Party Planning
Party Planning is an exercise or scene game in which a group of performers must collaboratively plan a fictional event while navigating different character agendas and communication styles. The exercise trains group agreement, negotiation, and the ability to advance a shared objective while maintaining individual character perspectives.
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Related Exercises
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.
Who Where Why Am I
Who Where Why Am I is a scene exercise in which a performer enters a space and must quickly establish their character, location, and purpose through physical behavior before any dialogue begins. The exercise prioritizes physical storytelling and teaches performers to communicate essential scene information through action rather than exposition.
Premise Lawyer
Premise Lawyer is a scene exercise in which one performer acts as an advocate for the scene's central premise, arguing for its logic and defending its reality whenever it is challenged or abandoned. The exercise teaches players to commit fully to established premises and resist the temptation to bail out when an idea feels risky.
Conflict Scenes
Conflict Scenes is an exercise in which performers practice scenes driven by opposing wants or viewpoints. The exercise explores how conflict creates narrative engine and emotional intensity without requiring hostility. It teaches players to sustain productive disagreement while maintaining the scene's collaborative foundation.
Personalize It!
Personalize It is a scene exercise in which performers draw on their own real experiences, opinions, or emotional truths to inform their characters rather than inventing from scratch. The exercise pushes players past generic choices toward specific, grounded work. It builds the muscle of accessing personal material while maintaining the safety of a fictional frame.
Firing Squad
Firing Squad is a scene game in which one performer faces a line of players who rapid-fire questions, challenges, or scene initiations. The solo performer must respond to each without hesitation. The exercise builds resilience under pressure and trains the ability to accept any offer instantly.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Party Planning. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/party-planning
The Improv Archive. "Party Planning." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/party-planning.
The Improv Archive. "Party Planning." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/party-planning. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.