Objective: When we see, touch, smell and REACT to our environment, the audience can, too. If nothing else, be deliberate - your commitment to engaging the environment will enable the audience to accept any weird ass thing you do.
Objective: When we see, touch, smell and REACT to our environment, the audience can, too. If nothing else, be deliberate - your commitment to engaging the environment will enable the audience to accept any weird ass thing you do.
MAGIC CLAY – Around a circle, a player builds a mimed object “out of clay” and then hands the object to another player who interacts with it as and then molds the “clay” into a brand new object. And repeat. Variations: • Weaponized Reactions - form a weapon out of the magic clay, attack another […]
Mime: Weight, volume and tension are the key characteristics of a mimed object that help players and the audience “see” the object. If nothing else, be deliberate - your commitment to engaging the environment will enable the audience to accept any weird ass thing you do. Suggested Exercises: INVISIBLE TUG OF WAR - Everybody has […]
You Are Not What You Do: Let your miming inspire a scene but do not let it dictate the scene. When you and a friend engage an activity, how much dialogue goes to discussing that activity? Do you talk about doing the dishes while doing the dishes? Mime gives us something to do so we're […]
Beyond Objects: Environment is about more than objects. What sounds fill the space? Ambient noises? Loud music? A series of unexpected explosions? What about the atmosphere? Is it hot? Raining? Low gravity? Suggested Exercises: SOUNDSCAPE – Sit players in a circle, give them a location and have them build out the noises of that location. […]
Objective: How we feel about our scene partners determines a lot of our scene. Emotional agreement is strong default. But our characters needn’t always align. We love tension. We can do conflict. But we should be wary of argument, negotiation and head-butting. Active scene elements, relationship stakes and a willingness to lose ensure our scenes […]
Active Endowments: If I say, “I love cats,” I’m just emoting. If I say, “I love this cat,” I’m emotionally reacting. If we make the object of our emotion active in the scene – actually tangible/observable/repeatable on stage – then we have something to react to instead of just talk about. What is it specifically […]
Relationship Stakes: Our “What” is emotional reactions to active elements. Commitment and repetition are the only “why” we need. But “Because” can elevate the emotional stakes of a scene with context. “Stakes” come in many forms – and we want to apply emotion to all of them. “I’m embarrassed to be seen in this Slayer […]
Being Affected: There's power in being vulnerable enough to accept another player's perspective. Suggested Exercises: HITCHHIKER – One player starts, driving a bus, expressing an emotional perspective ("I love the South"). A second player enters the scene, boarding the bus with a contrasting emotional perspective to the driver ("The South scares me"). Gradually the driver […]
Losing: The best tool in avoiding conflict? Losing. Losing is such a powerful skill. One, it allows players to disengage from talking-head arguments. Two, the losing player wins in the audience’s eyes – don’t ever underestimate the endearing quality of a player who is willing to be affected Bite your tongue. Swallow your pride. Engage […]