Freeze Tag

    ⚡️ Short Form Game
    🎭 Scenework

    Categories:
    • Agreement & Accepting
    • Physicality
    • Spontaneity
    • Who, What, Where
    Related Resources:
    Lesson Plans:
    "This game is called Freeze Tag. Two actors are going to improvise a scene. Whenever someone shouts FREEZE from the back of the stage the players on stage freeze their positions and we will start an entirely new scene based on their odd positions. Please can we have two letters of the alphabet to put our first two people in positions?"
    Propose ChangesClone Resource

    Two players start in an odd physical position – either ask the audience for one or a letter of the alphabet to inspire each position.

    The rest of the cast surrounds them in a semicircle. The first players do a scene, and if someone from the back line shouts “freeze” then the players in the scene freeze, someone from the back line comes in, taps them on the shoulder, takes over the position, and does a new scene inspired by that position.

    Example

    Two improvisers are fishing. They are standing next to each other holding fishing rods.

    Fisherman: Sure is a good day for fishing. Fisherwoman: Yessss sir it sure is, an amazing day, sort of day I’m glad to be alive. Fisherman: Especially after that near death experience you had the other day. Fisherwoman: Yessss sir, that tuna had it in for me.

    Person from backline: FREEZE!

    The person who yelled freeze steps in, taps one of them out and takes on their exact same position. They turn rods into lightsabres.

    Jedi: So Darth Vader we meet again. Darth Vader: Yes, it’s great isn’t it? Jedi: Yes, it is, I love you but our love is not allowed.

    Objectives

    • Great way to teach who/what/where, as you are basically doing that rapidly during this game.
    • It’s also good for encouraging spontaneity, as at first people will tend to play it too slow and carefully but it’s more fun once they jump in and go for it without overthinking their ideas.
    • Justification and incorporating mistakes, as the game creates odd situations for improvisers to justify and incorporate into a scene.

    Tips

    • You don’t have to have an idea before you shout freeze, you can come in if the scene needs it and work it out once you are there.
    • It's easier to run if the person entering always initiates the new scene
    • Spend more time listening when on the back line and less time thinking.
    • If you feel stuck for ideas in the scene just move and explore where that takes you, or make a reaction sound and see where that goes.

    Variations

    Blind Freeze Tag

    The back line can stand back to the stage so they shout freeze without seeing the positions. Useful if people are not getting on stage due to over-thinking.

    Audience Freeze tag

    The audience can shout "Freeze!" instead.