The Ad Game with Jesus and His Disciples

This is an improv game that was created by Del Close, who trained such comic geniuses as Steve Martin, Bill Murray, John Belushi, Martin Short, George Wendt and many others. The game is used to teach the improvisers that agreement is more funny than disagreement on stage. The Ad Game is played with six or eight actors, and the group is given five minutes to create an ad campaign for an ordinary product with an unusual quality. For example, cereal that plays music when milk is poured on it. The group must come up with a name for the product, a package design, a slogan, a spokesperson, and a jingle to create an entire marketing strategy and finished commercial. Naturally, the only way to do this in five minutes is through complete and total agreement. Every idea is accepted enthusiastically and remembered, each step is built off the previous idea. Over-acceptance of ideas is encouraged.

This is an example of an Ad Game played by some improvisers. The scene takes place between Jesus and his disciples in a brainstorming session for ideas to enhance the number of Jesus' followers.

They immediately agree that rumors of a couple of miracles would be helpful, and agree to say that his mother was a virgin (although some resist this idea, thinking it too unbelievable).

Judas has an idea for a jingle. He sings, "Silent Night, Holy Night/We're gonna rock around the clock tonight."

All the other disciples laugh and chide him for his musical ideas, especially his earlier suggestion for a musical play called "Godspell." He becomes angry and storms out. Trying in vain to get Judas to return, Jesus calls out to him, "Come on, Judas, turn the other cheek!"

Peter seizes this opportunity to use Jesus' statement as their new slogan. "After all," he says, "It's so much easier to understand than 'It is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get to heaven."

All the disciples agree.

Now a spokesperson is needed. Simon shouts, "John the Baptist!"

"Yes," all agree. "There's a man with a head on his shoulders." (The audience groans here set off the Joke Alarm, warning the players not to get too "jokey.")

In heavy thought, Jesus paces back and forth across the room. He says, "We still need something else. Something big that will sell the crowd."

Meanwhile, the waitress begins removing the dinner dishes from the table. Noticing that Jesus' plate is still full, she asks, "Is he finished, or is he coming back?"

In unison, the disciples scream with delight, "HE'S COMING BACK!"

Using the Ad Game, the players rewrote biblical history.

Credit: Where I Got It: Truth in Comedy, by Charna Halpern, Del Close and Kim Johnson.