Honkasaurus Rex
Honkasaurus Rex is an energetic warm-up exercise in which players adopt the persona of a loud, honking dinosaur and move through the space interacting with each other through dinosaur sounds and physicality. The exercise releases inhibition through committed absurdity, builds group energy, and establishes a norm of full physical and vocal participation at the start of a session.
Structure
Setup
All players stand in open space. The facilitator introduces the Honkasaurus Rex: a specific type of prehistoric creature defined by its honking call, its physicality (arms held up like T-rex, or another distinctive shape), and its social behavior (it honks at other dinosaurs it encounters).
The Exercise
Players move through the space as Honkasaurus Rexes, navigating around each other. When two Honkasauruses encounter each other, they honk at each other -- with full commitment to the sound and physical persona -- before separating and moving on.
The facilitator may vary the exercise: different sizes of Honkasaurus (tiny, enormous), different moods (a shy Honkasaurus, a territorial one), or different social situations (a Honkasaurus greeting, a Honkasaurus standoff).
Escalation
The exercise can escalate in energy and absurdity as players develop comfort with the persona. A full-group Honkasaurus parade, a Honkasaurus territorial dispute, or a synchronized Honkasaurus chorus can provide a climactic group moment.
Conclusion
The exercise ends when the facilitator signals closure -- often by bringing the dinosaurs to stillness and returning them to human form.
How to Teach It
Objectives
Honkasaurus Rex releases inhibition through committed physical and vocal absurdity, establishes a group norm of full participation, and builds shared energy at the start of a session. It is most useful when a group needs permission to be ridiculous before the work begins.
How to Explain It
"You are a Honkasaurus Rex. You move like a dinosaur, you sound like a dinosaur, and when you meet another Honkasaurus, you honk at each other. Full commitment. The Honkasaurus does not do things halfway."
Scaffolding
Begin with a brief demonstration of the Honkasaurus persona before asking players to adopt it. The facilitator's own full commitment to the bit is the permission structure for the group. A half-hearted facilitator produces a half-hearted Honkasaurus room.
Common Pitfalls
Players sometimes produce small, polite Honkasaurus behaviors rather than fully committed ones. The coaching note is that the exercise works through the contrast between the person and the dinosaur -- and that contrast requires genuine commitment to the dinosaur side. Gentle honks from reserved participants are the signal to make the Honkasaurus bigger.
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How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Honkasaurus Rex. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/honkasaurus-rex
The Improv Archive. "Honkasaurus Rex." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/honkasaurus-rex.
The Improv Archive. "Honkasaurus Rex." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/honkasaurus-rex. Accessed September 28, 2026.
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