Improv Games for a High School Drama Class

Improvisational games liven up a drama class in a creative way by testing students' abilities and sharpening their skills. Students becomes adept at using their imagination and become less self-conscious and more confident. Drama is a creative channel for high school students -- and the director or teacher can use lively and interesting situations to make classroom learning fun.

Students sit in a circle to observe each other's expressions and actions. The director or teacher stands or sits in the center and gives them an emotion to express through voice, gesture and expression -- for example, sorrow, joy, fear, ecstasy or hysteria. Students must keep the flow constant and fast; whoever hesitates has to leave the circle. The student who is able to pick up the cue fastest and show the greatest energy will be the last one sitting: she is the winner.

Divide the class into two teams, A and B. Put slips of paper in a box or basket, with each slip containing a description of a physical action, such as "Jumping off a bridge" or "Rescuing a cat from a tree." One student from team A performs the action while team B guesses what the action is. The winner is the team that guesses the most actions correctly. This game is a fun way for students to practice their acting skills, particularly the physical sort.

Students sit in a circle and one sits in the center and assumes a character in a particular situation that the director or teacher gives her. Those sitting in a circle ask her questions, putting her on the spot. For instance, "You are Juliet on the night before you marry Paris. What are your feelings?" The ones in the circle can prompt her or question her -- helping to give the character more depth and testing the skill of the student actor.

This game involves using ordinary and simple objects as props. The object is given a name and it becomes a stage "property" which students have to find an imaginative use for. The teacher or director tells the students what the object is supposed to be and the students describe it or use it in the acting game as if it is a part of the act. The student with the most creativity and confidence is the winner.