A
phrase or
line which an improviser will keep running through their mind during a
scene to provide the
motivation for their
character.
Useful tool to give improv scenes a more realistic feel (it creates a subtext); the mantra may be a helpful shortcut for
non-actors to play more believable characters onstage. As a mantra, "I love you" can make scenes less jokey and
emotionally richer. The mantra "I am healthy and fit" is useful for combatting hostility and negative choices in scenes. The
mantra does not have to be spoken aloud by the performers.