Rubber Chicken/crazy Eights
Rubber Chicken/Crazy Eights is a high-energy warm-up exercise in which players perform a sequence of increasingly intense physical movements while counting down from eight. The exercise combines vocal projection, full-body movement, and group synchronization to energize the ensemble and break through physical inhibitions.
Structure
Setup
Players stand in a circle with enough space to extend their arms fully in all directions. The facilitator demonstrates the sequence: players will shake their right hand while counting to eight, then the left hand for eight, then the right foot for eight, then the left foot for eight. The counting is done aloud together.
Progression
The group performs the full sequence: right hand eight counts, left hand eight counts, right foot eight counts, left foot eight counts. Each count is accompanied by a vigorous shake or movement of the designated limb.
After completing the eights, the group repeats the sequence counting down to seven, then six, then five, all the way down to one. As the counts get shorter, the transitions between limbs become faster and more frenetic. The energy increases naturally with the accelerating pace.
By the time the group reaches ones, the sequence is a rapid-fire blur of shaking limbs and shouted numbers. The exercise typically ends with a collective shout or celebration at the completion of the final round.
Variations
A "rubber chicken" version replaces the shaking with a floppy, boneless movement quality, as if each limb were a rubber chicken being waved. Some versions start at four instead of eight for a shorter warm-up. A competitive version challenges pairs or small groups to complete the sequence fastest without losing count.
How to Teach It
Objectives
Rubber Chicken/Crazy Eights serves as a physical energizer that warms up the body, builds group synchronization, and gives everyone permission to be loud and silly. It breaks through the self-consciousness that can inhibit early rehearsal or workshop energy.
How to Explain It
"We will shake our right hand and count to eight together. Then left hand, eight counts. Right foot, eight counts. Left foot, eight counts. Then we do it all again, counting to seven. Then six. All the way down to one. Get loud. Get physical."
Scaffolding
Demonstrate the first round at moderate energy, then encourage the group to increase intensity with each descending round. The facilitator should model full commitment to the physicality and volume. Energy is contagious in this exercise.
Common Pitfalls
Players sometimes lose count during the faster rounds, skipping numbers or switching limbs at the wrong time. This is acceptable and even desirable. The exercise is about energy, not precision. If the group becomes too concerned with accuracy, the warm-up quality is lost. A second issue is players holding back physically. Encourage full-body involvement rather than polite, restrained movements.
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How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Rubber Chicken/crazy Eights. Retrieved March 19, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/rubber-chickencrazy-eights
The Improv Archive. "Rubber Chicken/crazy Eights." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/rubber-chickencrazy-eights.
The Improv Archive. "Rubber Chicken/crazy Eights." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/rubber-chickencrazy-eights. Accessed March 19, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.