Tag out – a “tag out” allows the audience to see how a character from a previous scene will react to another character/scenario/etc. To perform a tag out, a player enters a scene in progress and literally tags the player that he/she will replace on stage. The player tagging in should work to be clear in his/her initiation as to what aspect of the original scene s/he is looking to heighten with a new set of stakes/characters/location/etc.
Remember that this is a Tertiary Move and, as such, the move serves what has already been established. The new scene is not about the newest character (though s/he should also strive to be a dynamic and interesting character) but about serving the initial player. Therefore a "tag out" should be followed by either A) a series of tag outs, each serving to heighten the progression of the established character game, or B) a “tag back in,” returning the scene to the original pairing.
Example Tag-out Videos:
[…] when approaching Tag-Outs it can be helpful for the sake of focused heightening to only tag-out one side of the scene – […]
[…] when approaching Tag-Outs it can be helpful for the sake of focused heightening to only tag-out one side of the scene – […]
[…] remember Tag-outs, Split Screens and Pivots with a helping of Help Desk dynamics (and a side of To The Ether) – […]
[…] established stakes even if you’ve zippered between improvisers. While when employing the Tag-Out or Pivot, I encourage players to continue heightening one player – ideally the player who […]
[…] an example of a Tag-out from The Johnsons. Notice how they leverage the Help Desk dynamic, repeating/heightening the […]
[…] in our third step, we Pivot. Remember, as a savvy alternative to a Tag Out, the Pivot allows a character to be transported to a different scene without the at-time-clunky […]
[…] of Tertiary Moves: • Walk On • Cut To • Tag Out • We […]