Improv Yes And Circle
In pairs or a circle, build a shared plan one line at a time, each sentence beginning with "Yes, and…": "Let's throw a party." "Yes, and we'll invite the whole street." "Yes, and we'll hire a brass band." Then run the same plan again with "Yes, but…" and feel it wither. The contrast is the lesson. It's the most direct drill of the core improv reflex: accept the offer, then add to it. Players feel in their body how "and" builds momentum and "but" strangles it — and they carry that felt difference into every scene, where blocking is almost always a quiet "yes, but" in disguise.
🎓 Tips
Run the "yes, but" version too — the failure is the teacher. Feeling the plan collapse makes the point better than any explanation. The "and" must genuinely add, not just agree. "Yes, and it's nice" stalls — coach a real new offer on every line. Keep it fast and light. This is a warm reflex-builder, not a scene — pace keeps players out of their heads.
Spotted a mistake, a missing variant, a better way to run it? Change it.