Anyone Who
Anyone Who is a high-energy chair-based warm-up exercise in which players sit in a circle with one fewer seat than participants. The person left standing moves to the center and calls out a statement beginning with "Anyone who..." followed by a trait, experience, or preference. Everyone to whom the statement applies must leave their seat and find a new one, while the caller also scrambles for a seat. The last player left standing becomes the new caller. The exercise energizes the room, breaks down social barriers, and reveals shared experiences across the group. It functions as both a physical warm-up and a group-bonding exercise, making it particularly effective at the start of rehearsals, workshops, and applied improv sessions where participants may not know each other well.
Structure
Setup
Players arrange chairs in a circle, removing one chair so there is one fewer seat than participants. All players sit down except one, who stands in the center.
Progression
The standing player calls out a statement beginning with "Anyone who..." and completes it with a characteristic, experience, or preference. Examples include "Anyone who has a pet," "Anyone who has traveled outside the country," or "Anyone who ate breakfast today." Every seated player to whom the statement applies must stand and move to a different chair. The caller also attempts to claim a seat. Players cannot return to the seat they just left or move to an immediately adjacent seat.
The last player without a seat moves to the center and makes the next call. The exercise continues for a set number of rounds or until the facilitator determines the group has reached the desired energy level.
Conclusion
The facilitator ends the exercise on a high-energy round and transitions directly into the next activity while the room's momentum is still elevated. There is no winner or loser. The goal is activation and connection, not competition.
How to Teach It
Objectives
The exercise trains listening, physical commitment, and rapid self-disclosure. Players must process the caller's statement, assess whether it applies to them, and act immediately. The constraint of a missing chair forces full physical engagement rather than cautious minimal movement.
How to Explain It
"We're going to play a game called Anyone Who. Everyone sit in a circle. I'm removing one chair, so one person will be standing in the middle. That person calls out a statement starting with 'Anyone who...' and finishes it with something true about themselves. If it's also true for you, you have to get up and find a new seat. The person in the middle is also trying to grab a seat. Whoever is left standing goes next. You can't sit back down in your own chair or move to the chair right next to you. Let's go."
Scaffolding
With beginners, model the first two rounds from the center before handing it off. Demonstrate both a broad call that moves most of the group and a specific call that moves only a few players, so the group understands the range of what works.
With experienced players, set the expectation before the exercise begins: callers should move from easy universal calls toward more specific or personal ones as the exercise builds momentum.
Common Notes
Coach callers to vary between universal statements and specific ones. Universal calls create chaotic, high-energy scrambles. Specific calls create moments of discovery as the group learns what it has in common.
Watch for players who avoid making eye contact during scrambles or who consistently grab the nearest open chair rather than crossing the circle. The exercise works best when players commit to full physical movement through the space.
A common drift is callers defaulting to safe, surface-level statements throughout the exercise. After the first few rounds, invite callers to take small risks with more personal or specific calls. The exercise becomes richer when players share something real.
Common Pitfalls
Players often hesitate before moving, waiting to see if others are getting up. Coach for immediate response: if it is true, move.
Groups with mixed physical abilities need a safety note before the exercise begins. Collisions are common in enthusiastic groups. Padding chairs away from walls and using a larger circle reduces impact risk.
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How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Anyone Who. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/anyone-who
The Improv Archive. "Anyone Who." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/anyone-who.
The Improv Archive. "Anyone Who." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/anyone-who. Accessed March 17, 2026.
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