ONE

LINE

AT
A

TIME
A mini-LARP about
improv and incidents
on stage
By Côme Martin
and Kobal
Theater is your passion, through thick and thin! A
semi-improvised play is your everyday… But
tonight’s the first time the director scuttles off with
the money 5 minutes before curtains rise! You’ll
have to give it your best for the play to be a success
and your career to survive this; the problem is that
you don’t necessarily agree with your colleagues
on the best way to get there…

Written by Kobal and Côme Martin in May 2023

For 4-6 players and a Guide

For essions of 1-2 hours
 Preparation

EACH PLAYER chooses one of the Actor Actor will play which Character. At the
archetypes (in the available annex). They contrary of the Actors’ genders, the
take note of their fault and chooses a name Characters’ genders can’t be changed:
for them; then, they go over their relations an actress might have to play a man,
with the other Actors if needed. They that’s the way it is! Leave the summary
don’t need to give their Actors an objective somewhere everyone can see (and
yet; however, remember each Actor perhaps write on) it.
sincerely wants this play to be a success!
BEFORE the first Act, each player creates
Choose any gender you like for the actors
four Props (objects the Actors can have
and, if you want, write their names on
in hand) and writes them secretly on
tags everyone can see to make
cards. The cards are then shuffled into a
conversations easier.
pile. Near to it, another pile is formed
PLAYERS AGREE as a group with which with the “Turn of events” cards.
play summary the Actors will improvise
tonight (in the annex). Each summary
presents the Characters of the play, a
vague outline of its 3 acts and a problem
that will push the Actors’ limits in one
way or another. You don’t need to talk
about the relations between the
Characters for now, nor to decide which
 Game zones

WITHIN THE GAME SPACE, decide where On STAGE is where the play happens: the
the Dressing room, the Wings and the Actors play their Characters here. The
Stage are. You should also agree on a players can use the setting as they deem
clearly visible gesture meaning logical and make up objects or furniture
“Curtains”. on the fly, as long as it could reasonably
WHEN THE SESSION STARTS, the Actors be there. This is also the place where
are all in the DRESSING ROOM: it’s the they can draw Prop cards. There can
only place where they can freely talk never be less than two Actors on stage
about how the play is going. It’s also here When a player think it’s time to go to the
they must go to create new Characters if next scene, they can make the CURTAINS
they need to add some to the casting. gesture. In that case, they are technically
In the WINGS, the audience will hear any not on stage anymore, unless their Actor
noise louder that a sentence spoken at a is playing a dead or unconscious
normal volume. It is also here that the Character. As soon as two players at least
Actor can change into another costume make the “Curtains” gesture, the curtain
(and another Character). Conventions falls and the scene stops immediately,
dictate that each Actor plays one specific even if the other Actors disagree. All the
main Character, and if needed one Actors then go back to the “Wings” zone
secondary Character, but this rule could (where, remember, nobody should
get broken… In the Wings, one can also shout). After exactly one minute, curtains
change part of the setting or all of it without rise again and a new scene begins.
anyone on stage being allowed to protest.
 Game sequence

DURING THE WHOLE GAME everyone, including the audience.

SEQUENCE, the Guide plays both a Using this object correctly allows
technician (they pop in the wings to one to draw a “Turn of events” card
remind the Actors how much time is (if there’s a disagreement, the Guide
left before the curtains rise) and the has the last word).
audience (as soon as the curtains · The “Turn of events” can be kept in
rise, they pretend to be watching the hand and played at any moment. Each
play and can applaud or comment it). player can only play one per Act.
· Scenes are played freely, but a player
FIRST SCENES cannot be imposed anything they
don’t want to. However, anything
· The Actors start in the Dressing
goes for the setting and the Props.
Room: they have exactly two minutes
to talk about the play, decide who
plays who and what the first scene BETWEEN TWO ACTS
will consist of.
· An Act lasts at least 3 scenes but
· The play starts as soon as two can be longer. Check a box at the
actors arrive on stage, or the timer end of each scene; when all the
runs out. Remember there can never boxes are checked, the Act can end
be less than two actors on stage: if when the condition described in the
one leaves the stage, another must play summary is fulfilled and the
get on it! If no one is willing, an curtains are drawn (the Guide can
Actor is pushed on stage by the suggest it, but the players are the
others (they only have to be pointed ones who accept it as a group).
out by a player to do so!).
· Between two Acts or anytime there
· As soon as their Actor is on stage, a is a break, players who have reached
player can draw a Prop card: the the objective they chose for their
object is immediately visible by Actor can reveal it; each player can
then, if they wish, choose a new objective Conclusion
or swap the current objective for another.
· The play necessarily ends at the end of
· With 4 players, draw half a star for each the 3rd Act; the last line spoken on stage
objective reached; with 5 players, draw a before the curtains fall becomes the title
third of a star for each objective reached; of the play. Players then look over the star
with 6 players, draw a quarter of a star for table (available as an annex) to know how
each objective reached. much the play is successful, or a disaster.
· Continue with a Dressing Room phase: · As an epilogue, the Actors meet in the
the Actors have exactly two minutes to dressing room, sometime later, to read an
talk about the play is going, and maybe imaginary review of the play (improvised
plan the next Act. by the players) in a local newspaper.
REVIEWS OF THE PLAY - ☆☆☆☆☆
With 4 players, draw half a star for each objective reached; with 5 players, draw a third of a star
for each objective reached; with 6 players, draw a quarter of a star for each objective reached.

No star A gigantic flop. The play earns its place in the anthologies of the worst plays ever, and none of
its Actors will ever see the stage again.

Half a star The only echo the play is through word of mouth, and it’s not for the best. People remember
(wrongly) a couple of details, and everyone agrees that the Actors were terrible.

One star Something saves the play from being forgotten. Not the Actors, no, but a line, a prop,
perhaps… It will be used again in the director’s next play, which will be a huge success.

One star and Newspapers talk about the play, but in a vitriolic way. One of the Characters is described with
a half slightly less negative terms than the others.

Two stars Most of the critics agree: it started well, and then… an element of the play is mentioned as the
thing that made everything else go off the rails. Let’s hope whoever is responsible for it
doesn’t feel too bad.

Two stars The play isn’t as successful as expected but remains an honest achievement. It stays on the bill
and a half for a couple of weeks and impresarios will give small parts to a couple of the Actors in the
future; they won’t go much higher than that.

Three stars The audience finds the play rather strong, but critics remain tepid. It doesn’t bring glory as
expected but still pays the bills.

Three stars The plot of the play doesn’t convince anyone, but people mention the quality of the Actors’
and a half play and a few brave tricks. A couple of Actors stand out, but it will take them years before
they find roles outside of the archetypes they played tonight.

Four stars A few turn of events don’t please everyone, but the rest of the play is lauded for its quality. A
couple of the Actors’ personal objectives are quoted as real moments of audacity.

Four stars The play has only one weakness: its improvised aspect is too obvious and sometimes slows
and a half things down. Apart from that, critics all agree it’s a future classic.

Five stars National success! The play makes the headlines and is sold out every night. It’s the beginning
of a wonderful career for the Actors, and there’s even talk of adaptations abroad…

For every · An Actor is the clear star of the play and will be successful until their death
half star · A line becomes a classic, quoted among friends and in the media for generations
beyond five, · The play is adapted into a movie (with relative success)
choose an · The play stays on the bill for years, played every Saturday at 8 by a different company
element of · An Actor meets true love thanks to the play
the · A filmed version of the play becomes a staple of end-of-year television broadcasts
following · An Actor publishes a fictional account of the show, and wins a literary prize
list · A Prop is sold to the auction for a large amount in a charity sale
PLAYING ONLINE ADVICE
· Use a virtual space on which you’ll decide · One Line At A Time asks a lot from its
(and draw) where the different game zones players, who have to learn a lot of
are. Use tokens to represent Actors and information between the details about their
move them from one zone to the other: to Actors, their Characters, the play
push an Actor on stage, just push their summaries… If extra break times are
token instead! needed to remind everyone of something,
feel free to ask for them!
· Add a “Curtains” zone on which the
players can move their Actors when they · Similarly, a player is always entitled to ask
feel it’s time to wrap up the scene. for a break in order to clarify something or
to use any safety tool at your disposal.
· Use virtual Post-Its to write Props on
them; cover them up, then shuffle them · Everyone should follow a principle of
before play begins. generosity, just like in real improv theater:
players should welcome everything brought
by others and answer “Yes and” or “Yes
but” rather than “No” when faced with
something unexpected.
· Several game elements can be made
optional without breaking the game: feel
free to do away with Props and Turns of
events or limit their use, don’t use a timer
for breaks if you don’t feel like it, or don’t
use the system of objectives (and the
associated table) if you don’t want to.
 TURNS OF EVENTS (1/4)

A water pipe bursts above A plugged-in object

The whole back of the
the current setting, which (toaster, hairdryer, vinyl
theater explodes: a gets covered by a wave
huge construction player…) shock the Actor
Two Characters turn making all the Actors fall
using it. They must be
vehicle appears on the down. Afterwards, a water
out to have a secret carried off stage without
other side as well as stream continues to run
much discretion (and be
and passionate affair and some setting elements
someone with a helmet, replaced by someone else
get soft. Actors have to
a fluorescent jacket if they live another Actor
choose a new setting for the
and a very sorry look next scene alone on stage)

A huge dog bursts out

A large Band-aid
on stage and starts Lights go off for no Part of the setting falls
piece gets stuck on an
parking loudly; he apparent reason and off and covers an
Actor. They can give it
gets angry at the first stay off until the end Actor with plaster, or
to someone else but
Actor he sees and of the scene worse, paint
not simply get rid of it
chases them off-stage

A fire starts in the

A setting element that current setting! At the
The setting of the next Certains literally fall: it
was supposed to be end of the scene, it is
Act wasn’t built is not usable anymore
fake (food, drink, permanently
properly, it’s much too and scenes must blend
prop…) turns out destroyed and the
small for the Actors into one another until
to be real Actors have to choose
the end of the play
a new one
 TURNS OF EVENTS (2/4)

TURN OF TURN OF TURN OF TURN OF

EVENTS! EVENTS! EVENTS! EVENTS!

TURN OF TURN OF TURN OF TURN OF

EVENTS! EVENTS! EVENTS! EVENTS!

TURN OF TURN OF TURN OF TURN OF

EVENTS! EVENTS! EVENTS! EVENTS!
 TURNS OF EVENTS (3/4)

One of the Characters One of the Characters

One of the Characters
turns out to be an One of the Characters turns out to be the
turns out to be
alien (or in contact turns out to be a robot secret sibling of
a Vampire
with some) another Character

One of the Characters The next object

The phone is ringing!
turns out to be manipulated on stage
One of the Characters If there’s none on
someone presumed breaks down at the
turns out to be a ghost stage, one is thrown
dead, who changed moment it should have
from the wings
their appearance been used

Part of the setting An Actor realizes a

A chandelier falls from
breaks down: the main Character has An Actor sneezes
the ceiling, even if the
audience can now see been mistakenly repeatedly without
current setting didn’t
all the Actors swapped with an extra managing to stop
ask for one
in the wings on the casting sheet
 TURNS OF EVENTS (4/4)

TURN OF TURN OF TURN OF TURN OF

EVENTS! EVENTS! EVENTS! EVENTS!

TURN OF TURN OF TURN OF TURN OF

EVENTS! EVENTS! EVENTS! EVENTS!

TURN OF TURN OF TURN OF TURN OF

EVENTS! EVENTS! EVENTS! EVENTS!
PROPS (1/2)
 PROPS (2/2)

PROP PROP PROP PROP

PROP PROP PROP PROP

PROP PROP PROP PROP

PROP PROP PROP PROP

PROP PROP PROP PROP

 PLAY AID — GAME ZONES
In the dressing room, you can…
· Freely talk about how the play is going
· Create new Characters

In the wings, you can…

· Draw props
· Cchange your outfit (but not your Character)
· Change the whole setting or part of it
· Be heard by the audience and whoever’s on stage if you make a noise louder than
a sentence said at normal volume

On stage, you can…

· Play your Character in front of an audience!

Making the curtains fall…

· To signal it’s time to change scenes: as soon as two Actors at least make the
appropriate gesture, the curtains fall and the scene stops, even if the other Actors
disagree. Everyone then goes to the wings and the curtains rise one minute later.
 ACTORS AND ACTRESSES ARCHETYPES

The Actress past their prime

Likes to play main Characters

Choose a name or make up yours:

Tom Sharma, Aaron Bacall, Emily Chopra, Teresa Wayne
Fault: Self-absorbed
The person to your right thinks of you as a role model:
The person to your left thinks you’re a washed-up has been:
Objectives (choose one per Act in addition to the first one):
☑ Make this play a success, against all odds
□ Spend most of a scene in an uninterrupted monologue
□ Make an allusion—more or less discreet—to one of your past successes
□ Be in front of the stage for at least a whole Act, without ever going to the wings
□ Play a young character in a completely unbelievable way
□ Refuse to play off other Actors’ improvisations for a whole scene: “I have never played
in such shameful conditions!”

The Actor replacing another at the last minute

Likes to play main extras

Choose a name or make up yours:

Angie Kramer, Maria Watterson, Isaac Harmon, Jose McAllister
Fault: Stressed
The person to your right holds a good memory of a play you were both in:
The person to your left really liked the Actor you’re replacing:
Objectives (choose one per Act in addition to the first one):
☑ Make this play a success, against all odds
□ Make an allusion—more or less discreet—to another play you’ll soon be in
□ Say all your lines too loud or too quietly for at least 2 scenes
□ Give a physical or verbal mannerism to the Character you’re playing for at least one
Act, to hide the fact that you really don’t know what you’re doing
□ Mistakenly play the same character as another Actor
□ Introduce a crucial element of the play summary way too soon (without actually
triggering the end of an Act)
 The Actress who’s mostly there for the buffet
Likes to play main extras

Choose a name or make up yours:

William Campbell, Inaya Barrel, Joseph Mellor, Kian Peacock
Fault: Soft spot for free drinks and good food
The person to your right fondly remembers a night out drinking with you:
The person to your left is still upset you let them pay a huge restaurant bill in your place:
Objectives (choose one per Act in addition to the first one):
☑ Make this play a success, against all odds
□ Get something to drink or eat in a setting that doesn’t call for it
□ Talk with your mouth full for at least 3 scenes
□ Be clearly drunk in front of the audience for at least 3 scenes
□ Fall asleep in front of the audience
□ Have a heartburn that keeps you from saying a very important line

The Actor who slept with everybody

Likes to play main Characters

Choose a name or make up yours:

Ingrid Tomlinson, Noah Duffy, Chloe Alexander, Robert Smart
Fault: Horny devil
The person to your right fondly remembers a one-night stand:
The person to your left is an ex with whom you had a painful breakup:
Objectives (choose one per Act in addition to the first one):
☑ Make this play a success, against all odds
□ Slip at least 3 sexual allusions in the lines or actions of your Character during one Act
□ Make the audience laugh thanks to a witty remark of your Character
□ Hit on another Actor in front of the audience through your respective Characters
□ Use a prop in a smutty way
□ Intently gaze at a member of the audience you find to your liking for at least 2 scenes
The Actress who has debts
Likes to play as many Characters as possible

Choose a name or make up yours:

Abel Vanilla, Melissa Baxter, Michael Chamberlain, Hannah Morris
Fault: Manipulative
The person to your right is willing to help you, just not financially:
The person to your left wants to get back the money they lent you, and they want it tonight:
Objectives (choose one per Act in addition to the first one):
☑ Make this play a success, against all odds
□ Turn into someone extremely rich a Character who’s not supposed to be
□ Steal at least 2 Props in a very explicit way (so you can sell them back later on)
□ Play at least 3 Extras during the same Act, creating new ones in the process if you
need (so as you can pocket more acting fees)
□ Manage to get money from another Actor than the person to your left
□ Don’t be in the same game zone than the person to your left during a whole Act
(except during the break time between two scenes)

The Actress who doesn’t just care anymore

Likes to play extras

Choose a name or make up yours:

Brooke Hartley, Imogen Patel, Harley Booth, George Rice
Fault: Bitter
The person to your right believes in you and wants you to give all you
have tonight;
The person to your left would rather see you leave and not spoil everything:
Objectives (choose one per Act in addition to the first one):
☑ Make this play a success, against all odds
□ Use the same line at least 3 times in different situations
□ Use the same Prop at least once per scene during a whole Act
□ Play your characters in a very dreary way during a whole Act
□ Forget to answer to another Actor’s line at least 3 times
□ Spend at least two break times between scenes to complaint about your professional
situation
 The Actress who’s at full throttle
Likes to play main Characters

Choose a name or make up yours:

Evie Pearce, Maya Akhtar, Henry Reid, Dylan Evans
Fault: Exalted
The person to your right enjoys your enthusiasm:
The person to your left thinks you have no talent and should get back on planet Earth:
Objectives (choose one per Act in addition to the first one):
☑ Make this play a success, against all odds
□ Make your Character die in a spectacular way
□ Sing all your lines for at least 1 scene
□ Make the audience participate in the show (without anyone agreeing to it beforehand)
for at least 2 scenes
□ Make an acrobatic stunt even is the context is not right for it
□ Forget you’re not really your Character during all the break times of an entire Act
(except during the break time between two scenes)

The scandalous Actor

Likes to play main Characters

Choose a name or make up yours:

Faith Dixon, Tom Barrett, Matthew Nicholls, Shannon Salmon
Fault: Drama king/queen
The person to your right enjoys your slanders:
The person to your left is the targer of one of your rumors:
Objectives (choose one per Act in addition to the first one):
☑ Make this play a success, against all odds
□ Use your Character to transmit a far-left message
□ Fight on stage with another Actor, for real
□ Appear naked in front of the audience for at least 2 scenes
□ Create, on stage, an unplanned scandalous relation between two Characters
□ Talk to an Actor on stage from the wings and be heard by the audience at least twice
during an Act
 PLAY SUMMARIES
The lover in the closet
Main Characters: The unsatisfied wife / The jealous husband / The seducing lover / The lovelorn maid
Extras: The creditor in a hurry / The invasive neighbor / The lover’s girlfriend / …

Act 1
· The husband has growing suspicions that his wife is cheating on him.
· The wife manages to reassure the husband while enjoying her lover.
· The lover hits on the maid, who resists him.
· The maid woos the husband, who doesn’t see her.
-> The Act ends when the husband surprises his wife and the lover in the middle of lovemaking.

Setting: Inside a submarine.

Minimum of scenes: □ □ □

Act 2
· The lover and the wife make up a reason why they were lovemaking; the husband believes it but it
causes numerous quid pro quo.
· The maid manages to seduce the husband.
-> The Act ends when the invasive neighbor surprises the husband and the maid in the middle of
lovemaking; they make up the same reason as when the Act began.

Setting: A saloon.
Minimum of scenes: □ □ □

Act 3
· The husband and the wife each decide to leave the other, without telling each other so.
· The creditor goes from one spouse to the other.
· The lover’s girlfriend leaves him and seduces the maid.
· The lover seduces the neighbor, who is happy to oblige.
-> The Act ends when the husband and the wife leave each other and end up single.

Setting: A medieval torture chamber.

Minimum of scenes: □ □ □

Problem: The prop masters prepared the wrong settings.

Reminder: You can add as many Extras as it seems necessary. Any Character or Extra can take action in a scene,
even if they are not mentioned explicitly in the summary.
 The mysterious murder
Main Characters: The naive heir / The kleptomaniac butler / The phlegmatic detective / The tearful widow
Extras: The assistant detective, in over his head with what is happening / The victim’s twin brother / The maid
who was the lover of the victim / …

Act 1
· The detective interrogates the other Characters one by one and discovers the secrets of a couple of them.
-> The Act ends when the twin brother appears.

Setting: A kitchen.
Minimum of scenes: □ □ □

Act 2
· With the detective’s help, the twin brother pretends to be the victim somehow not dead, in order to
foil the murderer.
· The Characters do everything they can to protect their secrets.
-> The Act ends when one of the Characters confesses to the crime.

Setting: A home office.

Minimum of scenes: □ □ □

Act 3
· It turns out the Character who confessed to the crime is not the real culprit
and covers for someone.
· All secrets come out.
-> The Act ends when the real culprit gets arrested.

Setting: An upper-class living room.

Minimum of scenes: □ □ □

Problem: The fuses blew off just before the play began, everything must be played in the dark.

Reminder: You can add as many Extras as it seems necessary. Any Character or Extra can take action in a scene,
even if they are not mentioned explicitly in the summary.
 The space adventure
Main Characters: The bold astronaut / The funny mechanic / The fearful alien / The space tyrant
Extras: The scary alien / The funny alien / The curious alien / …

Act 1
· The astronaut and the mechanic arrive on an unknown planet.
· They meet alien, which leads to many communication problems.
-> The Act ends when the space tyrant learns about the humans’ arrival on the planet.

Setting: A space hill.

Minimum of scenes: □ □ □

Act 2
· The tyrant captures one of the humans and does many evil things with them.
· The other human organises a rescue mission.
-> The Act ends when the fearful alien sacrifices themself to allow everyone else to enter the tyrant’s palace.

Setting: In front of a space palace.

Minimum of scenes: □ □ □

Act 3
· A string of captivating fights happens in the palace.
· Many aliens fall in battle.
· The human hero is gravely wounded.
· The tyrant is overcome and the other human is saved.
-> The Act ends when the astronaut and the mechanic leave the planet.

Setting: The throne room of a space palace.

Minimum of scenes: □ □ □

Problem: There is zero budget for special effects or the aliens’ costumes, Actors will have make do
with what is at hand.

Reminder: You can add as many Extras as it seems necessary. Any Character or Extra can take action in a scene,
even if they are not mentioned explicitly in the summary.
 The Christmas tale
Main Characters: The innocent little girl / The unemployed father / The overwhelmed mother / Santa Claus
Extras: Santa Claus’s elf / The neighbor celebrating Christmas on their own / The snowman came alive / …

Act 1
· The little girl is sad because of her parents’ problems.
· Her cries are heard by the elf who uses the magic of Christmas to
make the snowman come alive, but it’s not enough to put a smile
on the little girl’s face.
-> The Act ends when Santa Claus arrives.

Setting: A living-room with a chimney.

Minimum of scenes: □ □ □

Act 2
· Santa Claus brings the little girl on a sled ride.
· There is a dancing or singing interlude.
· Meanwhile, the parents organize a surprise for their little girl.
-> The Act ends when the little girl comes back home.

Setting: The backyard of a house.

Minimum of scenes: □ □ □

Act 3
· The little girl enthusiastically welcomes her surprise but sees her parents are still sad.
· With the help of Santa Claus and his friends, she manages to put a smile on her parents’ faces.
-> The Act ends with a repeat of the dancing or singing interlude.

Setting: A living-room with a chimney.

Minimum of scenes: □ □ □

Problem: The wardrobe master has misunderstood their instructions: every character is dressed like
Santa Claus.

Reminder: You can add as many Extras as it seems necessary. Any Character or Extra can take action in a scene,
even if they are not mentioned explicitly in the summary.