So you want to audition?

Auditioning can be a scary thing. If youre familiar with the theatre racket, it may seem
daunting to go into an audition where there really isnt any preparation you can do to be ready
for whatever we throw at you. With that said, if youre unfamiliar with the theatre racket, it
may seem horrifying to go into an audition where there really isnt any preparation you can do
to be ready for whatever we throw at you.
But DONT PANIC! Were here for you!
Auditions may be crowded, but I promise you they wont be scary. Especially because
this is the walkthrough guide youve been waiting for! Here it comes: The Breakdown.

The Breakdown:
Auditions are simple. If you attended the Open Practice, than you have an essential idea
of how theyll go. Game-by-game, well get folks up there to show us what theyve got. The
process will begin with some procedural stuff. Filling out forms, getting names, so on, so forth,
and then well begin. Were still working out the order in which well have people come up, but
leave that worrying to us. Well be playing games more than once in order to see you use as
many skills as possible, but be prepared not to get a go in all of them. Numbers are tight. Godwilling, your audition group will be small but potent. Now, I know what youre probably
wondering now. WHAT THE HELL GAMES ARE WE PLAYING? Well, wait a second!

GET READY
1

THE GAMES WERE PLAYING:

These games all test skills were hoping to see shine at auditions. One thing of significant
note is that we will be cutting scenes off if theyre going too long. Dont take offense to this, its
simply due to the limited time we have. However, pacing in a scene is very important and
something we will be looking for.
Now get ready, cause Im about to go through them one-by-one, explaining exactly how
the game is played and what skill it utilizes.

GAME #1: First Line, Last Line

# of Players: 6
Gameplay: The six players divide into three pairs. Each of these pairs will be ascribed a
word that will act as the theme of every one of the two-person scenes they play out. The
middle pair will start and at any point, a TBA member will ding the scene out. (Well call them
the Master Dinger.) When a scene is dinged out, it means they stop. The Master Dinger will
then pass the spotlight to another pair, wherein this pair will utilize the last line of dialogue
uttered by the previous pair as the first line of dialogue in their new scene.
Note: Not every scene a single pair plays out must be connected. So if your scene is a cowboy
depositing a check, when youre dinged out and then dinged back in, you need neither to be
those characters or in that world of story.
Note: Depending on the crowd, we may play this with 8 players.
Note: This is not how youve seen the game played with us, if youve seen it before.
Example: Players 1 & 2 have the word Bank, Players 3 & 4 have the word Mask
Player 1: I dont understand, my credit is fine. I already paid off the horse.
Player 2: I dont care what you paid off, Im going to need this notarized.
Master Dinger: Ding! Group 2.
Player 3: Im going to need this notarized. You cant just buy skimasks anymore, sir.
Player 4: Ugh, are you kidding? Im at a ski lodge.
Master Dinger: Ding! Group 1.
Player 1: Im at a ski lodge and I cant even use my damned credit card.
Player 2: I know, right? Thats what you get for switchin to that weird chip thing.

Skills:
Justification, youre going to be given lines that may not seem like they make a
lick of sense against your theme. Its important for an improviser to make the line work
with their theme.
Wit, sometimes the line you get will seem so utterly drab or outlandish that it
seems unworkable. The impetus is on you is to figure out the angle at which you tackle
it.

Skills (contd):
Listening, as elementary as that may sound, listening is a huge part of improv.
And while the amendment well be making to this game will alter the necessity of
listening for the perfect line, it will mean being prepared to adopt whatever may be said
by a fellow improviser.
Gifting, in improv, gifting refers to providing dialogue, action, or plot points that
your fellow improviser will then easily be able to pick up and work with. Gifting a line in
this game would be if, in the example, Player 1 referred to masks, or in the reverse,
Player 3 referred to banks. Remember that the Master Dinger will be calling the shots,
so youll really be gifting the Master Dinger with a window to switch scenes.
Establishing, in any scene, you want to know who, what, where, why, when and
how. (Or at least most of those.) If you get a line, you cant just utter it, add something
and expect everyone to know whats going on. You need to show the audience and your
partner what you intend for the scene. And if youre not the first to speak, then you
need to know what information wasnt presented by the initial speaker in your scene
and provide it. You could only have a moment to get these answers out there, so be
wise.

GAME #2: Body Freeze

# of Players in a Scene: 2
Gameplay: The much simpler version of Freeze, this game is physical. Two people start
a scene with a prompt. At any point, any improviser may freeze the scene prompting the
players in the scene to become entirely still in whatever position they were in when they were
frozen. The freezer will then choose a player to replace and thereafter adopt the physicality of.
Based on that physicality and that physicality alone, they must start an entirely new scene. The
game continues until time is called.
Skills:
Physical, the power of the body in humor is far-reaching. Slapstick has been
around since the dawn of man. A physical choice can determine a character, a scenario,
a consequence, just about anything. Even further, being able to maintain a certain
physicality throughout scenes will make your scenes not only more interesting, but
more capable of expansion. Often, we fall into conversation for inspiration to advance a
scene, but opting for a physical prompt could yield an entirely new world of possibilities
all while keeping the audiences attention.
Establishing, each scene will be entirely unique. Well need to know whats going
on fairly soon in order to know what youre getting at.

GAME #3: Party Quirks

# of Players in the Scene: 4
Gameplay: One host, three guests. The three guests are given characters by the
audience. The host of the party will not be aware of these three characters and will then need
to guess who they are all whilst entertaining them at their supposed party. The host will set the
scene, and one-by-one, the characters will enter.
Note: We will not be confining any auditioners to the role of Host. Its a struggle and we
understand that. Especially since, TBA will be preconceiving your characters.

Skills:
Character, being able to define your character without directly addressing it is
one of the most useful tools in character creation. It means your character has depth
and is capable of being itself without saying it. Character in improv is probably among
the most important skills an improviser can have. Its how all SNLers start off with just a
list of go-to characters theyve created. They understand how these characters respond
to things and what drives them. Being able to escape yourself in order to be a character
is of tremendous worth to us as an improv group.

GAME #4: Choose Your Own Adventure

# of Players in a Scene: 5
Gameplay: Three players will start a scene given a prompt. At any point during the
scene, the players will be frozen and two improvisers flanking the stage will provide potential
choices for where the scene will go. After brief voting, a choice will be made and the players
will carry out the story according to description. Interruption will occur twice more and
thereafter the scene will come to a conclusion.
Note: You will only be interrupted twice for the sake of time.

Skills:
Advancing, just because youve been given your story doesnt mean thats all we
want to see. You may be given the start of a scenario, but an ambiguous end. Use that
ambiguity to add to the world youve been given. Push ideas that have been introduced,
move the story without the help of the storytellers.

GAME #5: Freeze

If youve seen us perform in the past year, then you know this game. Its a longer format
and utilizes a whole bunch of skills that Im sure youll have a blast reading.
# of Players in a Scene: ~
Gameplay: One to two players will start a scene given a one-word prompt. At any point
during this scene, an improviser who is inspired by something said or done in the ongoing scene
or by the overarching theme may Freeze! the scene and jump in, either by wiping the scene
entirely or utilizing a character in the ongoing scene somewhere else in the world of story. You
may also enter the ongoing scene as a third. Freedom is vast in this game and well be there to
help you if you commit a foul. Dont think of the help as a mark against you, everyone has
trouble with this game.
Skills:
Story, something to know about Long Form improv is that it is driven by story
and character. Being familiar with story is always good. Recognizing plot points and
knowing how to add to the ongoing story is also important and can help you in
determining whether or not something youre doing is contributing to a scene or merely
taking place within. Story is built out of many of the following elements of improv.
Pacing, when we talk pacing, we mean timing and knowing the best time to do
something. You may want to recycle (bring back) a character from an earlier scene.
When was the last time we saw the character? Was the character memorable? You
need to consider at what time the biggest punchline could be made for your character.
If you return to them too often, the audience will grow tired. Another note on pacing is
the construction the story as a whole. Do we want three scenes? Beginning, middle,
end, of the same characters advancing subtly in their own endeavors? Or do we want to
expand the world? Place a few scene in between that may establish something we
couldnt in just the beginning, middle and end.
World of Story, this is the construction of the universe. Typically, Freeze is a
game played within and throughout the same universe. So if one thing is established in
one scene, you cannot block (to refute an establishment) that idea in another. For
instance, if in your world of story youve presented that everyone is safe from aliens
because of their aluminum foil hats, then you cannot forget that idea when starting
another scene. You must work with it somehow. Perhaps you dont want your character
to wear an aluminum foil hat, then establish that its within his/her character to break
that tradition.

Final Notes & Epilogue

YES AND, this is the edict of all improv. You will never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever be
able to develop anything if you dont accept an offer and thereafter build on that very offer.
Always agree with the direction your partner may want to move in. Blocking a decision will not
only force the scene to a screeching halt, but it will also inform your partner that youre not
interested in collaborating with them to make something great. With that said,
Look for your ALPHA and your BETA, this is the power structure in most two-person
scenes. The alpha is responsible for leading the action. Theyll often call the scene-advancing
shots and make for the production of new information throughout the scene. All the while, the
beta will support the alpha. Accepting their offers and thereafter working with them. The beta
is just as important as the alpha. Dont ever be convinced otherwise. The best alpha can work
with a bad beta and the scene will go nowhere. On the contrary, if a good beta works with a
bad alpha, theres still hope. These are noticeable qualities. Another note would be that two
alphas alone or two betas alone in a scene can be disastrous. Recognize in your scene who
wants to alpha or who is succeeding in alpha-ing, seeing this can inform you as to what your
role should be.
***
Over all, I have tremendous faith in all of you. I dont believe the individual who claims
not to be good at improv. I think its something we do every day, whether we know it or not.
Now, this doesnt mean that everyone is guaranteed a spot in TBA Improv. As much as we
would love to do that, troupes simply cannot grow without the kind of trust thats built up
within a consistent and close-knit group of people
Dont let all of this improv jargon scare you either. Its probably all stuff you didnt
realize you already knew. Its just to help.
Good luck tonight! We hope to see you there!