Audience Suggestion

A word, phrase, or scenario offered by the audience at the start of an improvised scene or performance, used by performers as a starting point or creative prompt for the improvisation. The practice was pioneered by Viola Spolin, who first incorporated audience suggestions into her theater games as a way to ensure that scenes were genuinely spontaneous rather than pre-planned. Suggestions serve multiple functions: they establish a shared reference point between performers and audience, they eliminate suspicion of scripted material, and they provide raw creative fuel that performers transform through their own associations and choices. A suggestion need not be taken literally; skilled improvisers treat it as a springboard, letting it inspire unexpected interpretations. For example, the suggestion "exploring a cave" might become a scene about lost Girl Scouts, while "watching TV" could become a scene about homeless people commenting on programming. In long-form improvisation, a single suggestion often generates an entire show, with performers mining it for themes, characters, and connections across multiple scenes. In short-form and Theatresports formats, new suggestions may be solicited before each game or scene. The audience suggestion remains a foundational element of improv, grounding performance in spontaneous, audience-generated material and reinforcing the collaborative relationship between performers and spectators that defines the art form.