Setting Up the Game
- Divide into two large teams of 8–10 people: mix in friends, kids, and any cats or dogs around.
- One or two people serve as game directors.
- The game director brings strips of paper, each one printed with the title of a short scene prepared in advance.
- One representative from each team picks a strip—which the director holds face-down—without seeing it first.
- Each team sets up their scene in a separate space, using whatever they have on hand.
The Rules
Sounds are allowed (horns, music, applause, bells, etc.)
Words are forbidden
Guessing happens only when the scene is finished
Anyone who speaks gets disqualified
Scenes can be expanded with original ideas, as long as they're clear
Aim for an ending that's happy or funny
The best scene wins a jury prize
The easiest scene to guess also gets a prize
Preparation time per scene: roughly 15 minutes
Scene Ideas
Here are subjects that groups have tried and found doable:
- Street scene: traffic and a car accident
- A long sermon with people falling asleep
- Hospital: a doctor's ward visit and a hypochondriac patient
- Classroom: a teacher quizzes a dunce of a student, who gets punished
- A burglary: people wake up and chase the thieves out of the house
- Dancing with the Stars, with an awards ceremony
- A bus: the conductor boards, checks tickets, and fines a passenger with none
- St. Peter's Square: the Pope appears on the balcony or takes a walk
- Porta Portese flea market: a pickpocket swipes a wallet; the victim notices only at checkout
- A museum with paintings and statues (played by people). A visitor grabs a painting and runs. Alarms sound, guards chase him down.
Who Shared This Game
Group: L'Alveare Workshop
Location: St. Silvia Parish, Rome
What They Do: Weekly gatherings with people with disabilities and friends for craft and entertainment activities
Since: 1988
Whether they're small or large, well-run activities often thrive in an integrated workshop, a group home, an institution, or a community setting.
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