Classroom Activity: Yes, And…

Yes, And…

Purpose: to develop listening, discourse skills, and cooperation in conversation; to learn the fundamental principle of improv (improvisational theater).

Students: Low Intermediate or higher.

Time: 5-15 minutes.

Procedure:

Students will pretend to be two people outside the classroom. Give the students a suggestion for a location the students have been to, such as a department store. You can also do this from a student suggestion.

Explain that two students will start talking in the scene as two people from a suggestion for a location. The first person can say anything based on the suggestion. The second person says “Yes, and….”

When you say “Yes,” you agree with the reality of the scene. When you say “And,” you are adding to the reality of the scene. For example, Student A says, pantomiming a fishing rod, “Beautiful day for fishing.” Student B says, “Yes, and there’s a fish biting right now!” Student A says, “Yes, and it’s a shark!” Student B says, “Yes, and…” until the scene ends.

Provide the restrictions. You cannot say “No” and you cannot say “But.” So, discourage students from asking questions, since “What is it?” and “What do you think?” do not add to the scene. Also, discourage more obvious negations. For example, if Student B says, “We’re not fishing, we’re…” or some other line that denies the reality that Student A established, then that hurts the scene. Also discourage “Yes, but,” such as “Yes, and it’s going to rain,” since your scene partner already established that it was a beautiful day.

Remind them that it can be the first idea they think of. It is better to go fast than be right.
Do this for three to five lines of dialogue, then move on to the next partners.

Watching and coaching: Coach them on different matters. Some students will have trouble being specific. Other students may talk about scenery and their characters do not do anything. Some have trouble ending a scene. However, the most important concept is “Yes, and,” so as long as they do that, praise them. If they have trouble there, comment after the scene, and give them a different suggestion to start again.

Caution: Emphasize that this is only three or five lines of dialogue. Make it fun. Avoid over-coaching. Save coaching for after the activity, if any.

Variation: You can review the exercise by going through the same five-line scene again, this time without saying “Yes, and.” This may be important to establish that the exercise applies to all scene work and all conversations.

For more support: If students need more context or practice before the activity, you can ask for three- to five-line scenes first, without “Yes, and,” then add “Yes, and” as a way of making these scenes better.

Advanced learners: If students are already acquainted with the principle of “Yes, and,” and if the phrase is unnecessary for them, they can do the exercise without requiring the phrase.

Warm-Ups: Establish this as a regular aspect of class. Turn this into a warm-up. Your scene ideas could be based on situations described in the textbook of that day. These can be written on the board for a large class, with students choosing which items to do.

Acknowledgment: Thank you to Del Close and Charna Halpern, authors of Truth in Comedy: The Manual for Improvisation, for explaining this principle well and for providing interesting activities.