Responding to unexpected cues is one of the challenges of being a stage actor. A game in which a student must create her own scene in response to sound effects encourages quick-thinking skills and the ability to remain in character, even when the unexpected occurs. In one version of the activity, a student begins a scene of her choice alone on the stage; she might be leaving for work or heading to school. A theater teacher then adds a sound effect. The sound effect could be produced vocally or created with an object. The actor must incorporate the sound into the scene. A variation on this game is that the actor cannot speak during the activity.
One of the skills a beginner actor must develop is responding in character to the cues of other actors, even if they are unexpected. One way to develop the skill through an individual improvisation game is to play "follow the narrator." In this activity, one actor completes a scene entirely directed by an outside narrator with no prior knowledge of the scene. The actor does not speak during the scene, and the narrator is responsible for dialog. The narrator might be the drama teacher or another student. Another variation is to invite several narrators to direct the scene in succession.
Though a majority of theater shows take place with multiple actors in a scene, even young actors may be required to recite a monologue on their own. A monologue improv challenge gets beginner actors comfortable with the idea of being on stage without the support of other actors. One option for a monologue improv is to write down several scenarios on slips of paper and several emotions on additional slips of paper. The actor chooses a scenario, like reminiscing about his first date, and an emotion or state of mind, like "confused." The actor must then create a 60-second monologue based on the scenario and the emotion.
In addition to cues from other actors, high school drama students must also learn to respond to cues in their surroundings. Strange or unexpected props are one source of a challenging improvisation game. During a prop challenge, an actor begins a scene of her choosing, like brushing her teeth in the morning, and then a prop is added to the scene. The actor must incorporate it into the scene. The props might be out-of-place objects or nonsense shapes cut from pieces of foam. Another variation is to provide the prop before the scene and challenge the actor to create a scene based on the prop.