Quick Description
Two audience members stand downstage as if they are pillars on the stage and from time to time supply the facial expression for the players.
How to Play
Two audience volunteers come to the stage. One stands down stage right and the other down stage left. They stand in place as if they are pillars on the stage.
The players improvise a scene and from time to time they walk over to one of the audience volunteers and touch the volunteer, at which time the audience volunteer makes a face.
The player must copy the volunteer’s facial expression and justify the change in emotion as the scene moves forward.
Notes
The game is named after the game “Pillars” (which is listed in The Playbook…which is an excellent value at less than $12 bucks)
The audience volunteers do not need to stand still or frozen, but they are not part of the scene until an player comes to them for a new facial expression.
By justifying the facial expressions the scene may take on emotional changes.
This can be a good training game to encourage the players to be changed.
Origin
I saw this game for the first time on the BATS Improv stage during a TheatresportsTM match. It was played by Rebecca Stockley, Corey Rosen, Kimberly McLean and Zoe Galvez.