Take That Back
Players improvise a scene. When the leader rings a bell, the speaking actor must replace their last sentence with something completely different. Gets players out of their heads.
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The Improv Mindset
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The Actor's Book of Improvisation
Sandra Caruso; Paul Clemens
Pirate Robot Ninja
An Improv Fable
Billy Merritt; Will Hines
Something from Nothing
The Technique of Improvisation
Richard Goteri
The Improvisation Book
How to Conduct Successful Improvisation Sessions
John S.C. Abbott
Improv Show
Virginia Loh-Hagan
Related Exercises
New Choice
New Choice is a short-form game in which a caller interrupts performers mid-scene by shouting "New Choice," forcing the last speaker to immediately replace their most recent line or action with something entirely different. The caller may fire multiple calls in rapid succession, pushing performers through a cascade of alternatives under pressure. The game trains verbal agility, commitment to offers, and the capacity to abandon choices without hesitation.
Change
Change is a short-form game in which a caller says "change" at any point during a scene, forcing the last speaker to replace their most recent line with a new one. Repeated calls on the same line demand increasingly creative alternatives. The game trains verbal agility and the ability to generate multiple options for any moment.
Switch Gibberish
Switch Gibberish is a scene game in which performers alternate between speaking coherent dialogue and gibberish on command. Scene partners must maintain the scene's emotional arc and narrative logic regardless of which mode they are in. The game demonstrates how much communication happens through tone and physicality independent of words.
Non Sequitor
Non Sequitur is a scene game in which performers deliberately respond to each other with statements that have no logical connection to what was just said. Despite the apparent randomness, players must commit to each line with full emotional conviction. The game reveals how much meaning an audience will project onto confident performance and trains players to trust the unexpected.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Take That Back. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/take-that-back
The Improv Archive. "Take That Back." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/take-that-back.
The Improv Archive. "Take That Back." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/take-that-back. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.