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Beginner2+ players~5 min

Yes, And

The foundational principle of improv, practiced as an exercise.

Warm-upListeningBeginner-FriendlyScene Work

About

Yes, And is both the cornerstone philosophy of improv and a standalone drill. Players accept everything their partner offers (Yes) and build upon it with new information (And). It trains the instinct to never block, negate, or question your scene partner's reality.

How to Play

  1. 1

    Pair up. One player makes a statement about a shared fictional world.

  2. 2

    The other player begins their response with "Yes, and..." - accepting the reality and adding something new.

  3. 3

    Continue back and forth. Every single response must start with "Yes, and."

  4. 4

    After a few minutes, drop the explicit phrase and let the principle live naturally.

Variations

  • -Yes, And In Character: do the exercise while playing specific characters
  • -Group Yes, And: the whole group builds a single story, each person adding one sentence

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Yes, And | On The Spot