❓What did you say?

Setup and Launch

Place two actors on stage and give them a task to play a normal short scene. At any moment either partner can say "What did you say?" — referring to the other's most recent line. The addressee must immediately rephrase their line so the new version rhymes with the original; then the scene continues, treating the new version as reality.

Ask actors to speak clearly and end phrases on a strong final word — this makes finding a rhyme easier. Set the duration of each round (usually 1–2 minutes) and explain that pairs will rotate while others observe.

Play

1. Warming up the scene. Actors begin a simple, understandable situation, delivering complete sentences with a distinct final anchor for rhyming.

2. The challenge. A partner says "What did you say?" immediately after a line; the trainer watches that the challenge refers to the most recently spoken phrase.

3. Rhyming replacement. The addressee delivers a new version of the same line without delay, rhyming with the original. The first version is treated as never said.

4. Acceptance and grounding. Both actors accept the "new reality," support it with action and detail, preserving the scene's relationship and status.

5. Pace and rotation. The trainer doses the frequency of challenges; when pace drops, reminds about short precise rhymes; rotates pairs on signal and launches the next round.