Improv Nonsense

A team does an opening and now has a handful of ideas, evolved to various degrees. Some obvious, some not. The problem is people will assume they understand what the other person has decided about the idea, and charge ahead without listening. Let’s say in the opening there’s an idea about a kid trick or treating at a famous person’s house and not knowing who the famous person is and also that famous person was really chincy. (this example is from a very good team, to show that all levels of improvisers do this)

Initiator: “Trick or treat.”
Response: “Hey, great costume, kid!”
Initiator: “what does this sign say? Sammy… Hagar? Who’s that?”
Response: “That’s me. Here’s half a kit kat, kid. Have a blast.”
Initiator: “Thanks. I’ve never heard of you.”
Response: “That’s all right. Here’s a single candy corn.”

If you didn’t speak English, you would assume these two actors were getting along. But they are each playing a different game, and each refusing to react to the other one. The actor playing the kid is not noticing how cheap the candy offered is. The actor playing Sammy Hagar is not reacting to how the kid doesn’t recognize him. It doesn’t matter that the characters are getting along — they actors are refusing offers in each line after line 2.