Yes-And Story
The group constructs a story one sentence at a time in a circle, each sentence starting with 'Yes-And.' Practices listening and building without trying to be clever.
Worth Reading
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Putting Improv to Work
Spontaneous Performance for Leadership, Learning, and Life
Greg Hohn
Yes, And
How Improvisation Reverses No, But Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration
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The "Yes And" Business Evolution
Improv Skills for Leadership and Life
Tracy Shea-Porter
When I Say This, Do You Mean That?
Enhancing Communication
Cherie Kerr; Julia Sweeney
You Can Teach Improv (Yes, You!)
The Ultimate Guide to Class Planning, Skill Building, and Helping Every Student Leave With a Win
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Getting to Yes And
The Art of Business Improv
Bob Kulhan; Chuck Crisafulli
Related Exercises
Yes But vs Yes And Conversation
Participants pair off and hold conversations starting every sentence with 'Yes, but...' then switch to 'Yes, and...' to experience how language choice impacts connection and energy.
Word-at-a-Time Story
Word at a Time Story is a foundational ensemble exercise in which participants collectively build a story by each contributing one word at a time. The exercise develops group attunement, the ability to surrender individual narrative control, and trust in collective intelligence.
Yes But vs Yes And
Pairs plan an imaginary holiday. First responding with Yes, but then repeating with Yes, and. The contrast demonstrates how language affects collaboration and energy.
Story Circles
Story Circles is a collaborative storytelling exercise in which small groups sit in circles and build stories together, with each person contributing a segment before passing to the next. The exercise develops listening, narrative awareness, and the ability to build on others' contributions.
Yes And
Yes And is the foundational improv exercise and philosophical principle in which performers practice accepting a partner's offer (the "yes") and adding new information that builds on it (the "and"). One player makes a statement; the partner responds by first affirming the reality of that statement and then contributing something new. The exercise trains the most essential skill in improvisation and has become the defining principle of the entire art form.
And Then
And Then is a storytelling exercise in which each contribution to a group story must begin with the phrase "and then." The connective phrase enforces forward momentum and prevents storytellers from stalling or backtracking. The exercise trains narrative drive and the habit of advancing rather than circling.
The Lineage
Explore the schools and structures that influenced or evolved from Yes-And Story.
Putting Improv to Work (Hohn)
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Yes-And Story. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/yes-and-story
The Improv Archive. "Yes-And Story." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/yes-and-story.
The Improv Archive. "Yes-And Story." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/yes-and-story. Accessed September 28, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.