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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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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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a difficult spect who resists or blocks almost every offer
Contrarians are few and far between, but you’ll come across them once in a while. They seem to go against every offer from every character. This behavior usually appears when inter-actors are trying to force the spect to do, think, or feel something. The resistance of the contrarian is an effort to maintain control and autonomy.
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Let’s be honest, the spect isn’t always right. Sometimes they’re very wrong indeed. They may address you by the wrong name. They may introduce an anachronism. They may play in a style that doesn’t fit the story. There are all kinds of ways that a spect can be “wrong.” The reason to hold the idea that the spect is always right is this: It makes your job easier when they do something unexpected.
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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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using acute observation to understand the spect
As an inter-actor, you need the ability to read spects—to know what they’re thinking, what they’re feeling, and what makes them tick. When you know these things you can engage a spect and craft a truly personalized story.
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a spect who doesn’t like playing in the unknown
Guarded spects want everything explicitly spelled out before they’re willing to engage in the fiction. Your best approach is to remain friendly, clarify ambiguity with defined offers, and reinterpret the subtext of their offers to fit the context.
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a person who plays the spect-actor’s role for rehearsal purposes
Have it read to you to see how it flows. If it’s OK, post it on shared encyclopedia edits and notify Ken.
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a spect who talks excessively
Some spects talk a lot. It may be a nervous reaction or a part of their personality. When spects talk too much, they don’t listen very well and things don’t affect them too deeply. There are a few ways you can get talkers to quiet down and become more connected.
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a spect who is emotionally unaffected by the fiction
Some spects seem not to be affected by anything. They don’t get excited, intrigued, frightened, or angry. No matter what happens, it all slides right off them as if they were made of teflon.
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