Keith Johnstone's elimination format (also spelled "Maestro"). Individual performers compete; the audience votes to eliminate one player each round until a single winner remains. Creates individual stakes and accountability within what is otherwise an ensemble art form.
How it works:
- 8-12 performers begin the show. A director/host (the "Micetro") runs the evening.
- Each round, the Micetro assigns scenes — duos, trios, or solo challenges — mixing and matching players across rounds so everyone performs with different partners.
- After each round (typically 2-4 scenes), the audience votes to eliminate one performer. Voting is usually by applause, cards, or a show of hands.
- Eliminated players leave the stage (often with a dramatic farewell — Johnstone encouraged theatrical exits).
- Rounds continue, the cast shrinks, stakes rise. As the pool contracts, the remaining performers must work together more intensely.
- The final 2-3 performers compete in a last scene. The audience crowns a winner.
A full Micetro runs 90-120 minutes.
What makes it distinct: Micetro is the only widely performed improv format that creates individual accountability. In Harold, montage, or Theatresports, responsibility is distributed across the team. In Micetro, the audience is judging you. This changes everything — the fear is real, the stakes are personal, and performers cannot hide.
Johnstone's philosophy: From Impro for Storytellers: "Micetro was designed to make improvisers take risks." Johnstone observed that ensemble formats let performers coast — play it safe, support from the backline, avoid exposure. Micetro removes that safety net. You must be interesting, or you go home. The elimination mechanic is deliberately uncomfortable because Johnstone believed discomfort produced better art.
He also believed audiences needed narrative structure to stay engaged. Micetro gives a show a natural arc — rising tension, narrowing field, climactic final — that pure scene-based shows lack. The audience has skin in the game: they're choosing who stays. This creates investment that no amount of good scene work alone can generate.
What it demands: Courage — you will be judged as an individual and possibly eliminated early, in front of an audience. Versatility — you don't choose your partners or your challenges. Generosity under pressure — the temptation is to showboat, but the best strategy is to make your scene partners look brilliant (the audience notices who makes everyone better). Self-management — handling the emotional stakes of elimination without shutting down or overcompensating.
When to use it: When you want a show with a built-in dramatic arc. When you want to push performers past their comfort zones. When the audience skews toward people who enjoy competition and stakes (sports fans, game show fans). Micetro works well with larger casts where not everyone gets enough stage time in a standard format.