Improv The Harold
The founding longform, built by Del Close. One audience suggestion feeds a group opening, then three unrelated scenes (1A, 1B, 1C). A group game follows, then the second beats of each scene, another group game, and finally the third beats — where the separate threads, themes and characters collide and connect. Thirty minutes, roughly nine scenes, one shape. You don't learn the Harold by performing it — you learn it by drilling what it demands: fast openings, clean two-person scenes, thematic listening, and callbacks with consequences. The form is a container, not a trick. What fills it is a group that hears the same themes and trusts them.
🎓 Tips
The opening is everything. If the group doesn't mine real themes and opinions there, the beats have nothing to connect to — spend most of your teaching time here. Scenes must be short and clean. A Harold beat is often three good lines and a blackout — coach getting in, establishing, and getting out. Third beats are callbacks with consequences, not repetition. The reward is seeing threads collide — teach players to heighten and connect, not just revisit. Don't teach the whole form at once. Drill the pieces (openings, two-person scenes, group games) for weeks before stacking them.
Spotted a mistake, a missing variant, a better way to run it? Change it.