3Improvisation--or improv, as it has come to be called--has become very popular as entertainment. Schoolteachers have also adopted some of these theater games to help students improve their listening skills, or to feel more comfortable in front of a crowd. People have even begun playing improv games at parties for fun.

Experienced actors often use the game “freeze tag” as a warm-up. It is great for classroom settings as well, but it's not the most entertaining game to play before an audience, since there is no dialogue. On the plus side, people of varied experience can play the game adequately.
- Line up your entire cast of actors across the stage or performance space. Bring two actors to the downstage area (the front of the stage). Explain the rules of the game to your audience. Tell them that two actors at a time will build a scene, whereupon a third actor will come in, replace one, and reinterpret his predecessor's physical motions in an entirely new way.Begin by letting the actors improvise a scene. Be sure they employ plenty of physicality. Yell out “Freeze” at random. The two actors must then freeze in their positions. At this point, another actor should step forward and tag one of the first two actors out of the scene, assuming his exact physical stance.Begin a new scene. The actor who was just tagged in begins a new scene using the physical position he inherited in a completely new way. He cannot continue making the same movement as the actor before him.Continue to play the game in this manner. The actors who are not in the scene should keep the scene moving at a fast pace by paying attention and then tagging in quickly when their turn comes. Each scene should only get to about three or four lines of dialogue before a new actor comes in.If you have a large group of actors, end the game when all of them have had a turn. With a smaller group, let each actor play several rounds and end on a high note after receiving the biggest laugh.
