Origin
The Reigen takes its model from the play of the same name by Arthur Schnitzler. In the play, different characters appear one after another. Only ever two are on stage at the same time. The aim is to establish a relationship between every pair of characters.
Schnitzler's sequence is:
- Whore — Soldier
- Soldier — Maid
- Maid — Young Gentleman
- Young Gentleman — Young Lady
- Young Lady — Husband
- Husband — Sweet Young Thing
- Sweet Young Thing — Poet
- Poet — Actress
- Actress — Count
- Count — Whore
Improv Reigen
In the Improv Reigen the order isn't fixed. In the example above, scene 3 could pair the Maid with the Soldier instead.
Scene transitions happen via Freeze.
It is essential that each player always embodies the same character.
Time jumps into the future and the past are allowed between scenes:
- Scene 1: Son — Father. Father: "Back when I married your mother…"
- Scene 2: Father — Mother. Mother: "I'm pregnant."
- Scene 3: Mother — Son. Son: "Ever since Father died…"
Possible prompts
- The classic prompt is a relationship.
- Name, age, profession, hobby, deepest fear (phobia), life goal/dream of the protagonist. Example: Horst, 27, roofer, spiders, a personal audience with the Pope.
- Bring an audience member onto the stage and ask them about personal details — age, work situation, living situation, partner, children. The players then build a fictional story on the basis of those details. They can ask further questions during the play if needed.
Further notes
- It works well to follow the Hero's Journey for the dramatic arc.
- After a Freeze the body posture does not have to be copied.
- For time jumps into past or future, a brief pre-announcement reduces audience confusion: "Ten years earlier…"
- In contrast to Schnitzler's play, the main character (the "hero") is in many of the scenes.
- Whoever is "unlucky" appears in only one scene.
- The main character (the "hero") may only emerge over the course of the scene sequence — particularly when the prompt was a simple one.