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.
Worth Reading
See all books →The Triangle of the Scene
A Simple, Practical, Powerful Method for Approaching Improvisation
Paul Vaillancourt
Spontaneous Performance
Acting Through Improv
Marsh Cassady
Group Improvisation
The Manual of Ensemble Improv Games
Peter Campbell Gwinn; Charna Halpern
Improvising Cinema
Gilles Mouëllic
The Improv Illusionist
Using Object Work, Environment, and Physicality in Performance
David Raitt
Action Theater
The Improvisation of Presence
Ruth Zaporah
Related Exercises
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.
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.
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.
Location, Relationship, Escalate, End
Location, Relationship, Escalate, End is a scene construction exercise in which performers build a scene through four discrete, progressive stages: first establishing a specific physical location, then establishing the specific relationship between the characters, then escalating the scene through increasing stakes or emotional intensity, and finally bringing it to a definitive end. The exercise provides a structured scaffold for scene construction and trains performers to execute each element with commitment and specificity before moving to the next.
Canadian Who What Where
Canadian Who What Where is a variation on the classic Who What Where scene-building exercise, typically played with an apologetic or overly polite Canadian sensibility. Players establish character, activity, and location within the opening moments of a scene. The exercise reinforces the foundational skill of grounding scenes quickly with specific information.
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.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Who What Where. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/who-what-where
The Improv Archive. "Who What Where." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/who-what-where.
The Improv Archive. "Who What Where." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/who-what-where. Accessed March 17, 2026.
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