This quote came from Jason Mantzoukas from Pete Holmes' You Made It Weird podcast. The whole context of the quote is as follows:

While that last part might be a little harsh, he does have a great point. It's one reason why a lot of improvisers dislike the terms "short-form" and "long-form," or prefer not to play improv games at all. Games often resort to particular gimmicks to get a reaction from the audience. If improvisers are too reliant on the gimmicks of the games, then they're raw improv won't be as strong.

Work on developing your basic improvisation skills first. Once those are in place, it's very easy to layer the gimmick of a game on top of them.

There are lots of things that can make or break how well an improv show goes. Here are some things to think about. (NOTE: this post focuses mostly on short form shows.)

The Name of the Show
Do you have a type of show that happens pretty regularly, and needs a unifying name? Are your shows few and far between, and each have a unique sense to them? How you schedule and perform your shows has some bearing on how you name your shows. If your show title has a theme (or, shall we say, endows your show with a theme), what is it in the show that reflects that theme - the types of games, performer costumes, intro and outro music? Consider whether you want your names to be "throw-away" or have some integration into the performance.

The Host of the Show
One of the most important jobs in an improv show is often the one that's not tied to playing games. Having an effective host keeps the show moving along, allows for effective and efficient audience participation, and can help to end or save southbound scenes. Not necessarily every improviser can act as the host. The host requires a good knowledge of how every game works, but that can also introduce the games in a manner that's easy for the audience to understand. They also have to be able to command the audience - go to the audience for suggestions, and then shut them up when one is found.

It's possible to have multiple improvisers serve as host, by trading off duties as the games change. Multiple hosts must have a report that allows them to easily play off of one another, and to jump in and keep the show moving. They must be organized to the point where they know exactly which games each one is hosting and when they happen in the show.

The Flow of the Show
As you put together your list of games for a show, keep in mind that the types of games and even their order can dictate the pace of the show. Starting out each act with a strong crowd-pleasing game gets everyone in the audience on your side from the start. Games with similar mechanics, such as guessing games or gibberish games, might want to have one or two other games between them or spread out between the two acts - unless you want to specifically lump them together and feature them at a particular point in the show. (Maybe they fit with the theme or title of your show...)
After any show, always debrief and figure out what games worked and why/why not. It could be that a good game was played in a bad slot - remember that and account for it in your next show.

What else needs to be considered to make a good show? Share it with us in the comments below.

Game can be a confusing term when talking to improvisers. The most popular semblance of improv is scenes like those from Whose Line Is It Anyway? Each of those short scenes is referred to as a game; anyone who does short-form improv frequently refers to their bits as games.

But in the larger context of improv, game has a slightly different meaning - but can be applied to both short-form and long-form improv. The game of the scene is what the main through-line of the whole scene is. Improviser and blogger Erik Voss has a great blog post over on Splitsider that tries to break down the definition of the game of the scene.

The game is any pattern that emerges within a scene that the improvisers may follow while exploring the relationship between the characters. 

The game is the single pattern of unusual behavior that defines the scene.

In short, the game is what makes a scene interesting - from one of the quotes on the blog post: "I want to see that improviser do that more." There might be lots of ideas that are thrown at the wall at the beginning of the scene, but the game of the scene is the one idea that sticks to everybody and makes the scene interesting - interesting to watch and interesting to perform. It doesn't have to be absurd or silly - often times I catch my high school students "going for the funny" in an attempt to define the game of the scene, and it falls flat. Other times, they have had an outstanding dramatic scene because they listen to each other, work with a group mind, and collaboratively arrive on the one throughput for the scene and stick to that.

Erik's own blog Vossprov has a great image to summarize it:

Start with the basics of establishing the scene, and then when you find that first unusual thing, go. The trickiest thing about that is making sure everyone on stage is group-minded enough to pick up on the same game - but that's what improv rehearsal is for.

Lots of times high school improvisers can't find or don't trust that a single game of the scene can carry them through the rest of the scene. That's what Erik's If, Then refers to in the diagram - If the game of the scene (the first unusual thing) happened, Then what would logically happen next?

So feel free to take some time to muck around with some scene ideas. Set up the reality of the scene, characters, relationships, etc. But once you find the game, go with it. If you stay true to this exercise, then your troupe will also develop the ability to develop and find better and better things to make the game of the scene, and your scenework will continue to improve. Give it a shot.

Short form games are easy enough to learn, and most improvisers also learn which games they're best suited to - guessing games, physical games, gibberish, etc.

One of the techniques required by short-form games that is often overlooked is the ability to "host" the game - how to describe it, how to effectively get suggestions from the audience, how to "introduce the scene," and so on. Depending on the structure of the game, the host is also often a moderator - keeping time if necessary, ringing a bell to chance actions, emotions, etc., and more.

Here are some things to think about when it's your turn to introduce the game to the audience.

• Be confident. The tone of the game is set by the host, as they are the first introduction to the game for the audience. Be confident, be enthusiastic, and be clear. Set up the game, get what you need quickly, and then get out of the way and let the players take over.
  Confidence is also incredibly important when getting suggestions from the audience. Take a suggestion and then move on - don't let the audience railroad you.
• Be clear on the rules. It's much harder to introduce a game which you don't know how to play. Understand how the game works, as well as when it doesn't.
• Know the gimmicks. Certain short-form games have a better pay-off with the audience if the host knows what can "up the ante." Pay attention to moments within the scene of the game in order to bring in those gimmicks.
• Know when to get out. Whether a scene is going on too long, or is starting to fail, your job as host is to end the scene, just as it was your job to start it. If the game doesn't have a built-in time constraint, make sure you keep an eye on a clock to avoid letting the game drag on too long.