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a discussion in which spects reflect on their experience of play
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the person responsible for the off-stage spect experience
The spect wrangler is a position unique to interactive performance. This person handles recruitment, communications, and hosting of spects for rehearsals and performances. Here is an overview of the responsibilities.
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a method of post-show reflection for teams to engage in continuous improvement
The stakes of Navy SEAL missions are often life and death. The price of failure is high. This is why SEALs implement a practice of continual improvement, including an After Action Review. If you want to keep improving your work, take a page from the Navy SEAL playbook.
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a list of the steps of action in a scenario
A scenario consists of a progression of beats. Each beat is defined by a step of action within the scene. A beat breakdown lays out the progression of action, helping the inter-actor map the journey of the scene. It also serves as a series of steps that assist with memorization of the scenario.
Exercises
Player A plays the host, Player B plays the inter-actor, Player C plays the spect. Player A leads a spect debrief for an imaginary scene.
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a recording used for post-show analysis
Game tapes are what sports teams use to analyze their performance after playing a game. It’s a good way to review the details of what happened once players are no longer caught up in the heat of the moment. Game tapes are also valuable tools for inter-actors. Playing in an interactive scene is different from watching one. It’s easier to see things from the outside that you may have missed while you were playing. Reviewing your work from a more objective perspective helps you see what you’re doing well and what can be improved.
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coaching players while they are playing in a scene
Sidecoaching is real-time coaching that happens while playing scenes in training or rehearsal. It helps players make adjustments while maintaining the momentum of the scene. Sidecoaching reminds players about useful tools at opportune moments. It also helps players break old habits and establish new ones.
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a rehearsal process in which players skim through the story beats
When training or rehearsing, you sometimes need a way to fast-forward through the story. This can be accomplished with a talk-through, where players do basic blocking while summarizing what their characters say and do. The idea is to slide back and forth between description and dialogue, while introducing some specific details. Here’s an example.
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The Scene Timer is an app that tracks the duration of a scene and notifies players when the end of a scene is near. It’s much like the blinking red light that notifies stand-up comics when their set is almost done.
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a spect who tries to be funny at the expense of the story
Comedian spects are easy to spot. They make jokes and comments that put them outside the story. Their acting is fake and disconnected. This can be appropriate in certain genres, such as farce, melodrama, and telenovela. However, it can be frustrating to play for keeps while the comedian plays in a disconnected fashion. There are ways to work with comedians, but first let’s consider why they play in this way at all.
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