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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Related Games
Written Lines
Written Lines is a scene game in which performers hold slips of paper with pre-written lines that they must incorporate naturally into an improvised scene at opportune moments. The challenge lies in finding the right context to deliver each unrelated line without breaking the scene's logic. The game rewards smooth justification and the ability to steer a scene toward unexpected material.
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.
Party Quirks
Party Quirks is a short-form guessing game in which one performer plays a host welcoming guests to a party, each of whom has been secretly assigned a strange identity or behavioral quirk. The host must figure out each guest's quirk through interaction while the guests drop increasingly obvious clues. The game was popularized by Whose Line Is It Anyway and remains a staple of short-form shows.
Hats
Hats is a character exercise in which performers draw hats or headpieces from a collection and build a character inspired by the item. The physical prop provides an instant external stimulus and anchor for character choices. The exercise trains rapid character commitment and the ability to find a persona from a single visual cue.
The Lineage
Explore the schools and structures that influenced or evolved from Scenes from a Hat.
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Scenes from a Hat. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/games/scenes-from-a-hat
The Improv Archive. "Scenes from a Hat." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/games/scenes-from-a-hat.
The Improv Archive. "Scenes from a Hat." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/games/scenes-from-a-hat. Accessed September 28, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.