The One-Word Story is one of the simplest of all improv exercises, and very useful for teaching the importance of staying in the moment.
Here, a group of players (usually six to eight) build a story one word at a time.
The basic method sees the actors line up on stage and, beginning at one end, each speaking one word, forming sentences and telling a story.
This is quite easy to do, assuming the players don't try to plan ahead, but more difficult to do smoothly and well.
The words should come quickly, practically without thinking (though of course they should be sensible, coherent sentences), but the group should make it sound as if one person is telling a story at a normal, conversational pace.
One of the best ways to achieve this is by listening — paying attention to what is going on at the moment.
It's impossible to think about what to say in advance, because one player can Completely change direction, and a player who thinks Baking only delays the story.
The response should be reflexive rather than a carefully chosen word (this is in sharp contrast to scenes, where each response is slowly and carefully considered).
The word "and" should also be avoided, and players must strive to sound like one voice. As the group becomes more comfortable with the game, there are other devices to enhance its value.
One variation has any player who delays in responding to step out of the group, eliminating the slower players one by one, as in a spelling bee; this teaches the group to keep up the pace. Naturally, inappropriate responses also cause players to lose (when played in front of a group or an audience, good-natured jeering often results). When a player fails, he is often forced to stage his own death before the audience and his teammates, preferably in some manner that reflects the story at that point. Another technique, particularly used in a performance (or as an opening exercise) utilizes a theme, a title, or an audience suggestion for the story.
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