First Class Experience: Circle Games

Exercise Progression 1 - Circle Games

The easiest introduction to Improvisation that I can think of. Classic, tried and true.

If you’ve ever seen a TV show or movie that shows a group of people “doing improv,” you’ve almost certainly seen a circle of enthusiastic folks waving their arms around, making odd noises and trying not to laugh. While it might come across as a little chaotic, the energy has a purpose. All of that “silliness” is supporting one of the most powerful tools that we have for building collaboration, active listening and playful awareness. 

Here’s why:

1. Why Circle games?

In a nutshell: Circle games are the quickest and simplest way to take a group of individuals and make them feel safe and competent enough to become a team.

Don’t worry, we’ve gotten much better at running circle games since those awkward warmups in gym class.

By standing in the round, we can begin to gently build trust with one another.

Everyone can see everyone. There isn’t an imbalance that makes anyone feel singled out. We’re all doing the same stuff. We can see someone play well and learn from them as a group.

It’s the baby steps necessary for intentional and grounded development as a group.

2. What does a Circle Game actually look like, though?

We all stand in a circle. Then stuff happens: small, simple things, one after the next. Eventually, if possible, the simple things layer into more complex things.

These simple things are used to test for and support:

• Teamwork: Comfort with the individual being a part of a group

• Being Present: Identifying and understanding what “saying yes” means in action

• Focus: recognizing the needs of the moment, and when to take an active or supportive role

If acting and performance is learning how to do tricks on the skateboard, this is the part of the class where we learn how to stay on the skateboard without falling off and hurting ourselves or someone else.

3. A sample Circle progression

This is my favorite Circle progression to start; I’ve used it consistently since 2006 and it works quite well. The parts might shift around based on how we’re feeling as a group, but generally this is what the first part of a class or workshop looks like.

Yes Circle

A selected person (probably me, depending on the group) will begin the exercise by walking across the circle to someone I haven’t met or don’t know well. I’ll say hello by using the most important word in all of improv: “Yes.” It’s an invitation to say hello back. Hopefully that invitation is accepted, and my new friend will respond with, “Yes.” Then that friend will continue the movement, walking across the circle to someone new and saying, “Yes.” In this way, we all get to meet each other with guaranteed positive results.

Name Circle

Using the same shape as Yes Circle, we get to learn each other’s names.

• Round one:

  • we introduce ourselves by saying our own name as a hello. I’ll walk across to a fellow player and now, instead of “Yes,” I’ll introduce myself with “Matt.” Since we’re all very positive now, they’ll respond with “Yes,” indicating they heard and acknowledge it. Then that player will walk to a new player and introduce themselves. Easy.

• Round two:

  • we confirm we were listening. Instead of saying my own name, this time I’ll approach a fellow player and say their name. If I’m not sure, that’s fine. I’ll guess. Not knowing a name is not a problem, and shouldn’t slow us down. Mistakes are expected and welcomed. If I get it right, the response is the same positive one as before. If I’m wrong, a simple and polite correction is the correct response. I’ll then say the right name, and we continue.

    • Um… Ben?

    • Chris.

    • Chris.

    • Yes.

Beanbag Toss

Okay, this will definitely feel a bit more like gym class. Don’t worry, this is one of the very rare occasions that the physical world plays any role in the improv world. This is not an exercise of competency, but of consent and collaboration. Instead of walking to another player, I’m going to toss a beanbag to them across the circle. But before throwing, we ask for permission to throw in some way besides yelling “Hey, Matt, can I throw it to you now?” Perhaps a head nod, a whistle, a subtle gesture, a small noise, overly intentional eye contact. Whatever feels comfortable. Then, most importantly, wait for an affirmative response before tossing the beanbag. Failure to catch the bag is pretty much par for the course, so don’t let a lack of coordination distract from the point of the game, which is a smooth and consistent passing of the bag around the group without too much delay. In jazz, there are no wrong beats or notes, only syncopation and exploration.

Beep Circle

Finally, the bag is gone, along with any grunts and whistles. But the energy remains… in our MINDS. Cue mystical music and handwaving. This exercise is the same as before, but somehow much harder. Simply using eye contact and the word “beep,” continue the activity of passing energy around the circle as if it were the beanbag.

Zip Zap Zup

I’m required by improv law to teach this one, but it should be a piece of cake if we did the first parts of the series correctly. Instead of a simple “beep,” we introduce a three-word pattern: “Zip Zap Zup” alongside a physical clap and point towards our intended recipient. The pattern bounces around the circle as long as possible. Which, for starters, doesn’t last terribly long.

And that’s it!

Easy peasy.

A great warmup to bigger and better things.