player, phrase your opposite belief in a way that

you can commit to.

• Be specific and passionate in “your” belief.

• When Believe It is played correctly, Players may feel

strange and begin to wonder what they really believe.

Meanwhile, those listening may question or endorse, as

well, what they believe.

Metaphor- Surge

28

Training: Two Views (main game)

Instructions-

This game involves two Players (no Guide). Either Player

names a social gathering—a wedding, birthday, BBQ, pool

party, etc. Then, select the relationship—such as two friends

that went to preschool together, or a new couple. Each Player alternates speaking, in past tense, about their view of what

happened at the social gathering.

Basics-

Two distinct perspectives on the “same” social gathering;

telling a story, anecdotes, and insights.

Example-

Son: I’ve got to say, the first thing that that surprised me was

that my father expected me to pay for myself and for him. That

was a surprise.

Father: So we get there and my son says he’s invited his

girlfriend, Cheryl or Michelle. Some name that starts with a

C—I don’t remember what it is! Then, you know, he says he’ll

call her and tell her not to come. It would have been fine if she

was[sic] there, but he said he called her. That’s how it started

off.

Son: My father doesn’t take my love life seriously. He doesn’t

consider that I have a love life. He thinks, “You’re nineteen

years old, what could you possibly know about love!?” And

yet he feels compelled, every time I’m getting up there with the

ball, to say, “Hey, check out that girl two lanes down!” I don’t

get that!

Father: So, we’re getting our shoes and he’s wearing these

really fancy slacks. So, I’m ribbing Carl a little bit. Then he

starts bowling and he’s always tip-toeing down, glancing to

the side to see who’s watching him. And I’m like, “Get a

fucking backbone. Just bowl! Bowl, bowl! Come on!”

29

And so on … It’s a story built from two different perspectives.

Either Player can say, “Period.”

Observations-

The game is about the startling contrast between what is

being imagined by the characters. It’s not simply a story. As

Suzanne Shepherd, actress and director, says of playing a

character, “It’s not a feeling, it’s a point of view.… It’s about

how you see the world and you respond to it from a very

specific point of view.” Paul Sills, cofounder of Compass and

Second City and son of Viola Spolin, suggests, “Wear your

character like a straw boater.”

Metaphor Switch While Walking

Like asking the seven blind men to describe the elephant. Each

blind man describes the part he touched.

~ Roger Bowen, founding member of Compass and

Second City (discussing how the story of Compass,

the first improvisational theatre, could only be told

as a Rashomon effect, one event seen differently by

every witnessing eye)

Walter and David play on David’s porch.

30

Training: Zoom Story (main game)

Instructions-

A Zoom Story adventure puts the Player close to the Guide,

who shapes the game that emerges. Signals are “Zoom in to

Object,” ”Zoom in to Feeling,” “Zoom out to Action,” and

“Zoom out to Environment.”

To start with, the Guide gives the Player a suggestive sentence, in first person, such as, “My brother broke my

Leonard Bernstein record.” The Player then repeats the first

line and begins telling the story.

“Zoom into Object” takes the story into a physical description

of the broken record, its cover, label, and (were this signal to

be used again) even broken plastic.

“Zoom out to Environment” takes the story to family and

friends, or to record companies and the public, the world

(were this signal repeated).

The Player should be prepared to range from a chip of gravel

underfoot to the universe overhead. Guides learn how to

explore this range by signaling for “Object” (down and in) or

“Environment” (up and out).

Guides should not push for the impossible. For instance, they

should not signal for more “Environment” when the

stratosphere has been reached, or for a closer “Object” when a

molecular level has been reached.

As for “Zoom into Feeling,” this signal can be used more than

once, for instance, to explore the loss of a prized possession.

31

“Zoom out to Action” implies lots of activity involving the

brother, Bernstein fans, and record stores, as people travel,

touch, and change relationships.

The Guide should slip a signal into the improv at least a half

dozen times (if only to show that the game is being played by

two people).

Basics-

The Guide gives the first line in first person; the Player repeats

the first line and continues with the story; the Guide signals;

the Guide says, “Find an ending”; the Player says “Period” to

end.

Example-

Guide: Any area of your life that you want to focus on?

Player: Making friends!

Guide: Making friends.

(Pause) Your line is … “I was in the back of the ambulance

and the paramedic said he loved theatre.”

Player: I was in the back of the ambulance and the paramedic

said he loved theatre. So, I looked up at him. He was a big,

dumb blonde … waving around a stethoscope as if he knew

what to do with it. And I …

Guide: Feeling.

Player: I was in the hands of a moron. So, I said to him,

“What type of theatre?” And he said back to me, “I like

classical theatre! I don’t like anything that was written over

the last fifty years. I like old stuff.”

Guide: Action.

Player: I reached up and grabbed his hand and said, “That’s

great! You stay right with your feelings and pick out the plays

of Shakespeare and Voltaire and Shaw that you want and

you’re in good shape. Do you write?”

Guide: Environment.

Player: He looked out the window and said, “That’s a good

question,” just as we were coming down Third Avenue. I could

32

see we were pulling into the hospital. And he said, “I write,

but stuff comes out bullshit.” And I said to him, “Before you

take me out of this ambulance, take my telephone number and

tell me what you write. And send me, maybe, a scene that you

wrote, because I’m very interested in your attitude and I’d

love to talk to you more.”

Guide: Object.

Player: And he took my card and said, “What is Life-Play?”

And I told him. He looked at my telephone number and stuffed

it into the pocket of his white jacket and smiled. And I knew I

had done the right thing.

Observations-

• Shorter signals of “Object,” ” Feeling,” “Action,” and

“Environment” are often used to slice in more quickly.

• The Guide should signal a half a dozen times

throughout the game, as play gets weak when the Guide

zooms infrequently.

• Here’s another path a Guide can take: In shaping Neil’s

story about a funeral procession, Anne, as the Guide,

asked for Action, then Feeling—again and again. The

result was a more profound grief that refused to lighten up.

• Here are exercises inspired by Michelle’s elementary

school class: (1) Have a Player purposefully tell a story

with a flaw in it, and ask the students to speak up when

they see the flaw. Discuss. (2) Have a Player improvise a

story. Students raise their hands when they see the need for

a signal. Stop the story and find out what signal is

suggested. If two signals are suggested, ask the storyteller

to try them both. Compare.

Metaphor- Hand in Hand

It takes two to know one.

~ Gregory Bateson, linguist and anthropologist

33

Training: The Life-Play System

Rules- • The basic guidelines for each game should be followed. It’s like teaching someone to play soccer. If the

person uses his or her hands, no one is going to want to

play with that person!

Form is not a mere lopping off of meaning that you don’t have

room to put into your poem; it is an aid to finding new

meaning, a stimulus to condensing your meaning, to

simplifying and purifying it, and to discovering on a more

universal dimension the essence you wish to express.

~ Rollo May, author of The Courage to Create

Specifics- • Engage with your senses, feelings, and the details. Focus on communicating honestly and directly.

Balance- • Relationships with ourselves, our environment

and other people depend on having a “safe space.” Both

players must foster balance and strive to make others look

good. Through efforts like active guiding, a space for play

can open.

Improv is about discovery of who we are and how we relate to

each other.

~ David Shepherd, cofounder of Compass and Life-Play

34

Play: Discovery By David Shepherd

When I call a fellow Life-Player, I find my life is instantly

enriched. I’m about to be asked in detail what I felt about last

week, or what I imagine can happen tomorrow. I’m about to

be plunged into the first words of a story that I’ll carry

effortlessly to its end.

I’m going to have to pull from my subconscious, characters

that suddenly acquire clearly defined voices and behaviors—

all unknown to me before I picked up the phone. My moral

face acquires fresh features. How does this happen?

I’m beginning to scan my life daily. What happened last

week? Of the few or many people I met, which ones are

important enough to grab? How did they stand, sit, move?

What was guiding them to me, and how fast, slow, or

coherently did they speak? I’m getting my life ready to be

played. I’m demanding more consciousness, more accurate

memory, more detail, and an opinion of myself, by myself. I

reach out, touch, explore, and discover who I am.

35

Skills: Learning, Playing, and

Teaching Life-Play By Carman Dewees and Michael Golding

Carman: What prevents people from improvising, playing?

Within Everyone-

Michael: In my experience, when people are hesitant to play,

it’s because they feel they’re an “empty vessel” with nothing

to contribute. With Life-Play, we have to constantly remind

people that all the characters, emotions, and stories they feel

they lack are already there within them, crying to get out.

Discovery-

Carman: When I first tried improv in 2006, I felt anxious,

then I began to embrace discovery. How can a Life-Play

teacher help new players move toward discovery?

Make Others Look Good-

Michael: The objective of the improviser is to support the

person you are playing with and make him or her look as

good as possible. How does that work when playing with a

disembodied voice over the phone? In the words of Alan

Arkin, “Listen harder.”

Carman: Scot Coar discusses listening in his essay, but what

does “listening harder” mean to you?

The Moment-

Michael: Players don’t have to be chattering constantly,

which sometimes is a nervous impulse. Do not be afraid to

pause—to take the moment in.

Carman: Discussing pausing and breathing sounds clichéd,

but it’s very helpful. Ira Glass, host of This American Life,

often admits that, “We edit out people’s breaths and pauses in

36

the interviews before they go on air.” It shows what a big

impact silence can have on a story—really any

communication.

Michael: Pauses and silences are very important in Life-Play.

It provides the Guide with an opportunity to “slice in” and for

the Player to indicate that he or she could use some input at

that point.

By Example-

Carman: How can a new Player be put at ease when teaching

games over the phone rather than through the comfort of face-

to-face improvisation?

Michael: Generally, when I teach improv, I always tell my

students that I’m not going to have them do anything that I’m

not willing to do myself. That helps, most of the time.

No Right or Wrong-

Carman: We don’t want new Players to worry about screwing

up. When I explain the rules, I take responsibility if the rules

are not understood. Improvisation is about turning off

functions of the brain that monitor performance. There is not a

right and wrong way to play. Life-Play is not performance.

There is no audience, only your partner, your equal. Explore,

have freedom! Let your subconscious float to the surface

through the games.

Michael: It’s improv. There’s a limit to intellectualizing.

Nothing in life is quite as important as you think it is while you

are thinking about it.

~ Daniel Kahneman, Nobel Laureate (discussing his “fortune

cookie maxim,” aka the focusing illusion)

37

Skills: Active Listening By Scot Coar

Scot Coar listening actively.

Active listening is imperative to play the games honestly and to allow both Players to harvest the benefits. In everyday

conversation, it’s natural to formulate thoughts while the other

person is speaking, so that a response can be constructed and

expressed. In Life-Play, a meditative focus on the speaker

allows for a more genuine, emotional experience.

Be Present- Good listening supports your fellow Player in constructing—

through words, inflections, pauses, and breathing—a

complete landscape to communicate more fully his/her

emotional experience. Blocking out external distractions and

internal thoughts in order to focus on the speaker builds a

sense of trust between Players and allows the listener to have

a much more immediate and, at times, more profound listening

experience.

38

Listen ... Surprise-

When playing the games, I have found that when actively

listening, I am often surprised by an emotion: a sudden belly

laugh, a pang in the chest, a sense of joy, of pain. I find the

experience is not unlike when one approaches a work of art

openly, without expectation, and is moved in a profound,

sometimes life-changing way. This, I feel, is the potential that

listening holds within the context of Life-Play. Afterward,

when the Players are finished, there will be time for

reflection—for each to more deeply appreciate the other’s

background, both culturally and personally. Common

challenges to listening include thinking about one’s own turn,

doodling, or multi-tasking/half-listening.

Listening Together-

Some of the games require a back-and-forth between the

Players. Although this may seem a more difficult occasion to

be an active listener, I think it actually helps the flow of the

game, purity of expression, and the happy surprises that can

occur. If one were thinking of a clever line while the other

person speaks, the play would have no real continuity. But if

both Players are listening actively and responding

instinctively to what they hear, then something striking

can occur. Some truth can be discovered—a real connection

between Players can develop.

Through ... emphasis on deep listening—to ourselves as well

as others—we foster respect, attentiveness, and empathy, and

engender a mutual desire to give from the heart. The essence

is to be found in our consciousness … not in the actual words

that are exchanged.

~ Marshall Rosenberg, Nonviolent Communication

39

Skills: Smart Play By Carman Dewees

Honesty-

Have the courage to be honest! Openly share your

emotions—verbally and nonverbally! Our western culture

often looks down upon expressing emotion, judging it

childish. For example, playing Event Puddle often makes me

feel like a narcissistic child. So what? It’s in the context of a

safe game. To me, not expressing feelings seems far more

personally immature and socially limiting.

Nonverbal Vocalizations-

Nonverbal vocalizations are one method of tapping into your

emotions. The technique encompasses breathing, guttural

sounds, gibberish, sighs, coughing, and/or shouting.

Nonverbal vocalization is used in Emo-Pitch, but it may also

be used to begin any game.

Time to Pause-

Pausing to breathe before beginning a game fosters

naturalness. For example, while playing Believe It, an 11-

year-old boy discussed “loving” the Red Sox. (He was really a

big Yankee’s fan). I stopped him and asked him to start again,

but this time to pause and breathe before beginning. The

second time, it was believable and without sarcasm. Also,

within a game, a pause and breath allows your partner to

hear you thinking—to hear the wheels cranking in your head.

It also allows the Guide to slice in.

Colors, Details, Feelings-

Colors and details help paint clear pictures of what

surrounds us and conveys imbedded feeling. For example,

Four-Sided Where help me communicate inner feelings

through description of the world surrounding me. This

technique can also push the Guide to take every vocal

40

inflection and read meaning into it between games. Judging is

the most common challenge new Players face when learning

Life-Play.

Present Moment- When I’m feeling a judgmental impulse, rather than express

disapproval toward my partner, I try to be aware of that

feeling. Then I show curiosity toward what the person has

played. I ask questions that I’m curious about and listen

carefully to the answers. Because improv is an art form of the

present moment, it’s most desirable to give positive (and not

false) feedback, as the past cannot be changed (see David’s

discussion in About Feedback) and the future can only be

influenced through the present moment. Keith Johnstone often

writes about how improvisers need to get rid of fear to play

from their own power. For example, playing Tomorrow If

from my own power often leads me to realizations about how I

want to live differently going forward.

Discovery-

Often, Players find a magical moment: a pause, an emotion,

words, and/or vocalizations with meaning beyond what is

explicitly stated. It’s not about moments from the past; it’s

about discovering part of yourself in the present moment. It’s

a balance. It’s engaging, surprising, and fun!

Through spontaneity we are re-formed into ourselves. It

creates an explosion that for the moment frees us from

handed-down frames of reference, memory choked with old

facts and information, and undigested theories and techniques

of other people’s findings. Spontaneity is the moment of

personal freedom when we are faced with reality, and see it,

explore it, and act accordingly. In this reality the bits and

pieces of ourselves function as an organic whole. It is the time

of discovery, of experiencing, of creative expression.

~ Viola Spolin, mother of improvisation

41

Skills: The Guide–Player Relationship By Carman Dewees and David Shepherd

David: Last night we were warming up with Emo-Pitch and I

gave you the emotion “Love. You sang for almost a minute

and said “Period” before I had a chance to guide you.

Carman: I secretly wanted you to say, “Detail” or “More”

before or even after I said “Period.”

Follow Curiosity-

David: I was curious who the girl in the song was and where

you were sitting or lying.

Carman: Why didn’t you speak up … and ask?

David: I was intrigued by your song and forgot to slice in

shortly with “Color,” “Where?” “Action,” “Dialogue”… so

you wouldn’t feel interrupted.

Carman: I often forget how uncomplicated a short comment

from the Guide can be … especially if done with a supportive

spirit.

Move Together-

David: It’s important that Life-Play games come out of two

people moving together.

Carman: It’s a dance. It’s surprising to me that learning to

play the Guide is more challenging than learning to be the

Player.

42

Possibilities-

David: Yes, when you play the Guide, you are under more

pressure than when you are a Player. Whether an object

glistens colorfully, has texture, sound, and taste depends on

whether you are awake to such possibilities.

Could the Player reveal more feeling without getting false? Is

this the time for the Player to slip into song or dialogue? Is the

Player revealing character?

Can you slice into the Player’s play without interrupting the

Player’s flow? If you wait another second, you lose the

opportunity, and you may be buried under the Player’s

creative rush.

Carman: What’s the most important thing for playing the

Guide?

Lean in, Slice in-

David: The trick is to whittle

down your supporting

comments to a second or two

and speak them with

emphasis: “Feeling!”

“Color!” “Character!”

Anticipate where guidance

will be required. Lean in. If

you wait for a Player to pause,

you will miss your chance.

Sometimes a whole game will

be finished without your

giving a single comment! And

when you ask the Player why

he or she didn’t do this or

that, a question comes

back: “Why didn’t you

guide me?”

Carman and David playing Believe It at David’s 85th birthday party

43

Skills: About Feedback By David Shepherd

Often when playing, we feel our partner is taking a wrong

turn. For instance, a story may not be building in spite of our

clear signals, or our partner is not taking an opportunity to

explore conflict. When the time comes for feedback, we’re

tempted to lay out our opinions: This is what you could have

done, or this is what I would have done in your shoes. If one

Life-Player has more experience than another Player, then the

guidance seems to mean more.

Feedback: What Happened-

Limit feedback to what did happen—in detail. Ignore what

should have happened. Help the Player learn exactly how the

game went and see how she or he will play it differently next

time.

Feedback: What You Heard-

Feedback can include questions about what you heard; for

instance you might ask, “Were you hoping to take your

adventure outdoors?” Or, “If you wanted to add more colors to

the face of the old lady, could you do it now?”

Toward Greater Skill-

Your role is to lead the Player into greater skills. When

Players ask whether their performances were weak, you have a

great opportunity: Reassure them or say exactly where the

performance was weak or strong and why. Now you’re not

giving feedback; you’re answering questions.

Positive (and Not False)-

Feedback is tricky; the more positive it is the better—so

long as it’s not false. If you can, pick out even tiny moments

where the Player achieved success.

44

Know the Rules- Know the game’s guidelines so that when you go over them

with a Player, you can point out how the game is usually

played. Use the metaphor that accompanies rules; for

instance, in Event Puddle the metaphor is “puddle”—the

puddle of unrelated emotions aroused by one event. If a series

of events are chosen, insist on the Player choosing only one!

Help the Player Uncover Insights-

The Guide should also encourage the Player to uncover

insights by asking the Player questions like: “What was your

experience?” “Did you know where you wanted to go when

you started that game?” “How did you come up with three

such strong emotions? Did moving around help?”… And such.

Balanced, Fair, and Quick- Make sure feedback is balanced, fair, and quick. It’s the

pillar of a program that attracts and holds newcomers, who

themselves will become expert Players and expert at giving

feedback.

Let us rather embrace one

another in our basic humanness

and strive in the workshop to

release this humanness in

ourselves and our students. Here,

then, the walls of our cages,

prejudices, frames of reference,

and predetermined right and

wrong dissolve. We look with an

“inward eye.”

~ Viola Spolin, mother of improv

45

Connect: Your Fellow Players By Howard Jerome Gomberg

Who are the people you like to play games with? The people

you can have fun with? The people you can go to the movies

with, fight with, and make up with?

These are your fellow Life-Players.

Who are the people who’ve been through some of the same

experiences you’ve been through? The people who understand

you? The people you trust?

These are your fellow Life-Players.

Your fellow Life-Players do things together—whether it’s

playing poker or telling jokes. Your Life-Players pick up on

your vibes, and you pick up on theirs. You’re on to each

other. You’re probably very creative already in your own

way—whether you’re creating a picnic or helping a friend in

trouble.

And all I really wanted to do back

then was rehearsal. I was in it for

the process, and I really resented

having to go out and do a

performance for an audience,

because the process stopped; it

had to freeze and be the same

every night. It wasn’t as

interesting.

~ Barbara Harris, actress and a

member of Compass

Roger Bowen and Barbara Harris

46

Connect: Life-Play with Teens By Michael Golding

In Los Angeles, I work with at-risk inner-city teenagers. Many

of my students are resigned, suspicious, and emotionally

guarded. I find myself seeking out games that students can

instantly connect with on a personal and emotional level.

Life-Play, within my classroom, has been extremely

successful in that regard.

Intimate Conversations- Life-Play games help students to bond with each other.

Students don’t view Life-Play games as “tasks,” but rather as

intimate conversations. For example, with the game Ideal

Meal, salivation is common, providing awareness to the body

and specifics of a kitchen environment.

When they did I Dream,

some teens chose to do a

nightmare. Initially, I was

thrown. In the set-up, I

didn’t say they couldn’t

do a nightmare—but why

would you choose to do

one? Nightmares are

about scaring and

traumatizing people,

right? The class taught

me that nightmares are an

insightful way to

empathize with the

sensitivities of fellow

students. The content of

the nightmares shared

followed the paradigm of

the overburdened

Michael, in the moment… his natural environment.

47

teenager: being late for school, taking a test but not knowing

any answers, and feeling anxiety about dating.

Layers- The insecurity of being judged comes to the surface with Life-

Play and peels away a layer that opens up self-awareness.

With Believe It, some would play it half-heartedly, as a way of

indicating that’s not how they really feel. Those who played it

with conviction apologized afterward, making sure the class

knew that wasn’t how they felt. Then there were those who

discovered, after some probing, that they were actually

conveying the views of someone close to them—a sibling,

friend, or parent. Within my classroom workshops, surprising

revelations have become a common and gratifying byproduct

of Life-Play.

I plan to explore additional potential within Life-Play.

Arranging the games in a particular order, I will examine how

Life-Play can tell a story or survey a specific theme or

emotion based on the identity of the group I am working with.

Imagine Life-Play as an improvised play, soap opera, or

movie. Anything is possible.

Understanding grows from personal experience that enables a

person to see and feel in ways so varied and so full of

changeable meanings that one’s self-awareness is the

determining factor. Here one can admit more readily that the

substances of a shadowy world are projected out of our

personal thoughts, attitudes, emotions, needs. Perhaps it is

easier to understand that even though we do not have the

wisdom to enumerate the reasons for the behavior of another

person, we can grant that every individual does have his

private world of meaning, conceived out of the integrity and

dignity of his personality.

~Virginia M. Axline, author of Dibs in Search of Self

48

Connect: Life-Play for Groups By David Shepherd

Why would seniors embrace Life-Play?

Although I am 85 years old, I am mostly with people half my

age, so I don’t often play with seniors. However, I know why I

benefit from play: I like to imagine I am adventuring through

my life as I move with a partner from game to game. Though I

have almost no physical mobility, with games I can pounce on

what happened last week, or stride into what I hope or fear

will happen next.

An Opportunity- I used to tend a small stable of characters—exuberant

millionaire, dry professor, disturbed teen, German cynic,

mother of my own age. Now our character game requires me

to visit these persona (and others) just as Emo-Pitch gives me

an excuse to open my lungs and sing or churn out

gibberish.

I rarely write a poem, but I play Repetition Poem again and

again for as long as I’m given a topic. Being a Madison

Avenue WASP, I was taught not to express anger or tears or

any excessive emotion, but Emo-Pitch puts what I feel into the

hands of my partner. I rarely cook, but Ideal Meal has

convinced me to concoct dishes.

Two years ago, I spent two months in a rehab center, where I

lived and dined with seniors. I remember a few of them well.

My roommate made good sense, dictated complex letters to

the United Kingdom, lunched with a young woman, and

related coherently to his wife every afternoon. But come 6 PM,

a change came over him, which I was told was a “sundown”

effect. For a couple of hours, he seemed unable to focus, while

his speech was slightly garbled.

49

What I now assume is that the imagination and speech of

seniors can shift from hour to hour. We can play brilliantly at

one time of the day, but not at another. For us, list easy games

on one shelf of your mind and difficult games on another. Be

ready to abandon a game that’s not working. It’s not the

reputation of Life-Play that’s at stake; it’s the pleasure and

gain of Players.

At my rehab I also discovered that one very coherent

tablemate, who read a newspaper daily cover to cover, could

not remember his daughters’ names. What he could remember

was the day his father introduced him to a business he would

run for decades. My other tablemate had been a college

English teacher but remembered little about it. What he did

remember was rhyming tetrameter—a form of verse that he

could recite for hours.

Invent a Game-

What do my memories have to do with Life-Play? Just as

we’ve invented games for our own use, so we can invent

games for seniors. For instance, a game that plunges a Player

into youth—say, at a 10-year-old’s birthday—or a game that

requires a Player to describe his or her family down to

grandparents and great-grandparents or a holiday game or a

story that involves everyone. For seniors who boggle at detail,

make up a game that grows nouns into adverbs and adjectives.

Let games engage seniors during the long hours they may sit

alone in a corridor where people pass with carts or trays but

never interact.

Accept these as my theories and come up with your own—

whether senior or junior.

50

Invent: How to Develop Games By Carman Dewees

Our phone adventures

have been in

development since the

summer of 2008.

Every day we learn

more about them and

about our tastes,

feelings, and ability to

play them. It’s

exciting.

Anyone can send in a

new game description that includes a role for

the Guide and the

Player. I put their

suggestions on a sheet

for testing. This begins

a process of play,

discussion, and

revision that can go on

for months—led by the

person who suggested the game. Once we feel that we

understand the rules of the game and that it can be quickly

learned and is fun to play, the new game is put on the Menu

sheet.

Inventing a new game often starts from a personal need,

challenge, insight, longing, or a skill someone would like to

sharpen. Other times, the inventor begins with an existing

improv game and makes adjustments to it. (There are many

online improv game encyclopedias to peruse.)

Madie plays outside.

51

Structure-

A common development hurdle is structural problems with a

game. For example, Ideal Meal lacked surprise. So we

encouraged the Guide to offer a person as a surprise diversion

for the Player, if the Player doesn’t introduce someone.

Metaphor-

Another common problem is lacking a clear metaphor. I

played Event Puddle, one of our oldest games, incorrectly for

six months. I did not understand how I should feel playing the

game and would frequently turn to intellectual rationalization

rather than unraveling emotions. After some heated group

discussion, David uncovered the metaphor of “a puddle” of

emotions, which later became the name of the game.

Personal-

A problem with a game frequently arises out of a personal

challenge. For example, I found Event Puddle challenging

because of my frequent rationalizing, and Event Puddle made

David feel that his life lacked events to explore. He delved

into what this meant to him and came to realize that small

events, deeply explored, made vivacious Event Puddles.

With new games, focus on asking questions that matter to

you and respect the process. When first suggested, new games

are often a bit off, hence the game does not intuitively flow.

This is normal. Adventures that can be played many times

and in different ways are ideal, so the game and your life

converse and evolve together.

52

Invent: The Future of Life-Play By David Shepherd

What next? Our future is based on sharing Life-Play

leadership with Players like you who will play with more

expertise than I do, and who can handle newcomers as deftly

as Carman. To grow we will need a manager—to give us a

professional stance. And we will need funds—through

foundations as well as my theatre contacts. We see more

opportunities for Players living near each other to lunch or

party together—churning up a warmth and exhilaration that

may not always be possible on the phone.

Some people think when they are acting it’s an intermission

from their life. It’s not an intermission—it is your life!

~Suzanne Shepherd, actress and director,

and member of Compass,

Howard running for Mayor of Toronto (Summer 2010)

53

About: Bios of Contributors David Shepherd- spent most of his life inventing improv

formats such as COMPASS cabaret in Chicago, which was

replicated 1000 times worldwide. From New York, his Improv

Olympix was carried to 300 Canadian high schools.

MOVIExperience brought him to Massachusetts, where he

now develops Life-Play.

Carman Dewees- wandered Asia and also pestered people

for National Public Radio. He is currently an independent

radio producer and web designer. Carman lives in

Northampton, Massachusetts, and develops Life-Play, runs the

website, and produces the podcast.

Michael Golding- is a teacher, writer, director, and lifelong

improviser. He currently teaches improvisation to at-risk teens

in Los Angeles. Michael was recently given the title

“Canadian Improv Games Ambassador to the U.S.A.”

Scot Coar- is a marriage and family therapist and recording

producer/engineer. He lives in western Massachusetts.

Howard Jerome Gomberg- lives in Toronto, where he acts

in big movies and makes small voice-overs.

Ana Maria Salicioni- was born and raised in the Patagonia

region of Argentina, the southernmost part of the country. She

holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry. Ana Maria and her husband

live in Amherst, Massachusetts.

54

About: Recommended Reading

Improv Books-

• Coleman, Janet. The Compass (Chicago: Centennial

Publications of the University of Chicago Press,

1991)—discusses the founding of the first improv

cabaret in Chicago.

• Halpern, Charna, and Del Close, et al. Truth in

Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation (Colorado

Springs, CO: Meriwether, 1994)—Improv Olympic’s

bible, with basic explanation of the Harold, a type of

long-form improv.

• Gwinn, Peter. Group Improvisation: The Manual of

Ensemble Improv Games (Colorado Springs, CO:

Meriwether, 2003)—former Improv Olympic

Teacher’s instructions for group exercises.

• Johnstone, Keith. Impro: Improvisation and the

Theatre (London: Routledge, 1987)—excellent book

on improv (chapters on status and masks are must

reads).

• Johnstone, Keith. Impro for Storytellers (London:

Routledge, 1999)—sequel to Impro (the Theatresports

format is explored).

• Keefe, Joseph A. Improv Yourself: Business

Spontaneity at the Speed of Thought (Hoboken, NJ:

John Wiley, 2003)—improv for Business training, by

former head Second City Communications.

• Kozlowski, Rob. The Art of Chicago Improv: Short

Cuts to Long-Form Improvisation (Portsmouth, NH:

Heinemann Drama, 2002)—history of IO (Improv

Olympics) and its teams.

• Libera, Anne. The Second City Almanac of

Improvisation (Chicago: Northwestern University

Press, 2004)—essays and instruction by Second City

directors, producers, and actors.

55

• Lynn, Bill. Improvisation for Actors and Writers: A

Guidebook for Improv Lessons in Comedy (Colorado

Springs, CO: Meriwether, 2004)—groundling’s

approach to improv and sketch in comparison to The

Second City and Improv Olympic.

• Napier, Mick. Improvise: Scene from the Inside Out

(Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Drama, 2004)—a

concise and clear book by Second City director and

Annoyance Productions founder.

• Patinkin, Sheldon. The Second City: Backstage at the

World’s Greatest Comedy Theater (Naperville, IL:

Sourcebooks MediaFusion, 2000)—book with two

audio CDs covering the history of The Second City’s

first 40 years, with sketches in audio.

• Shepherd, David. That Movie In Your Head: Guide to

Improvising Stories on Video (Shutesbury, MA: Gere,

2005)—improvised movies.

• Spolin, Viola. Improvisation for the Theater: A

Handbook of Teaching and Directing Techniques

(Chicago: Northwestern University Press, 1983)—the

basis for most other work in improv, specifically The

Second City.

• Sweet, Jeffrey. Something Wonderful Right Away: An

Oral History of The Second City and The Compass

Players (New York: Limelight Editions, 2004)—early

interviews with Second City alums.

• Sweeney, John. Innovation at the Speed of Laughter: 8

Secrets to World Class Idea Generation (Emeryville,

CA: Aerialist Press, 2005)—a book on using improv

for corporate needs by The Brave New Workshop.

Improv Audio and Video-

• Spolin, Viola. Spacewalks (CD)—guided improv

meditation.

• Nichols and May: Take Two (DVD, 1996)—biography

and work of the two brilliant improvisers and

comedians.

56

• Second to None: 10th Anniversary Special Edition

(DVD, 2009)—documentary on The Second City’s

production of Paradigm Lost, directed by Mick Napier.

• The World According to Keith (DVD, 2003)—

documentary about Keith Johnstone.

• Keith Johnstone Teaches: Trance Masks with Steve

Jarand (DVD, 2010)—excellent instructional video on

mask work.

• In The Moment (DVD)—a documentary on the

Canadian Improv Games (features David Shepherd).

Drama Therapy-

• Axline, Virginia. Dibs In Search of Self (New York:

Ballantine, 1967)—an amazing story about play

therapy.

• Blatner, Adam, ed., with Daniel J. Weiner. Interactive

and Improvisational Drama: Varieties of Applied

Theatre and Performance (Bloomington, IN: iuniverse,

2007)—showcases the broad uses for improv.

• May, Rollo. The Courage to Create (New York: W.W.

Norton, 1994)—the classic on psychology of

creativity.

Audio Storytelling-

• Biewen, John. Reality Radio: Telling True Stories in

Sound (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina

Press, 2010)—public radio producers discussing the

current golden age of audio documentary.

• Ira Glass on Storytelling (current TV)—tips on

storytelling (available on youtube.com).

• Transom.org—large archive profiling public radio

audio producers.

57

Emotional Intelligence-

• Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can

Matter More Than IQ (New York: Bantam, 1997)—

the modern classic on emotional intelligence.

• Kabat-Zinn, Jon. Wherever You Go There You Are:

Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life (New York:

Hyperion, 1994)—classic book on meditation.

• Rosenberg, Marshall B. Nonviolent Communication: A

Language of Life (Encinitas, CA: Puddledancer Press,

2003)—explores clear communication and fostering

healthy relationships.

Listen. What can you hear right now? How many sounds or

voices? You may have tuned them out while you were reading,

but you were receiving them. We are open and vulnerable to

sound. A voice can sneak in, bypass the brain, and touch the

heart.

~ Jay Allison, NPR producer

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About: Contact Us

Website-

www.Life-Play.com

Email-

Info@life-play.com

Phone-

413-248-7529

We’d love to hear from you!

Copyright © Life-Play. All rights reserved.