Last night, I attended a birthday party with an unusual theme: Mystery Science Theater 3000 -- one of my favorite 90s TV shows. Never heard of it? Every episode featured a human and two robots who poke fun of really bad movies. The party reminded me of a tricky but often rewarding improv game.

"Hecklers" is the stage equivalent to MST3K. This improvisational activity involves two performers who sit in the front row of the audience. Several other actors take the stage and begin an intentionally boring or an overly serious scene.

The humor ensues when the two hecklers begin to "Riff" on the melodramatic story that plays on the stage. They can make comments about the characters, add their own lines, or perhaps say what the characters are "really thinking."

For the scene to work, it is best if the two hecklers avoid talking over each other's lines. Also, the actors on stage should not react to any of the heckler lines. Instead, they should continue their performance, unabated. They should also allow long pauses between lines of dialogue, providing ample opportunity to those rascally hecklers.

Browse for more theater activities in our collection of Improv Games.

I am busying learning a new batch of lines for my upcoming role in my local theater's Christmas play. I've got most of them down -- but I've still got a long way to go before I feel comfortable on stage.

Some actors have their own special way of memorizing lines. Some constantly listening to their own recording of the dialogue. Others get their willing friends and family members to run lines with them. My system is pretty simple: repetition, repetition, repetition.

But during rehearsals, I've noticed something. I know my lines pretty well. But I have no idea what my fellow actor is going to say. Sure, I know what my cue is -- but I haven't spent much time learning the rest of their dialogue.

Some actors want their reactions to stay fresh, so they don't want to memorize the lines of their co-stars. And of course, one can't help but learn most of the other actor's lines simply by osmosis. Yet some thespians purposefully learn every word of the play, so that if anything goes wrong they can save the day and keep the show on track.

What do you think? Should you learn the lines of your fellow actors?

During the late 19th century, Henrik Ibsen created powerful female characters whose words defied convention and whose actions astounded audiences. This is evident in Nora Helmer from A Doll's House, not to mention the dangerous, gun-slinging socialite title character of Hedda Gabler.

Yet, the lead character in the family drama, Ghosts, differs from other female protagonists from Ibsen's work. Mrs. Helene Alving does have unorthodox views, but she does not have the courage to resist the pressures of society. And because she does not follow her own moral code, her life has become empty and unfulfilled. If that sounds depressing, that was probably Ibsen's point -- and like many of his plays it provides a stark lesson for audiences seeking seeking happiness.

Learn more about Mrs. Alving and her role in Ghosts.

Now that Halloween is over, it seems every department store in town has switched gears. Malls are already filled with Christmas decorations and it won't be long now before my radio plays nothing but carols.

For me, the Christmas spirit started even earlier. I have been in rehearsals for Miracle on 34th Street since the beginning of October. The play is based upon Valentine Davie's novel, although most people know this title from the 1947 holiday classic.

Like other Christmas plays adapted from popular movies (It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, and the DR. Seuss / Chuck Jones animated film How the Grinch Stole Christmas come to mind), much of the dialogue has been altered from its cinematic counterpart. Some characters are omitted, some scenes are combined or changed, but for the most part the sweetness and the magic of the film is intact.

Are you in an upcoming Christmas show? Tell us all about it in the Plays / Drama forum.