Electric Company
Electric Company is a word-building exercise or game inspired by the classic television show, in which performers combine syllables, sounds, or partial words to construct complete words collaboratively. The exercise trains phonemic awareness and builds comfort with breaking language into its component sounds. It works well as a playful verbal warm-up.
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Related Exercises
Action Syllables
Action Syllables is an exercise in which players pair a distinct physical movement with each syllable of a word or phrase. The activity connects vocal rhythm to full-body expression and breaks habitual patterns of stillness during speech. It builds awareness of how physicality and language reinforce each other onstage.
Whiskey Mixer
Whiskey Mixer is a vocal warm-up exercise in which players repeat tongue twisters or challenging phrases at increasing speed and volume. The exercise loosens the articulatory muscles, builds vocal agility, and prepares performers for clear, confident speech under the pressure of performance.
Dog, Dog, Dog
Dog, Dog, Dog is a group warm-up exercise in which players repeat a word while performing a corresponding action, then switch to a new word and action on a signal. The exercise trains focus, the ability to follow group shifts, and comfort with repetitive, committed physical choices. It builds ensemble synchronization.
Fuzzy Ducky
Fuzzy Ducky is a verbal dexterity warm-up in which players attempt to say a tongue-twisting phrase -- typically "fuzzy ducky" or a similar phonetically challenging combination -- rapidly, clearly, and in sequence around a circle. The exercise targets articulatory precision, playfulness with language, and the physical warm-up of the mouth and vocal apparatus before scene work requiring clear, fast speech.
Primal Screams
Primal Screams is a vocal and physical warm-up exercise in which players release tension through full-bodied shouting, growling, or other primal vocalizations. The exercise gives performers permission to be loud and uninhibited, clearing the way for bolder vocal choices in scene work. It is typically used early in a warm-up sequence to break through self-consciousness.
I’ve Got a Word That Rhymes With…
I've Got a Word That Rhymes With is a verbal dexterity and quick-association exercise in which one participant offers a partial phrase -- "I've got a word that rhymes with [anchor word]" -- and others in the group rapidly supply rhyming words in sequence. The exercise builds the speed and confidence needed for rhyming games, musical improv, and verbal games that require quick linguistic reflexes without second-guessing.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Electric Company. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/electric-company
The Improv Archive. "Electric Company." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/electric-company.
The Improv Archive. "Electric Company." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/electric-company. Accessed March 17, 2026.
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