In Prompt Play, the audience creates the show. Performers for each short scene are drawn at random from willing attendees.  Once on stage, performers merely follow simple theatrical prompts that are planted directly into their ears.  Each actor is assigned a guardian angel for personal support and guidance.  No rehearsal or memorization is required, and the floor is color-coded, making stage directions a breeze.  Prompt Play is part lottery, part karaoke, part storytelling, part Kabuki with a little bit of Twister thrown in.

The main ingredient is the courageous audience, working together and taking risks to create an unforgettable evening. Prompt play began as a party game for my 40th birthday gathering, and has gone on to perform with Working Group Theatre in Iowa City and at Chicago's Strawdog Theatre.  

The video is from a Prompt Play performance at Riverside Theatre in Iowa City.  The performers you see were drawn randomly from audience members who had not rehearsed or heard the prompts before the performance.  All their actions are motivated by prompts spoken into their earphones.