🎭 YesAnd - AI Improv Practice Partner

Practice improv anytime with an AI scene partner and get real-time coaching from Gemini.

YesAnd is a web application that helps improvisers practice their skills through conversational scenes with an AI partner. After each scene, you receive detailed coaching feedback powered by Google's Gemini AI.

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✨ Features

🎬 Dynamic Scene Setup

Choose your scene configuration before starting:

New: "I'll go first!"
You can now toggle "I'll go first" to initiate the scene yourself. The AI will wait for your opening line before responding.

Relationship Types:

Relationship Types:

• 👋 Friends Catching Up
• ☕ Coworkers on Break
• 👨‍👧 Parent and Teen
• 🏠 Roommates Sorting Something Out
• 🛒 Customer and Employee
• 📚 Mentor and Mentee
• ⚔️ Friendly Rivals
• 🚏 Strangers Crossing Paths
• 👫 Siblings
• 🧠 Therapist & Client

Scene Tones:

• 🌿 Calm & Grounded
• 🎉 Silly & Upbeat
• 🎭 Dramatic & Intense
• 😬 Awkward & Quiet
• ⚡ Fast-Paced & Chaotic
• 🤫 Understated & Subtle

Can't decide? Just hit "Start Scene" for a random setup!

🎙️ Real-Time Conversation

• Voice-based interaction with ElevenLabs Conversational AI
• Dynamic Voices: The AI's voice now adapts to the selected Scene Tone (e.g., specific voices for "Calm" vs "Chaotic") rather than just the relationship type.
• Role-Neutral Prompts: For relationships like "Parent/Teen" or "Therapist/Client", the AI dynamically discovers which role it plays based on the conversation flow.
• Live scene state tracking (WHO, WHAT, WHERE, UNUSUAL)
• Real-time transcript display

📊 AI-Powered Coaching (Post-Scene)

After each scene, Gemini provides detailed feedback:

What Happened - Bullet-point summary with overall dynamic punchline

Key Moves You Made - Specific choices that shaped the scene:

• The move you made
• Your actual quoted words
• Why it was effective

Focus Areas - Structured improvement suggestions:

• Try: Concrete behavior to practice
• Why: The effect it has on scenes
• Example: An alternate line you could have said
• 💡 Tip: Relationship-specific advice

Scene Flow - Visual emotional timeline with color-coded beats:

• 🟢 Green: Positive moments
• 🟡 Yellow: Neutral moments
• 🔴 Red: Tension
• 🔵 Blue: Calm moments

Next Scene Suggestion - Personalized recommendation for what to try next

Performance Score - Overall rating from 1-10

📝 Personal Reflection

• Guided reflection prompts
• Save your own notes for each scene
• Scene history tracking

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🛠️ Tech Stack

Component	Technology
Frontend	Vanilla HTML/CSS/JavaScript
AI Conversation	ElevenLabs Conversational AI
Coaching Analysis	Google Gemini 2.5 Flash
Backend	Node.js + Express
Styling	Custom CSS with CSS variables

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🚀 Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• ElevenLabs API key with a Conversational AI agent
• Google Gemini API key

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd yesand

2. Install dependencies

   npm install

3. Configure environment variables

   Create a .env file:

   ELEVENLABS_API_KEY=your_elevenlabs_api_key
   GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_api_key

4. Configure ElevenLabs Agent

   In your ElevenLabs dashboard, enable "Allow override" for:

   • System prompt
   • First message
   • Voice

5. Start the server

   npm start

6. Open in browser

   http://localhost:3000
   

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📁 Project Structure

yesand/
├── public/             # Frontend assets (served static files)
│   ├── index.html      # Main HTML structure
│   ├── style.css       # All styling (1300+ lines)
│   └── app.js          # Frontend logic & ElevenLabs SDK
├── backend/            # Backend logic
│   ├── server.js       # Express backend & Gemini API
│   └── deploy_backend.sh
├── .env                # Environment variables
├── package.json        # Dependencies
└── README.md           # This file

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🎯 How to Use

1. Start a Scene

   • Optionally select a relationship and tone
   • Toggle "I'll go first" if you want to start the conversation
   • Click "Start Scene" (or let it pick randomly)
   • Allow microphone access

2. Do the Scene

   • Speak naturally with your AI partner
   • Watch the live scene state update
   • Practice YES AND principles

3. End & Review

   • Click "End Scene" when done
   • Review your personalized coaching
   • Add your own reflection notes

4. Repeat

   • Try different relationships and tones
   • Track your progress over time

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🎭 Improv Principles Practiced

• Yes And - Accept and build on offers
• Listening - Really hearing your partner
• Specificity - Using concrete details
• Commitment - Going all-in on choices
• Emotional Truth - Genuine reactions
• Relationship Play - Embodying dynamics

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📄 License

MIT License - Feel free to use and modify!

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🙏 Acknowledgments

• ElevenLabs for Conversational AI
• Google AI for Gemini
• The improv community for inspiration

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Built with ❤️ for improvisers everywhere