Impro Jam

In its most open form, an Impro Jam is a format where every player can play with every other player (to jam, just like at a music jam session). It works almost like an open stage night.

Impro Jams are often led by a host who calls players up onto the stage. To do this, players can, for example, write down their name or nickname on a slip of paper beforehand and toss it into a hat.
In the Impro Jam show, the players then perform in ever-changing line-ups, playing either various games or scenes.

A great approach is to play and associate several scenes around a single word or theme suggested by the audience.
This can be done with the exercise Freeze Tag or with more elaborate formats such as the Harold or simplified versions of the Harold.
Such chains of scenes are designed to put as many players on stage as possible.

As in a music jam session, the players train their listening skills and their attention to fellow improvisers. Cooperation matters most: jumping in to support teammates, making scene partners look good, and building shared worlds and scenes together. A player can of course temporarily carry a scene alone and dominate it, but the action should soon return to a shared scene.

An Impro Jam is well suited for improv beginners who want to gather their first stage experience.
Most of the time, at least one or two more experienced improvisers are present, helping out in scenes and motivating and encouraging the newer players.

The audience usually consists almost entirely of improvisers as well, brings high energy, cheers the players on and applauds for everyone.
Sometimes the entire audience is invited to join in at the same time (for example a huge mass scene is played, or an audience orchestra is conducted from the stage).

An open Impro Jam often only ends once every visitor has stood on stage at least once.

Another form of the Impro Jam consists of fixed players or whole group ensembles who have signed up in advance and then perform on stage in self-formed groups, with or against each other.