Prop-aholic
Prop-aholic is a game in which performers use a collection of everyday objects as stand-ins for entirely different items, finding as many creative uses for each prop as possible. The comedy comes from the inventiveness and commitment with which players transform mundane objects. The game rewards quick lateral thinking and physical specificity.
Worth Reading
See all books →
112 Acting Games
Gavin Levy
Drama Games and Improvs
Games for the Classroom and Beyond
Justine Jones; Mary Ann Kelley
The Improvisation Game
Discovering the Secrets of Spontaneous Performance
Chris Johnston
Something from Nothing
The Technique of Improvisation
Richard Goteri
Acting Through Improv
Improv Through Theatresports
Lynda Belt; Rebecca Stockley
The Art of Making Sh!t Up
Using the Principles of Improv to Become an Unstoppable Powerhouse
Norm LaViolette; Bob Melley
Related Games
Props
Props is a short-form game in which teams of performers are given unusual objects and must quickly create as many comedic uses for them as possible. Each use is presented as a brief sketch or visual gag. The game was a signature element of Whose Line Is It Anyway and rewards speed, creativity, and physical commitment to absurd transformations.
Human Props
Human Props is a short-form game in which audience volunteers are used as physical props within a scene, shaped and positioned by the performers to serve as furniture, doors, vehicles, or other objects. The game creates comedy through the awkwardness and absurdity of using real people as inanimate objects. It is a staple of audience-participation shows.
Eureka
Eureka is a performance game in which a character experiences a sudden flash of inspiration or discovery that transforms the scene. The moment of realization is the comedic or dramatic climax, and the scene builds toward it. The game rewards performers who commit fully to the before-and-after contrast of the epiphany.
Peas in a Pod
Peas in a Pod is a scene game in which two performers must play characters who are extremely similar in personality, speech patterns, and worldview. The comedy arises from the pair's unified front and the challenge of maintaining interest without conflict. The game teaches performers to find the game within agreement rather than relying on opposition.
Commercial Capers
Commercial Capers is a performance game in which players create spontaneous advertisements for fictional products, combining exaggerated sales tactics with improvised scenarios. The game builds confidence in public presentation and rewards creative collaboration under time pressure. It works well as both a workshop exercise and an audience-facing performance piece.
The Lineage
Explore the schools and structures that influenced or evolved from Prop-aholic.
112 Acting Games (Levy)
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Prop-aholic. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/games/prop-aholic
The Improv Archive. "Prop-aholic." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/games/prop-aholic.
The Improv Archive. "Prop-aholic." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/games/prop-aholic. Accessed September 28, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.