More Specific
A stage game where on the signal "More Specific!" performers instantly reformulate the last line or action, making it more precise and vivid. Use in basic and intermediate workshops when you need to sharpen offer clarity, attention to detail, and character expressiveness.
Players
2–8
Difficulty
Beginner
Full description
Setup and launch
Gather pairs or trios and explain the general principle: a normal scene is happening; when "More Specific!" sounds (from the coach or, by agreement, from the audience), the performer who said the last line or was doing an action immediately reformulates it with greater precision. Preserve the same meaning, point of view, and emotional tone; only the degree of specificity changes.
The clarification can concern place, object, action, relationship, time, or sensory detail. Example of moving toward specificity: "there" → "on the table" → "on the marble countertop" → "a Rolex watch on a new marble table."
Flow
1) Scene
Performers begin a short scene and establish circumstances. "Fuzzy" words are allowed — this is material for subsequent clarification; partners listen carefully and pick up the emerging details.
2) Signal and reformulation
Upon hearing "More Specific!", the speaker repeats the last line or names the action being performed more precisely: replacing a general word with a specific one, clarifying the place/object/relationship. If the signal is about an action, they specify exactly what they're doing and exactly what they're interacting with; the partner takes the new information into play.
3) Deepening and continuation
A second signal can follow on the same moment for one more layer of specificity. Then the scene immediately moves forward, using the new facts; the coach distributes signals across performers and intervenes where language or actions remain vague.
Key rules
Make one precise change to the last line or action: clarify the noun, verb, place, relationship, or sensory detail — don't add a new plot.
Keep the pace: give the signal no more than 1–2 times per single semantic moment; after 2–3 clarifications move to the next beat of the scene.
Don't rewrite the whole thought: preserve the grammatical structure, intention, and emotional tone of the character, change only the degree of specificity.
Watch for consistency: the new clarification must not break already established facts; if a contradiction arises, acknowledge and justify it in play rather than canceling it.
Establish in advance who gives the signal (coach only or also audience), and that the one who gave the last line or performed the action responds.
Context
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