Why Were You Late?

One person leaves the room, somewhere out of earshot. The leader coordinates the group in choosing three things:

• the job, for example a candy factory, horse stables, or a military base
• why the guesser was late, for example their dog ran away, they were attacked by flamingos, or they ate a bee
• how they got to work, for example they stole a unicycle from a bear, hang-glided, or got a ride from their roommate

One volunteer is chosen as the boss. Others who want to play workers form a line off to the side, or get up when an opportunity arises.

The guesser returns and the boss berates them for being late. The guesser does not know why they were late, but while the boss talks, two of the workers silently act out a clue to the question "Why were you late?" The guesser and boss talk it through, the guesser pitching guesses. The boss rejects every wrong guess incredulously, then, when the guesser lands it, makes a show of how much sense it makes. The boss then asks how the guesser got to work, and the workers act that out too.

Now and then the boss turns around to check on the workers. If the boss catches them not working in a way that fits the workplace, the boss can threaten to fire them or actually fire them. A fired worker leaves the stage and the next volunteer takes their place.