Improv Wars is a friendly competition among improv troupes representing all factions of improv within the DC area. The audience votes for the winner. Both audience members and performers should prepare to enter a surprise-filled combat-zone where ANYTHING goes.  After all, this is war. 

WHEN

On Mondays at 7:30 pm at the Mead Theatre Lab, Improv Wars is in a galaxy near you. 

 

THE MATCHES

This is a friendly competition.

 

Improv Wars is unique and filled with its own surprises.  Be prepared for anything.  At any time.  This is war.

 

Strategy is everything.  Thirst is nothing.   

 

On any given Monday a match will commence.  The winner of the match competes in next week’s match and so on and so forth until the team is defeated.

 

Two teams will battle, one will win a match, but over time there will only be one Improv Wars supreme leader.

 

TEAM REQUIREMENTS

Any team can compete so long as it is a team.  No mash-ups or teams created solely for the purpose of competition.  (This means you have a set roster for the duration of Improv Wars, and your team intends to perform outside of Improv Wars.)    

 

Each team needs to select a song for their entry on stage - for teams that don’t select their own song something lame will be played.  (Just ask Love Onion.)

 

The team’s starting cast list must remain the same.  A team cannot add members that are not in the team’s original cast list if the team wins and continues to compete. 

 

If the team has cast members missing for one match those cast members can join for other matches so long as he/she was an original member listed on the team’s submission request.

 

TEAM INFORMATION

Laugh Index will publicly post on the show’s website all the below information regarding competing teams in Improv Wars.

 

Each team must provide a stats list & bio for their team in the following format: 

Official Team Name:  (Your official team name)

Code Name:  (Your nickname, Abbreviations, Acronym)

Allegiance:   (WIT, DC Improv, Comedy Spot, Dojo Comedy, Indie, etc.)**

Birthday:  (The date of your first performance)

Sex:  (How many females/males)

Height:  (Make it up)*

Weight: (Make it up)*

Format:  (Harold, Montage, Genre, Armando, etc.)

Trademarks:  (Callbacks, Tagouts, Duologues, etc.)

Theme Song:  (Song Title of Your Entry Song)

War Entry Date:  6/13/2014

No. of Matches:  First match 6/13

No. of Votes:  TBD

No. of Bonuses:  TBD

No. of Penalties:  TBD

Winn Loss Draw Record:  TBD

 

*These are the answers that can be jokey.

**Please note that allegiance does not necessarily mean that you have to be a house team or officially affiliated with that theatre to claim an allegiance to them.  Allegiance means loyalty.  This stat is there to answer the question “Who are you loyal to?”  For example, this could be where your team was conceived if your team formed out of an improv class at a particular theatre. Please note Laugh Index defines a team as an “indie team” when the team contains less than 50% of theatre affiliated performers from any one theatre at the time of its inception or post-recruitment/recasting.  While you may not be an official house team of a theatre, if you are essentially different members of one theater’s house teams, your allegiance is with that theatre. 

 

The team’s Improv Wars stats stay with the team in the Improv Wars system for the rest of the team’s life in Improv Wars.   

 

THE MATCH

Each team will perform long-form improv for 25 minutes, no more, no less. 

 

Anything goes so long as it is long-form improv.

 

The order is determined by the teams’ overall Improv Wars votes.  The team with the highest number of votes entering the match gets to choose if they go first or second.

 

THE SCORING

The winner is determined by audience vote.

 

Stacking the audience is not only allowed but encouraged.

 

A team may have votes subtracted due to penalties.  Please see below.

 

A team can earn bonus votes.  Please see below. 

 

The team with the highest number of votes, including audience votes, added bonus votes and subtracted penalty votes, wins. 

 

The winning team advance to next week’s match.  If the winner is unable to perform that week, the slot goes to an Improv Wars team with the highest number of overall votes within the Improv Wars system.

 

A team that loses can immediately sign up again for Improv Wars.  They will be slated in the order their submission was received.      

 

THE SET TIME

The hosts will start the clock. 

 

If a competing team starts prior to the clock starting, five votes will be deducted for a false start.

 

A timer on-stage will display when the team’s time is over.  It will also make a wonderful beeping sound.  The theatre will black out.  You’ll know that set is over.  

 

The team must play until the blackout, and the booth will black out the theater at 25 minutes.  The penalty for an early finish is one vote per minute.

 

TIME-OUT

Each team can call one 30-second time-out.  One player of the team must shout, “Time-Out!”  The hosts will stop the clock, and countdown the last 5 seconds of the time-out.  The team must immediately resume play. 

 

A team may do anything during their time-out so long as it is not performing.

 

PENALTIES

The purpose of the penalties and rules at the time of the match is to showcase the team’s ability to handle anything at a moment’s notice.

 

The hosts can assess penalties and make up rules at their discretion. 

 

The penalties and rules are announced before and after the team’s set.     

 

For example, the host may provide a rule for a team such as “you must perform one scene with a woman.”  If an all-male team is competing, you may think that the guys have already lost.  But please remember -- anything goes in Improv Wars.  Nothing precludes the team from pulling a female, any female, from anywhere in the theater to perform with them.

 

Teams are encouraged to be creative in their interpretation of the rules.

 

Dance off scenes result in a 5-vote deduction.  Period.

 

No player can touch the clock during the show.  The penalty for doing so is 5 votes subtracted for each infraction.  Penalty will only be assessed if the clock was touched deliberately and intentionally.

 

BONUS VOTES

A team can earn bonus votes.

 

One way in which bonus votes can be awarded is if both Laugh Index and the hosts agree to exercise that discretion.  These are a diamond in the rough.  

 

The second way:  it’s a surprise.

 

AUDIENCE VOTING

Each member of the audience is given one ballot as they enter the arena.  Do not lose the ballot, as you will not be given a new one.

 

Once the show begins, no more ballots are given out.  

 

An audience member must watch all teams to cast a vote.

 

Competing performers are not allowed to vote in their match, however, everyone else in the room is eligible to vote.  

 

The volunteers will count the ballots.  

 

The team with the most number of votes, after penalties and bonuses are assessed, wins.

 

Write in votes for teams not actually competing will be laughed at and then thrown out.

 

WINN LOSE DRAW

The decision is final.  No whining.  No recounts.  

 

In the event of a tie, there will be a 5-minute sudden death match.  Both teams will get 5 minutes to perform, and Laugh Index will chose the winner by having a pre-selected committee decide.

 

All stats are publicly posted.

 

WINNER GETS…

Winner gets…SURPRISES!