Infinite Box
Infinite Box is an object work exercise in which a player mimes opening a box, removing an object, using it, and discovering another box inside, which contains another object, and so on. The exercise trains sustained object work, creativity under repetition, and the ability to generate variety from a single premise.
Worth Reading
See all books →
Business Improv
Experiential Learning Exercises to Train Employees
Val Gee
Group Improvisation
The Manual of Ensemble Improv Games
Peter Campbell Gwinn; Charna Halpern
Pirate Robot Ninja
An Improv Fable
Billy Merritt; Will Hines
Acting Through Improv
Improv Through Theatresports
Lynda Belt; Rebecca Stockley
Improv Ideas
A Book of Games and Lists
Mary Ann Kelley; Justine Jones
You Can Teach Improv (Yes, You!)
The Ultimate Guide to Class Planning, Skill Building, and Helping Every Student Leave With a Win
Andrew Berkowitz
Related Exercises
Twenty Objects
Twenty Objects is an exercise in which a player must mime twenty different objects in rapid succession, making each one physically distinct and recognizable. The speed prevents overthinking and forces players to commit to their first physical impulse. The exercise builds object work fluency and creative stamina.
Ordinary Object
Ordinary Object is an exercise in which a player picks up a common item and uses it as if it were something else entirely, without explaining the transformation. The audience or group must recognize the new object through the specificity of the performer's handling. The exercise develops object work versatility and the ability to communicate through physical precision.
Group Environment
Group Environment is a space work exercise in which the entire ensemble collaborates to build a shared imagined environment through mime and physical interaction. Each player adds objects, features, and activities that others must acknowledge and use. The exercise trains spatial memory, object permanence, and the foundational skill of creating a believable shared world.
Object Circle
Object Circle is a warm-up exercise in which participants stand in a circle and pass physical or mimed objects to each other, transforming each object through imagination as it travels. One participant sends an object with a specific size, weight, and character; the next participant receives it, uses it briefly, then transforms it into something new before passing it on. The exercise develops physical specificity, collaborative imagination, and the habit of accepting and building on what a partner offers.
Knife Baby Angry Cat
Knife Baby Angry Cat is a rapid physical transformation warm-up in which participants cycle through three contrasting physical archetypes -- the knife (sharp, linear, precise), the baby (soft, uncoordinated, open), and the angry cat (defensive, arched, volatile) -- on the facilitator's call. The exercise develops physical range, commitment to contrasting states, and the speed of full-body physical transformation.
What's the Object?
What's the Object is a physical mime and object-work exercise in which participants handle an imaginary object with sufficient specificity and consistency that observers can identify what it is, training precise physical commitment, object permanence, and the performer's spatial relationship to invented material.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Infinite Box. Retrieved March 18, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/infinite-box
The Improv Archive. "Infinite Box." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/infinite-box.
The Improv Archive. "Infinite Box." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/infinite-box. Accessed March 18, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.