As some of you know I started taking Improv classes a few weeks back. I’m still finding my place and it’s a genuinely good time that stretches my brain in lots of interesting ways that are very good for me. It’s also nice to get out of the house and interact with real people in a public place. Who knew?
Each week we learn new ways to build scenes and one of the core principles to help us create interesting scenes and fun moments is the idea of establishing a relationship. Without some kind of interpersonal connection with a scene partner, it’s easy for spectators to lose interest and stop caring about what’s happening very quickly. It also makes it really tough to carry the scene forward.
I know that we’ll get better as the weeks go on but I’ve watched as we’ve struggled (very much myself included) to establish creative relationships outside of family members, boss/employee, and transactional relationships like plumber/clogged toilet sufferer.
That’s why I decided to create a list of as many of the other types of relationships as I could come up with. Hopefully these will be a springboard to new and even more interesting relationships for you to use in improv. Take the list and run wild, and if you’re so inclined, I’d love to hear some of yours in the comments too!
Apologies in advance if some of these get weird.
- Son and dad’s new girlfriend
- Dad’s new girlfriend and her opioid dealer
- Drug dealer and distribution kingpin
- Distribution kingpin and goto hitman/hitwoman
- Hitman/hitwoman and CIA operative nemesis
- CIA operative and secret service director
- Secret service director and Donald Trump
- Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin
- Vladimir Putin and Mikhail Gorbachev
- Mikhail Gorbachev and the first monkey in space (this may have been a strained relationship)
- Uber Driver and repeat passenger
- Taxi Driver and veteran traffic cop
- Veteran traffic cop and long-time club bouncer
- Club bouncer and VIP guest
- VIP Guest and bartender
- Bartender and Charlie Sheen
- Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez
- Emilio Estevez and all of the Mighty Ducks
- Little league hockey coach and grizzled league director
- Little league hockey coach and hockey dad
- Hockey Dad and other hockey dad whose child isn’t getting any playing time
- Acquaintance from an old improv cohort
- Jealous co-star in a film
- Craft service chef and picky eater movie star
- Picky eater movie star’s hired nutritionist and craft service chef
- Craft service chef and lettuce farmer
- Lettuce farmer and the buyer for Chipotle
- Chipotle buyer and the a food and drug administration investigator
- FDA investigator and silicon valley nootropics startup CEO (wow got real specific here)
- Silicon valley startup CEO and neighborhood sushi chef
- Neighborhood sushi chef and landlord
- Landlord and sports bookie
- Sports bookie and shady loan shark
- Shady loan shark and dad/mom with a gambling problem (probably dad)
- Single woman and deranged ex-boyfriend
- Deranged ex-boyfriend and ex-girlfriend’s attorney
- Attorney and judge
- Judge and the town mayor
- Town mayor and the President of the local chamber of commerce
- President of the chamber of commerce and Taco Bell franchisee
- Taco Bell franchisee and me (regular guest)
- Regular diner guest and old-timey waiter
- Regular café customer and barista
- Barista and book club organizer
- Book club organizer and wine mom
- Wine mom and yoga instructor
- Investigative reporter and long-suspected corporate criminal
- Investigative reporter and newspaper editor
- Newspaper Editor and Unemployment Office Staff (topical because newspapers are dying get it?)
- Lead singer in a band and his/her drummer, bassist, guitarist, pianist, backup vocalist
- Band member and tour manager
- Tour promoter and record label executive
- Band member and EX band member
- Same high school graduating class
- Friends who dated the same person at different times
- Politician and intern
- Game show host and repeat contestant
- Batman and Superman
- Neighborhood butcher and regular customer
- Wedding planner and bride
- Wedding photographer and bride
- Future mother/father-in-law and groom
- Palm reader and skeptical friend
- Forum moderator and constant troll (probably not super easy to create a scene from but hey, at 64 deep we’re gonna roll with it)
- Tour guide and museum curator
- Museum curator and poser art aficionado
- Flight attendant and pilot
- Pilot and air traffic controller
- Horse and buggy driver and British dignitary
- The Pope and a Cardinal
- Race car driver and pit crew chief
- Bounty Hunter and elusive criminal
- Paparazzi and private celebrity
- Inmates sharing a prison cell
- Marie Kondo and a hoarder
- Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg
- Tupac and Biggie
- Mad scientist and the monster they’ve created
- King and knight
- Golfer and caddy
- War veterans from same unit
- Photographer and model
- Astronaut and space shuttle mechanic
- Old drinking buddies
- World darts champion and darts champion runner up
- Boat captain and first mate
- Skydiving instructor and student
- Chef and sous chef
- Two grifters in cahoots
- Sanseis in competing dojos
- Used car salesmen in competing dealerships
- Babysitter and parent(s) of a terrible child
- Bowling league teammates
- Locksmith and chronically clumsy magician
- Essential oils distributor and downline member
- Basketball referee and Dennis Rodman
- Dennis Rodman and Kim Jong Un
- Super villain and trusty sidekick (segue!)
- Plasma clinic phlebotomist and plasma donor
- Sommelier and pretentious local billionaire
- Anyone and Kevin Bacon
Now it’s your turn! What other relationships do you have to share?