House of Games: Pass the Gesture/ Exaggeration Circle

[acrouch]

I'd like to start a series of discussion threads that each cover a game or exercise or format as thoroughly as possible. Known origins, how it's played, variations, alternate names, tips on teaching it, what its value is, etc.

Today...

Pass the Gesture / Exaggeration Circle / Transformation Circle

where we stand in a circle and pass a sound and movement around the circle.

[acrouch]

I assume it's a Spolin game, or was forged in the prehistoric beginnings of improv as theater games.

[TexasImprovMassacre]

I was first introduced to this game in high school theater as a warm up exercise. I've always known it as sound ball.

[acrouch]

I was first introduced to this game in high school theater as a warm up exercise. I've always known it as sound ball.

Aha. No, I mean passing the same sound and gesture literally around the circle (as opposed to across the circle).

One variation is to exaggerate the sound and gesture as it makes its way around the circle.

[kaci_beeler]

Pgraph calls ours Jack Sharack (pronounced in a french way).
Our goals are to:
1. Try to make each other laugh
2. copy the voice, facial expression, and movement of the person right before you
3. slightly exaggerate those things
4. try to formulate words out of the inevitable gibberish

After we're done we like to talk about the characters we've seen come out of it, and how they would be in scenes.

[kaci_beeler]

And if in the process people end up spinning, then the game is over.

[Asaf]

That sounds like a different game.

Pass the Gesture for me is when everyone has a gesture associated with their name and then you pass the energy by doing someone's name and gesture. They immediately do their name and gesture followed by someone else's name and gesture. I have people focus on the rhythm of the game, otherwise they focus too much on the memory aspect of the game. Eventually, you drop the names and just do the gesture, and then the gestures usually get more exaggerated and ridiculous.

I have been doing this exercise a lot because when I teach the drop in classes I continually get new people and it is a high energy way to learn peoples' names.

It is something I used to do in NYC Theatersports.

[vine311]

I was first introduced to this game in high school theater as a warm up exercise. I've always known it as sound ball.

Aha. No, I mean passing the same sound and gesture literally around the circle (as opposed to across the circle).

One variation is to exaggerate the sound and gesture as it makes its way around the circle.

Also known as the Retarded Asian

[TexasImprovMassacre]

I was first introduced to this game in high school theater as a warm up exercise. I've always known it as sound ball.

Aha. No, I mean passing the same sound and gesture literally around the circle (as opposed to across the circle).

One variation is to exaggerate the sound and gesture as it makes its way around the circle.

Also known as the Retarded Asian

Yes, that's what i came to know it as. From transformation circle to retarded asian.

[arthursimone]

Pass the Gesture for me is when everyone has a gesture associated with their name and then you pass the energy by doing someone's name and gesture. They immediately do their name and gesture followed by someone else's name and gesture. I have people focus on the rhythm of the game, otherwise they focus too much on the memory aspect of the game. Eventually, you drop the names and just do the gesture, and then the gestures usually get more exaggerated and ridiculous.

This is similar to what Susan Messing calls the Circle of Doom.
I've never actually seen anyone doomed by doing this, though.