What is this site all about?
This is a collection of games/exercises/handles/techniques for improvisation theatre. It's basically organized in Categories , and each improv Game is classified in a number of these categories. We also provide a number of Glossary and References to people, sites and books where you can find similar information.
This site does not aspire to
Why? There are other improv lists and sites, no?
Yes, there are other lists, but their structure and/or organization is a bit more limited than this one (for other lists see the reference page). Basically, for doing improv workshops, we needed something that we could reference per topic, and we found that most improv games/handles belong in plenty of topic categories. This site is, among other things, workshop oriented.
Where did you get this information?
Most of this stuff we picked up taking Improv workshops, or we invented for improv workshops we've taught ourselves. In addition, there are a couple of good books and websites. You'll find some on the reference page. And lastly, there is a ton of information to be found on the internet. Use your favorite search engine!
What is the history of this site?
This site originally started around 1995 as an Access (yeah, yuk) database for our own personal use. We redid it completely, twice. The first on-line version, around end 2001, was hosted on www.humanpingpongball.com, and that was generated by some nifty programs we wrote ourselves.
This version is produced by a tool called Compendium.
This is always a work in progress, so every couple of months or so, we regenerate the whole thing. See the Home page for an overview of the history. If you want to be kept up to date of new versions drop us an email.
Can I use the stuff I find here?
Yes you can. It's free for non-commercial use- just don't claim you made the site or wrote the pdf version ;-). You can download the whole site in html, if you want. You can also download a printable version in Adobe pdf format. You can even download the programs used to build this site. Check out the Download page. You do need to be careful if you want to play some of the improv formats described here. Some formats are copyrighted. Known copyrights are listed in the Origin sections, where known/applicable.
Can I publish and/or translate the stuff I find here?
Maybe. Contact us about this and we'll discuss our conditions. Older versions of the site have been published, in English (by a company called Sun Coast Acting) as well as in Thai.
Where can I find all the quotes you guys have at the bottom of every page?
Just ask us. Nicely. Here.
Time, heat and pressure. The same things that make a diamond also make a waffle --- Scott Meyer