Canadian Improv Games

The Canadian Improv Games (CIG) is an education based format of Improvisational theatre for Canadian high schools. Schools form teams of up to 8 players, these teams compete in provincial tournaments, and the winning team from each province goes to the National Festival and Tournament held in Ottawa. The National Arts Centre is a major sponsor of Games, and this is where the National Festival and Ottawa Tournament are held. The Games were created by Willie Wyllie and Howard Jerome, based upon an idea originated by David Shepherd and Howard Jerome. David Shepherd was the producer of North America's first professional improvisational theater (the Compass Players) in Chicago, which was the forerunner of the Second City.

Format

The teams consist of no more then eight members performing, but they may have 2 alternates.

There are 5 events: Life, Character, Style, Story and Theme. Teams must perform 4 out of these 5 events, including a mandatory Life scene. Scenes may last up to 4 minutes, and teams are penalized for going over but not under the time limit. Before performing a scene, the players may 'huddle' for up to 15 seconds to talk about what they are going to do in that scene. The last 5 seconds are counted out loud by the time-keeper.

Judges watch the scene and will rate it out of a possible 50 points. A great scene will only get at most 44 as the judges are allowed to award up to 6 bonus points for amazing work. They look for both technical and entertaining factors and follow a rubric. Some of the factors they score on are acceptance of offers and staging, while others are skill of the event and interest.

Show Format

Each performance is divided into four rounds. The show starts with the introduction of the officials (one referee, one timekeeper, and usually, but not always, one linesman), who explain the basics of the show to the audience. The teams are then introduced, and the first round of play begins. In a single round, each team performs one scene; the order of teams and events are unknown to all but the officials before play begins. At the end of the second round, the Intermission begins; after the third and fourth rounds, the scores are announced, and the show is over. Most shows are participated in by five teams, though this changes according to region and season phase.

Season Format

The format of the season varies from region to region. Most start with an exhibition round, which is unscored. After this, the elimination rounds begin: the sum of each team's score on each of their four scenes is their score for that phase, and the teams with the higest scores graduate to the next phase. (For example, in the British Columbia Lower Mainland tournament, the twenty highest-scoring teams advance from the quarter-finals to the semi-finals.) Before starting the regional final round, which takes place in a single show, many regions stage a "Wildcard" round, in which the fifth to ninth highest-scoring teams compete for the fifth spot in Finals. Each region has a predetermined number of spots at the National Tournament in Ottawa; the highest-scoring teams in the finals are the ones who fill these spots and represent their region.

At the Nationals, there are a total of twenty teams. Each team performs once in an elimination round that lasts four nights; on the fifth and final night, the five highest-scoring teams compete for the top places in the country.

Regions

The winners of each region go to Ottawa for The National Tournament.

Events

Life

In the Life event the team must present an improvised scene "honestly and sincerely." This can include "pivotal moments" like a first date or parents getting divorced, or simple slices of life such as the car not starting in the morning. This event is not meant to be funny, but the entertainment is usually found in the irony of how this is or how easily it relates to someone's average day. Also this is one of the events where the team gets to ask the audience for a suggestion or inspiration for their scene.

Story

In the Story event, the teams must present "an original story in an improvised setting." One of the most popular approaches is to have narration from one or multiple narrators in the team, though this is not required. Also character choices are more noticeable in this event. This does not have to be based on reality in any way and can be taken to the fictional level. This is another event where the team will ask the audience for a suggestion or inspiration before they begin.

Character

The Character event does not have to be a scene but it usually ends up being one, as the main purpose for this event is to show how well the team can display a certain characteristic that is given to them. It is usually best when the characteristic is blown out of proportion or if the character is placed in a situation that would make them stand out. Anyone on the team can show this characteristic. Sometimes some teams will have one person with it and will pass it off during the scene but at all times the characteristic must be present. The team will usually ask for a characteristic to play before they begin and some teams will even ask for other suggestions as well that they can use for inspiration.

Theme

In the Theme event, the teams are "given a theme which they must explore in one or more scenes." Theme is quite unique and different from the others as unlike the other events where the inspiration and suggestion comes from the audience, theme suggestions can come in various of ways and is usually given to the team by the host. Suggestions could be fortune cookie sayings, haikus or just a single word. Once given their theme suggestion teams must explore that theme in as many ways as possible. This may be done as one scene or as a series of vignettes (the overwhelmingly most popular approach). The connection to the theme may be literal or figurative, though puns are discouraged.

Style

Style showcases the team's ability to portray a certain genre, usually from film, theatre or television. Mime, cheesy horror film, sports presenter, Shakespeare and infomercial are examples of different styles that have been seen in performances. Teams may put a lot of research into the style. They are not meant to parody a genre but actually produce an example of that genre. The audience may be asked to give the suggestion or inspiration.

Before every scene, the team has the option to have a fifteen-second huddle among themselves in order to discus the suggestion and brainstorm ideas. Also if the team is given any suggestion that they do not understand they are allowed to ask for definition before they start to clear up any confusion.

Tradition

Oath

Before every show begins, everyone must rise and place their right hand over their heart, and their left hand on the body of someone next to them. A referree will begin reciting the Oath as the audience and players repeat it:

We have come together, In the spirit of loving competition, To celebrate the Canadian Improv Games.

We promise to uphold the ideals of improvisation, To co-operate with one another, To learn from each other, To commit ourselves to the moment,

And above all… To Have A Good Time.

Warm-up

Teams generally meet up about an hour before the show to warm-up altogether with the referees. The overall feeling of the game is really meant to be a "loving competition", so a joint warm-up helps with this feeling of camaraderie.

External links

Canadian theatre | Improvisation | Education in Canada

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Canadian Improv Games