Halftime
A challenging improv game where performers replay the same scene again and again, each pass in half the time of the one before, until it lasts only a few seconds.
Group Size
2–4
Duration
5 to 10 minutes
Formation
Stage and audience
Setting
Indoor
Energy Level
High
Activity Level
Very Active
Physical Contact
None
How to Lead It
Performers play a scene once, all the way to its natural conclusion. It works best when the scene has a lot of movement around the stage, often with travel built into the plot. The leader times this first performance.
Each performance after that gets a time limit equal to half the previous one. If the first scene ran four minutes, the second must fit in two, the third in one, and so on. Each pass, the performers try to hit all the most important plot points, such as the locations visited and the challenges overcome, and cut the filler.
The leader decides which round is the last, usually whichever one comes out to a single digit of seconds.
Variations
Start with a set initial time limit instead of timing a free first performance.
Adapting for Group Size
Two to four performers at a time. Others watch.
Leading Tips
Emphasize moving from place to place on stage.
Teach basic stage blocking: face the audience, especially when speaking, and do not stand in front of another performer.
Origin: Improv folk tradition
Leaders Who Teach This
Instructions and tips are ECRS's own descriptions. Any linked recordings or media belong to their original rights holders.