Unusual Thing
The first moment in a scene where something departs from normal, expected behavior. Identifying the unusual thing allows scene partners to recognize and heighten the emerging game. In UCB pedagogy, the unusual thing is distinguished from the "first unusual thing" (the initial departure) and the "game" (the pattern that emerges from heightening the unusual thing).
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Further Reading
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The Second City Unscripted
Revolution and Revelation at the World-Famous Comedy Theater
Mike Thomas
Long Form Improvisation and American Comedy
The Harold
Matt Fotis
The Improv Illusionist
Using Object Work, Environment, and Physicality in Performance
David Raitt
The Triangle of the Scene
A Simple, Practical, Powerful Method for Approaching Improvisation
Paul Vaillancourt
The Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisation Manual
Matt Besser; Ian Roberts; Matt Walsh
Pirate Robot Ninja
An Improv Fable
Billy Merritt; Will Hines
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Unusual Thing. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/learn-improv/concepts/unusual-thing
The Improv Archive. "Unusual Thing." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/learn-improv/concepts/unusual-thing.
The Improv Archive. "Unusual Thing." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/learn-improv/concepts/unusual-thing. Accessed March 17, 2026.
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