Game of the Scene
The central comedic pattern or dynamic that emerges organically within an improv scene. Once discovered, the game is heightened and explored through repetition with variation. The concept is central to the UCB and iO Chicago traditions and is articulated in detail in the Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisation Manual.
Mentioned In
Further Reading
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Improvise
Scene from the Inside Out
Mick Napier
The Improv Handbook
The Ultimate Guide to Improvising in Comedy, Theatre, and Beyond
Tom Salinsky; Deborah Frances-White
Long Form Improvisation and American Comedy
The Harold
Matt Fotis
Theatrical Improvisation, Consciousness, and Cognition
Clayton D. Drinko
The Improv Illusionist
Using Object Work, Environment, and Physicality in Performance
David Raitt
Guru
My Days with Del Close
Jeff Griggs
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Game of the Scene. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/learn-improv/concepts/game-of-the-scene
The Improv Archive. "Game of the Scene." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/learn-improv/concepts/game-of-the-scene.
The Improv Archive. "Game of the Scene." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/learn-improv/concepts/game-of-the-scene. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.