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There are many contributors to an interactive story. Inter-actors, directors, designers, and authors all play important roles. But at its heart, an interactive narrative is the spect’s story.
Exercises
Player B tells a story while Player A exhibits concurrent emotions related to the events of the story.
Topics
Once in a while you may need to address spects as themselves, not their characters, while still maintaining the fiction. These are times for in-and-out-of-story communication which addresses both the spect and the spect’s character. Your words make sense within the fiction, while also communicating something in real-life. There are three situations where this type of communication is useful.
Topics
When spects play in interactive stories, not all of their behaviors arise because of the fiction. There are also elements from real life that affect the way they play.
Topics
Jo Salas
Presents the history, techniques, and principals of the interactive form, Playback Theatre, developed by Jonathon Fox, in which stories told by the audience are “played back” by improvisational performers. Includes chapters on ritual, use of music, and conducting.
Topics
a stage for improvised multi-scene, multi-character, interactive stories
StoryBox is a stage designed to reduce spects’ self-consciousness by removing the physical presence of the audience, while still allowing observers to view the experience through a live video feed. The stage consists of a 16′ x 16′ performance space surrounded by pipe and drape walls with cameras in all four corners. Controlled lighting allows performers outside the box to see what’s happening on the inside, while those on the inside can only see the fabric walls. StoryBox leverages spects’ imaginations using implicative technologies such as soundscapes and color-shifting lights to imply locations. Physical elements in the box are limited to chairs or rehearsal blocks, with all other props, costumes, and scenic elements being implied through space work, defined offers, and endowment. StoryBox is an ideal format for developing inter-actors’ skills in narrative structure, group mind, and improvised interactive story.
Topics
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.
Topics
using a spect’s offer to get to a scripted story element
When playing from a scenario, you also follow the spect. This may take you far off the scripted path which is a good thing because it puts spects in the driver’s seat of the story. However, sometimes you need to get back to a scripted plot point or introduce an important story element. Bridging is a way to do this while making it feel as though it was the spect who got you there.
Exercises
The beginning and middle of a story are described. Then, a randomly selected story ending is chosen and played out.
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