Stories from Grandpa
Stories from Grandpa is a short-form game in which a performer plays an elderly storyteller recounting tales from their past while scene partners act out the stories being told. The storyteller's unreliable narration creates comedic opportunities as the actors must physically commit to increasingly absurd claims.
Structure
Setup
One performer sits in a chair as the grandpa character. Two or more performers stand ready to act out whatever stories the grandpa tells. The audience provides a suggestion for a topic or a prompt such as "Tell us about the time you..." to launch the storytelling.
The Storytelling
The grandpa begins telling a story from their past. The narrative starts plausibly but gradually becomes more embellished, contradictory, or fantastical. The grandpa character speaks with the confidence of someone who fully believes their own exaggerated memories.
Acting It Out
As the grandpa narrates, the other performers act out the story in real time. They physically portray the characters and events described, committing fully to whatever the grandpa claims happened. When the grandpa contradicts something or changes details, the actors must adjust instantly.
Interruptions and Corrections
The comedy escalates when the grandpa corrects the action. "No, no, it was not a bear, it was three bears, and they were all wearing hats." The actors must immediately adjust their portrayal. The grandpa can also respond to what the actors are doing, creating a feedback loop between narration and performance.
Resolution
The story reaches an exaggerated conclusion and the grandpa delivers a final moral or life lesson that may or may not connect logically to the story told.
How to Teach It
Objectives
Stories from Grandpa develops narrative skills, physical commitment, and the ability to adapt instantly to changing information. The storyteller practices unreliable narration while the actors practice responding to offers in real time.
How to Explain It
"One person is grandpa sitting in a chair, telling stories about the old days. The rest of you act out whatever grandpa says. When grandpa changes the story or corrects you, you change what you are doing immediately."
Scaffolding
Before running the game, practice basic narration-and-acting exercises where one person narrates and others perform. This establishes the skill of translating spoken narrative into physical action.
Common Pitfalls
The most common issue is a grandpa who narrates too quickly, not giving the actors time to physicalize each beat. The other common problem is actors who editorialize or resist the narration rather than committing to it.
How to Perform It
Hosting Tips
The grandpa character works best when the performer commits to a specific elderly persona rather than a generic old person voice. Regional accents, particular speech patterns, and character-specific mannerisms give the audience a richer character to invest in.
Performance Dynamics
The actors should commit fully and physically to the narration rather than commenting on its absurdity. The comedy comes from the contrast between the grandpa's casual delivery and the actors' earnest physical commitment to increasingly ridiculous scenarios.
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Replay Gibberish
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How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Stories from Grandpa. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/games/stories-from-grandpa
The Improv Archive. "Stories from Grandpa." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/games/stories-from-grandpa.
The Improv Archive. "Stories from Grandpa." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/games/stories-from-grandpa. Accessed October 14, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.