Freeze

Freeze is an Acting Improv game.

Participants

Two actors, who get replaced as the game goes on.

How does it work?

The initial two actors get into the center of a circle, and begin acting out a situation with movements (this is especially important). At any time during the scene, someone on the outside of the circle may say "Freeze!" and the actors must immediately stop what they are doing and remain frozen in position. The person who said "freeze" then comes in and taps one person. That person goes out, and the new actor assumes the position that they were in. The new actor then begins acting out an entirely new scene using the positions that the last two actors were left in (the person who didn't get tapped out plays along). This continues until someone else says "Freeze!" and the process repeats again.

Since the experienced actors don't want to keep going in, and the people who come only as audience also dislike entering, there often ends up being a "random poses time," at which the participants stop acting and simply dance around making silly movements.

Memorable moments

• At Stanford Session 2, 2006 (baby CTY), the Elements of Drama class learned Freeze as an acting game to help with their writing. (And just something to do at break.) When Jenny came back during break one day after being sick, she took Jane's place (being chased around by Erin). It went something like this:

Erin: Hi, Jenny! (walks over, shakes hand)

Jenny: Hello, Erin!

Erin: How you doin'? You want to buy a sandwich? (Inside joke- it's always time to buy a sandwich.)

Jenny: No. Do you want to buy hot boy?

Erin: No. Do you want to buy a sandwich?

Jenny: Do you want cool boy?

Erin: No. Wait- Carlos, get over here! You're a prop! (puts hand on Carlos) Do you want a Halloween boy?

Jenny: Hot boy? Cool boy? Hot boy? Cool boy?

Erin: Do you want to buy HALLOWEEN boy? Do you want to buy a SANDWICH?

Then, to save us from histerics, the TA and teacher called us in, saying break was over. But that day's remained implanted in our heads, and no one from Elements of Drama that year will forget it.

• Lancaster 06.2
  • "Ashook him too hard!" - This was a pun on an actor's name. Ashok had just frozen in into a lying position and had just begun his scene whereupon Jeffrey Sachs immediately froze in into a standing position above Ashok. Kneeling down, he yelled, "Nooooo!! He was my friend!" followed by the memorable line while shaking Ashok.