Blog-O-Ween: Guessing Games Are Improv Magic

Tonight I had a friend tell me that I get far too emotionally invested when we play "Five Things" during rehearsals or shows. For people who don't visit ComedySportz on the reg, Five Things is basically the ultimate guessing game. Your guesser has 5 minutes to  get about 15 gives and your givers can only mime and use gibberish. It looks impossible and that's what makes it improv magic.The reason that I get so emotionally invested in the game is because it so often seems impossible, even to the people on-stage. When the guesser and the giver spark the magic connection that lets them guess "doing my math homework" it is electric.

A lot of new improvisers are terrified of having to guess in games. They tend to be worried that the audience will give them an impossible give or that they're going to be out there alone and in shame. What they don't realize is that the job appears significantly more difficult than it is. Guessers seem to be out there alone, but the entire audience and your entire team is on your side. If you fail then people are understanding because your job seems impossible. If  you succeed, however, people will be blown away and think that you may be a genius.

The audience perception isn't the reason guessing games seem so magical to me, though. The primary reason is that it takes an immense amount of trust in your teammates to step up and guess. You have to know that even if you're supposed to guess the name of the guy who played the principal in Back to the Future (James Tolkan, by the way), they will get you there. You have to go in with your eyes, ears, and mind totally open and ready to pick on the smallest of clues they offer you. It's beautiful, because so often we develop short-hand with our team members and once "difficult" gives like curling or Kim Kardashian will be guessed in seconds.

My Advice to New Guessers:

• Go up there and take as many decisive swings at the thing you need to guess as possible. If you're wrong, it's funny. If you're right, it's impressive.
• Look your givers in the eye. It makes it much easier for them to know if you understand what they're doing and it might just spark the connection you two need.
• If you're not picking up what they're putting down, TELL THEM. Keep it in the scene, of course, but don't hide your confusion from your partners.
• Relax. It's just a game and you'll either get there or you won't. You've got everybody on your team ready to clue you in to what you need to say or do, so the odds are incredibly in your favor.

Now quit being scared of guessing and toss yourself in that water!