Summary
“The Gauntlet” gets used for a couple of related-but-distinct Improv Index things, so it depends on who’s saying it.
Details
Andy Eninger’s Gauntlet (solo improv) — the most commonly cited version, from the Second City solo-form world. You set a clock (say 10 minutes), start with a character monologue, and after no more than 60 seconds slip into a two-character scene with that same character. From there you keep moving through related scenes using different kinds of transitions. Eninger is a well-known solo improviser and teaches it as a solo workout — it’s the training wheels for his solo long form Sybil. The point is building fluency with transitions and holding multiple characters yourself without a scene partner to lean on. YouTube
The Gauntlet as an ensemble drill — one person is the “gauntlet runner” and everyone else takes turns tagging in with rapid-fire scene initiations, deliberately whiplashing across emotions and situations. Each scene runs a minute or less, and the emotional register is meant to swing hard — if the last one was frantic, the next should be flat or downbeat. Birth scene, then a war zone, then a bad haircut. It’s a reaction/stamina exercise: no time to plan, so you’re forced to respond honestly and commit instantly. TheJournal.ie