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being present and silent while waiting for the spect’s response
Sometimes spects need time before they respond. While waiting, if you fill the space with language, it keeps spects from speaking or taking action. When you want a response from the spect, stay quiet. Hold the silence. This allows room for spects to say or do something.
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When you finish playing with spects, as wonderful as the experience may have been, the most significant value is still waiting to be had—the opportunity for spects to reflect on the journey they just traveled. This not only serves spects by giving them the time to consider their experience, it also provides you with valuable feedback to hone your interactive skills. Whenever possible, debrief spects after playing with them.
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Fiction isn’t real, but spects still need to care about it as if it were. Stories are more compelling when everyone cares about the fiction. This is why spects need to become invested.
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Interactive performances need spects. It only makes sense that you also need spects when you train. During rehearsals and performances, the spect wrangler coordinates the spects. When you’re training and there isn’t a spect wrangler, it’s up to you.
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Audience participation is nothing new. Magicians, comics, clowns, and street performers have been dragging “volunteers” into their acts for years. They don’t give their victims much of a choice. To be fair, their purpose isn’t usually to empower participants; it’s to have a foil to play off of. As an inter-actor, your agenda is different. You’re looking for a participant who will become a co-creator of the story.
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An expert is anyone who has specialized knowledge. As an inter-actor, you play people from many professions and walks of life. It might be a senator, a scientist, or a psychic. The more you know, the more you have to play with, but you can’t know it all. Here are some ways to play experts with limited knowledge.
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A two-person scene is easy to manage. You and the spect have only the other person to consider. Add another player and things get a little more challenging. Add several more players and things become even trickier.
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Let’s start by defining “difficult” spects. They’re not spects who are hesitant, unsure, or tentative. These are normal behaviors when spects first begin to play. Basic interactive techniques help these spects become connected, activated, and invested. Difficult spects are those who challenge the standard tools.
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Spects are your co-creators. You want them making offers. When they do, the way you respond depends on how they’re playing. Here are some good rules of thumb.
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