Yes, And! An Improv Club Grammar Story

Under the Sea, Inside a Submarine

1Every Wednesday after school, the Improv Club meets in the music room at Linden Street School. There are no scripts in improv, so the actors make up each scene on the spot. Ms. Hollis, the club leader, has one big rule: "Say 'Yes, and.'" That means you accept your partner's idea and then add one of your own.

2Dashiell liked watching the scenes, but he had never been in one. He usually sat in the front row and clapped the loudest. His stomach fluttered whenever Ms. Hollis looked his way. This Wednesday, she smiled and pointed at him. "Dashiell, you're with Yusra," she said. "Soren, give them a place."

3"Hmm," Soren said, tapping his chin. "Under the sea, inside a submarine!" Dashiell froze. The room grew quiet as everyone waited. His mind felt as empty as a cardboard box.

4Yusra did not wait. She grabbed an imaginary wheel and peered through an imaginary window. "Whoa! Captain, there is a giant squid beside us!" she cried.

5Dashiell remembered the rule. He could not say no, and he could not just stand there. "Yes," he said slowly, "and it wants to borrow our sandwiches." The whole club burst out laughing. Yusra nodded quickly, so he kept going. He passed a pretend sandwich through a hatch above his head. "Here you go, buddy. Try the cheese one."

6For three more minutes, the two actors built on each other's ideas. Yusra steered the submarine around a rock while Dashiell chatted with the squid. The squid ate every sandwich, wrote a thank-you note with its long arms, and finally swam toward the surface. Then Ms. Hollis clapped her hands to end the scene. "Phew!" Dashiell said as he sat down.

7After the club stopped laughing, Ms. Hollis gave the two actors a thumbs-up. "Bravo!" she said. "You listened to your partner, and you added something new. That is what improv is all about." Dashiell grinned at Yusra. Next Wednesday, he decided, he would volunteer before anyone called his name.