One game I learned from the Kani Club improv workshop in Tokyo is Master and Servants. The idea of the game is simple: three players, one is the Master who is constantly demanding things of the servants. When the servants try to meet the Master's needs, the Master is never satisfied and yells at them. For example:
- Master: I am thirsty! Where is my drink?
- Servant 1: Here it is, Master! A cold glass of lemonade!
- Master: Lemonade?! I hate lemonade! Bring me something hot!
- Servant 1: I am terribly sorry! I will do better next time...
- Servant 2: Perhaps this cup of camomile tea with honey will please you, Master?
- Master: Ow!! It's much too hot! Are you trying to scald me to death?!
etc.
(Another version of the game has the servants denying every request.)
To make the game thematic, you could substitute "Capital and Supervisors" for Master and Servants. The idea would be that Capital never gets enough, always looking to make more profit. So no matter what measures the supervisors propose, Capital always wants more.
Second version: "Labor and Organizers." In this case, Labor is in control, like in a workers cooperative, and it is the job of the organizers to find ways to improve things for Labor which always wants more. As Gompers said,
“What does labor want? We want more schoolhouses and less jails; more books and less arsenals; more learning and less vice; more leisure and less greed; more justice and less revenge; in fact, more of the opportunities to cultivate our better natures, to make manhood more noble, womanhood more beautiful, and childhood more happy and bright.”
Third version: "Pachamama and Humans." Pachamama seeks fullness, harmony, restoration of planetary resources and the humans have to come up with things humans could do to please Pachamama.
Play all four versions, then discuss:
How did it feel to play the role of Capital? Labor? Pachamama? Or supervisors, workers, humans?
What did you notice about your own actions and ideas and those of others?
How are the four versions related? How are they different?
[Other questions...]