The Encyclopedia of Interactive Performance

The interactive process involves verbal give and take. You say something and the spect responds. The spect says something and you respond. There’s a way to super-charge this process. Instead of waiting until spects have finished speaking, respond emotionally while they’re speaking. This is concurrent emotion. It’s something we do in real life all the time. While the other person is talking, we nod our heads, furrow our brows, or roll our eyes. We exhibit all manner of emotional responses while the other person is speaking.

Concurrent emotion has a powerful effect on spects. First, it gives them a sense of agency because they see the effect their words have upon you while they’re speaking. It also makes your responses appear more real because there is no processing time before your emotions arise. As spects speak, they see the emotional journey their words are taking you on.

If your responses are aligned with their emotional perspective, it makes it easier for spects to invent. They feel supported while they’re making things up. You become an amplifier of spects’ emotions, helping them become more invested in their perspectives.

If your emotional perspective is different than theirs, spects often invent more because they feel the need to defend their point of view. In these cases, your response becomes a foil against which spects feel compelled to stand, explain, and defend.

Whether your reactions are aligned or at odds with spects’ perspectives, letting them see your concurrent emotions deepens their investment and inspires their invention.