embracing the offers made by other performers in order to advance the scene
Usually occuring after a performance, an adjudication is a mini-session between your team and one of our trained staff members (usually a trainer) in which we discuss your evening's play and give some suggestions for skills to focus on.
the process of moving the scene forward
a question asked to the audience in order to receive suggestions to improvise a scene
a unit of action in a scene - scenes are made up of a series of beats
rejecting the ideas or offers of another player - one of the most common problems experienced by new improvisers
interrupting an action with another action in order to advance the scene
(a.k.a. reincorporation) usually occurs in Theme; revisiting an idea from earlier in the scene or in the show
making a previous action irrelevant - once an action has been cancelled, it's as if it hadn't happened at all
the team must demonstrate its ability to portray original characters during an improvisation - the team must create/use a game or structure for this event and ask for suggestion(s) from the audience - character is the demonstration of a specific personality (other than one's self) through speech and action
the pledge taken by all before a round of play; a reminder that the Canadian Improv Games is a loving competition with little to no focus on scores, and a strong focus on fun
stepping out of the reality of the scene by saying or doing something that refers to the fact that it's a scene being played - also refers to playing an emotion rather than feeling it
a character added to a scene that creates a status shift, or difference in perspective, between characters
an offer that meshes well with what's already gone before (and usually enhances it in some way)
many (but not all) scenes are about a conflict of some sort - if there's no conflict, the scene may still be truthful but somewhat dull
also knowns as walk-through, this is the act of entering a scene, making a strong offer that advances the scene, and then exiting - to be used sparingly
taking over a scene and not letting other performers influence its direction - makes you an unpopular improviser
assigning attributes to another performer's character
the physical location created by and to be explored by the actors
like a mock-KIG; a chance to play and practice in the CIG style, with the intention of betterment, learning, and fun
taking an idea and letting it become the central theme of the scene
making offers with the intention of advancing the scene or giving a fellow player a chance to further develop an idea already offered (often a character trait)
The five elements are the things should, usually in this order, be part of every scene: location (environment), relationship, conflict, raising the stakes, resolution.
a cue, usually verbal or time-related, in a structure
a combination of (normally predetermined) rules or conventions that are used as a framework within which to improvise
The combination of the creative energy and focus of a group of improvisers.
the codes and conditions of an event, as decided upon by the team
This award will be given to a player who has participated enthusiastically in the CIG, being a supportive and encouraging member of his/her team. His/her life has been positively affected by his/her improv participation in terms of his/her confidence, motivation, and ability to take personal risks.
stealing focus from the scene for the purposes of personal gain as opposed to enhancing and/or furthering the scene
The third round of each night's play at Kingston Regionals is dubbed the Hulkamaniac Round - a theme song is played; players, refs, and audience members dance to said theme song; and the scenes' countdowns are all done Hulk-style - also known as KIG's version of the seventh inning stretch.
adding a character to a scene who is similar to one already present in the scene
the act of making an offer make sense within the scene
like a mind map; related concepts branching from a suggestion
the team must perform an improvisation that explores, in an honest and sincere manner, a mooment in someone's life - the team must create/use a game or structure for this event and ask for suggestion(s) from the audience - the life event should be played with honesty & sincerity, rather than played solely for broad comedy; life events do not have to be played in a naturalistic style, but the responses and choices of the characters involved should be played truthfully
the combination of two suggestions
making silly faces instead of reacting truthfully - generally frowned upon
the story told by a scene - should have a clear beginning, middle, and end
what a character wants to achieve in a scene
any dialogue or action which advances the scene - offers should be accepted
an unrealistic, sudden outburst of emotion that takes you out of the reality of the scene and/or does not forward the scene
solving a problem with elements already existing in the scene's environment, as derived by the suggestion
turning intent into action and movement
explaning the handle of the scene before it starts; also involves doing an ask for
the who, what, and where of a scene - the success of a scene often depends on having a solid platform
when the elements of a scene are not spontaneous or derived from the suggestion; scene is overlly structured and has a premeditated storyline
making the events of the scene have greater consequences for the characters - a technique for advancing
revisiting an idea from earlier in the scene, or from a previous scene in the show, or even from a previous performance
the context of characters; why two characters matter to one another
solving a conflit; the end of the scene
going in a new and challenging direction, outside your comfort zone; implies the chance of failure or potential loss of some kind
acknowledging an offer but not doing anything with it
a player who does not work well as a member of a team; often disregards story and steals focus
a character's sense of self-worth and power within a scene - many scenes are built around status relationships - physical environments and objects also have status
taking focus; making the conflict about you instead of raising the stakes and making the conflict more important via feeding or making offers
the team must demonstrate its ability to tell and perform an original improvised story with the use of improvised narration - the team must create/use a game or structure for this event and ask for suggestion(s) from the audience - a story is an account of an event; stories have a beginning, middle, and and ending
the collection of ask-fors and restrictions used to create a platform from which to improvise (see game)
the team must perform an improvisation in a recognized style or genre of performance, fine art, or media - the team must create/use a game or structure for this event and ask for suggestion(s) from the audience - styles are defined by the distinctive features, conventions and common elements that characterize a group of works
the raw material provided by the audience from which the improvisers create
a scene that involves a lot of standing (or worse, sitting) around talkng rather than engaging in physical action
keeping busy while not a main character; being a silent, animated part of the environment, always ready to feed & make offers when necessary
the team must explore one or more aspects of a theme given by the referee - the team may create/use a game or structure and/or may ask for suggestion(s), but these are not requirements - a theme is a topic or subject, typically stated in one or two words or in a short phrase - there are no restrictions or expectations concerning the manner in which the theme is explored
A tilt is something that is introduced to the scene to cause a change to the status quo, and makes something unexpected happen. There are a variety of ways to introduce a tilt, such as new information ("I'm pregnant"), or an obstacle ("The car is missing!").
the saturation of a scene's content with the suggestion, in as many aspects as possible in order to make a coherent scene (see lateral links)
The Very Improv Personality Award will be given to a player demonstrating commitment to learning the craft of improv, challenging themselves and inspiring others. This person’s contributions to improv exemplify dedication, teamwork, and creativity. This award will be given to a student pursuing post-secondary education at the university or college level.
C'est quoi dans la boite? Je ne sais pas! Yes, our French translation leaves something to be desired, but this super fun fundraising experience sure doesn't! Tickets are sold by our WITB crew and winners choose beautiful prizes or the mystery of what's! In! The box!
failing to make decisions - talking about what you're going to do instead of doing it
accepting an offer but failing to act on it - refusing to advance the scene by not giving offers for who, what, and where
Questions? Need more definitions? Ask a trainer.