The Encyclopedia of Interactive Performance

Players mingle as though they were guests at a party. When players encounter each other, they introduce themselves with a fictional first and last name. There is a brief conversation, then players move on to meet someone else. After five minutes of mingling, players see how many character names they can remember.

Variations

Small world party – All of the characters know each other. Players must find ways to incorporate their character names without introducing themselves.

Name endowment – In the first encounter, players name each other. From then on, they use that name through the rest of the party.

Notes

• Keep the same name through the duration of the exercise.
• The conversation should not focus on the characters’ names.
• When recalling names, one at a time, players raise a hand and others see if they remember the name.
• This skill takes time to develop. Track progress by recording the number of names remembered in an exercise log.