Split Focus
Split Focus is an exercise in which two separate activities or scenes happen simultaneously on stage, and performers must manage audience attention between them. The exercise trains the skill of sharing stage focus and teaches players to find natural moments to take and yield the spotlight.
Worth Reading
See all books →
Acting Through Improv
Improv Through Theatresports
Lynda Belt; Rebecca Stockley
Group Improvisation
The Manual of Ensemble Improv Games
Peter Campbell Gwinn; Charna Halpern
Business Improv
Experiential Learning Exercises to Train Employees
Val Gee
Improv Ideas
A Book of Games and Lists
Mary Ann Kelley; Justine Jones
Theater Games for Rehearsal
Viola Spolin
The Improv Illusionist
Using Object Work, Environment, and Physicality in Performance
David Raitt
Related Exercises
Organized Chaos
Organized Chaos is an ensemble exercise in which multiple activities or scenes happen simultaneously and players must track, contribute to, and switch between them on cue. The exercise trains the ability to maintain awareness of several threads at once and teaches performers to find order within apparent disorder.
Sit Stand Lie Lean
Sit Stand Lie Lean is a scene exercise in which each performer must maintain a different physical position at all times: one sitting, one standing, one lying down, and one leaning. Whenever a player changes position, the others must adjust accordingly. The exercise trains spatial awareness and teaches performers to stay physically dynamic throughout a scene.
Shared Activity
Shared Activity is a scene exercise in which two performers engage in a common physical task together, such as cooking, cleaning, or assembling furniture, allowing the activity to ground the scene in specificity and provide natural opportunities for dialogue. The exercise teaches that doing something together is often more engaging than talking about something.
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.
I’m Watching You Watching Me
I'm Watching You Watching Me is a presence and dual-awareness exercise in which performers practice maintaining active attention on another person while simultaneously remaining conscious of being observed themselves. The exercise trains stage presence by requiring performers to hold two layers of awareness at once -- genuine engagement with a scene partner and a live connection to the audience or room.
Scenes That Bring You Joy
Scenes That Bring You Joy is a scene exercise in which performers are invited to play only scenes that genuinely delight them, prioritizing personal enjoyment over audience-pleasing instincts. The exercise reconnects players with the pleasure of performing and often produces unexpectedly authentic, engaging work. It counters the tendency to default to conflict-driven or joke-heavy scenes.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Split Focus. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/split-focus
The Improv Archive. "Split Focus." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/split-focus.
The Improv Archive. "Split Focus." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/split-focus. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.