Scenes from a Hat

Scenes from a Hat is a short-form game in which audience suggestions are collected before the show, written on slips of paper, and drawn from a hat by the host. Performers must instantly create brief scenes, characters, or one-liners based on each prompt. The game was a signature segment of Whose Line Is It Anyway and rewards speed, wit, and fearless commitment.

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Worlds Worst

Worlds Worst is a short-form game in which performers step forward to demonstrate the world's worst version of an audience-suggested profession, character, or situation. Each offering is a quick one-liner or brief physical gag. The game was a popular segment on Whose Line Is It Anyway and rewards speed, confidence, and the ability to find the worst possible example of anything.

Ted Talks

Ted Talks is a short-form game in which a performer delivers an improvised presentation in the style of a TED Talk on an audience-suggested topic. Other players may provide slides, demonstrations, or audience participation. The game rewards confident public speaking, the ability to sound authoritative on any subject, and the comedic gap between expertise and ignorance.

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Voices from Heaven

Voices from Heaven is a short-form monologue game in which performers deliver eulogies or testimonials for a character who has just died, each speaker revealing a different facet of the departed's life. The testimonials build a composite portrait through contrasting perspectives. The game is a shorter variation of the Spoon River format.

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Stories from Grandpa is a short-form game in which a performer plays an elderly storyteller recounting tales to an audience, while other players act out the events being described. The narrator's unreliable memory and embellishments create opportunities for physical comedy and narrative surprises. The game rewards warm character work and the ability to generate comedy from the gap between narration and action.

Five Titles

Five Titles is a short-form game in which the cast generates five scene titles from an audience suggestion and then performs each title as a brief, complete scene. The titles are created collectively and posted visibly before any scenes are played. The game rewards rapid creative synthesis, the ability to find a complete scene inside a single phrase, and the audience's pleasure of watching titles they helped create become real.

How to Reference This Page

APA

The Improv Archive. (2026). Scenes from a Hat. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/games/scenes-from-a-hat

Chicago

The Improv Archive. "Scenes from a Hat." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/games/scenes-from-a-hat.

MLA

The Improv Archive. "Scenes from a Hat." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/games/scenes-from-a-hat. Accessed March 17, 2026.

The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.