Let's face it, it can be fun to watch a couple fight in public. The improv game Marriage Counselor uses the idea of problems between a husband and wife and forces the marriage counselor to guess what it is. The process of getting the marriage counselor to guess is hilarious, as the two players can really capitalize on being an angry husband and wife. Don't hold back when playing this game for extra laughs.
Instructions
The Host's Job
1. Direct the marriage counselor to leave the staging area so that he or she cannot hear anything until called back in.
2. Explain the game to the audience.
3. Solicit a problem for the husband from the audience. Remember, this does not have to be a romantic problem. It can be a problem such as not knowing do math or forgetting to mow the lawn last week.
4. Solicit a problem for the wife from the audience. Again, this does not have to be a romantic problem. It can be a problem such as constantly spelling things wrong or thinking she is a monkey.
5. Call the marriage counselor back in.
Playing as the Husband or Wife
6. Obtain your problem from the host.
7. Think of ways to talk about your problem without saying what your problem is.
8. Sit next to your "spouse."
9. Take turns talking to the mariage counselor, complaining about your "spouse" and the problem that you were given from the audience.
10. Answer your "spouse" when he or she complains about you. Feel free to defend yourself.
Playing as the Marriage Counselor
11. Leave the staging area when directed by the host.
12. Return to the staging area when called back in.
13. Sit in the single chair, facing the married couple.
14. Ask leading questions to get the husband and wife to talk about their problems.
15. Guess the problems by including your guess in a solution that you offer to the husband or wife. For example, if you believe that the wife's problem is that the husband cannot do math, create a guess such as, "Perhaps if you bought your husband a calculator, he would be able to do math better."
16. End the game after you correctly guess both problems by "scheduling an appointment" for the following week.
