Scenes from a Suggestion
Scenes from a Suggestion is a foundational exercise in which performers build a scene directly from a single audience-provided word, phrase, or theme. The exercise trains the skill of transforming an abstract prompt into concrete characters, relationships, and situations. It is a core component of both short-form and long-form training.
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Related Exercises
Simple Continuation
Simple Continuation is a scene exercise in which a facilitator starts a scene with a basic premise and the performers must continue it without adding unnecessary complications, practicing the discipline of building on what exists rather than introducing new elements. The exercise teaches restraint and the value of following an idea to its natural conclusion.
Who What Where
Who What Where is a foundational scene exercise in which performers must establish the who (characters and relationship), what (activity), and where (location) within the first few lines of a scene. The exercise trains the habit of front-loading essential scene information and ensures every scene begins with a clear foundation.
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.
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.
Character Study
Character Study is an exercise in which performers spend extended time developing a single character through exploration of physicality, voice, biography, and behavior. The focused work produces richer, more specific characters than the rapid choices of performance typically allow. It provides a foundation that improvisers can draw on in scene work.
Without Sound
Without Sound is a scene exercise in which performers play an entire scene with no vocal output, communicating exclusively through physicality, facial expression, and gesture. The exercise reveals how much of scene work can be conveyed nonverbally and trains performers to make bold, clear physical choices.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Scenes from a Suggestion. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/scenes-from-a-suggestion
The Improv Archive. "Scenes from a Suggestion." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/scenes-from-a-suggestion.
The Improv Archive. "Scenes from a Suggestion." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/scenes-from-a-suggestion. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.