Parts of a Whole
The group uses their bodies to collectively form a suggested item. Each individual becomes a different part. Progresses to more complex scenarios. Teaches ceding control to serve the ensemble.
Worth Reading
See all books →
Group Improvisation
The Manual of Ensemble Improv Games
Peter Campbell Gwinn; Charna Halpern
Devising Theatre
A Practical and Theoretical Handbook
Alison Oddey
Theatre of the Oppressed
Augusto Boal
Improvisation for the Theater
A Handbook of Teaching and Directing Techniques
Viola Spolin
The Improv Mindset
Change Your Brain. Change Your Business.
Gail Montgomery; Bruce T. Montgomery
The Improvisation Game
Discovering the Secrets of Spontaneous Performance
Chris Johnston
Related Exercises
Group Mirror
Group Mirror is an expansion of the classic mirroring exercise to the full ensemble. Players stand in a cluster and attempt to move as a single organism, with leadership shifting fluidly among members. The exercise develops the group mind sensitivity that distinguishes a true ensemble from a collection of individuals.
The Machine
The Machine is a group exercise in which players build a collective apparatus by adding interlocking physical movements and sounds one at a time. Each new contributor must connect their action to the existing mechanism. The exercise develops ensemble coordination, physical commitment, and the ability to contribute to a shared creation.
Follow the Follower
Follow the Follower is an applied improv exercise in which a group sits in a circle and simultaneously makes sounds and movements while attempting to mimic everyone else -- with no designated leader and no pre-assigned role of follower. Because everyone is following everyone at once, leadership emerges organically from small initiations that the group collectively amplifies. The exercise makes visible how group behavior self-organizes without authority, and how individual actions propagate through a collective system.
Growing and Shrinking Machine
Growing and Shrinking Machine is a group exercise in which players build a human machine of interconnected sounds and movements, then the machine grows as players join one at a time and shrinks as they leave. The facilitator may control the speed, intensity, or emotion of the machine. The exercise trains ensemble coordination and the ability to contribute a complementary part to a group creation.
Machines
Machines is a group exercise in which players collectively build an imaginary apparatus by adding interlocking physical movements and sounds one performer at a time. A facilitator may call out a theme or type of machine, prompting the group to adapt their contributions accordingly. The exercise trains ensemble listening, physical expressiveness, and creative collaboration.
Sky Falls
Sky Falls is an ensemble exercise in which a facilitator calls out environmental disasters or sudden changes and the group must physically respond as a unit. The exercise builds collective responsiveness, physical commitment, and the ability to react with full-body investment to imagined circumstances.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Parts of a Whole. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/parts-of-a-whole
The Improv Archive. "Parts of a Whole." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/parts-of-a-whole.
The Improv Archive. "Parts of a Whole." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/parts-of-a-whole. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.