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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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ending a scene by calling out the word, “scene”

This convention is used in training, rehearsals, and theatrical performances. The word “scene” is called out to indicate that the scene is over. This may be done by someone observing the scene or by an inter-actor playing within the scene. In theatrical performances, the stage manager calls the scene in the booth to bring down the stage lights.

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a story ending that results in disaster
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It feels especially satisfying when the last line of a story is spoken by the spect. When the story is nearing an ending, don’t be too quick to respond verbally. See if something that the spect says would make a good ending. You can punctuate the spect’s line with a physical button, but let the spect have the final word.

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saying a line in a way that makes it feel like the end of the scene

A final inflection has a downward inflection at the end of the line and is spoken with an air of finality. Think of the way that the moral of a fable would be spoken or the last line of an old-school television sitcom would be delivered.

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an ending that reconnects to something from the beginning of the story

There’s a satisfaction that comes from a full-circle ending, where some element from the beginning of the story shows up again at the end. The element is similar, but the circumstance is different because of the journey of the story. A full-circle element may be an activity, a location, a circumstance, or a line of dialogue.

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ending a scene by looking to or away from the spect
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a physical action that punctuates the end of a scene.

A physical button helps create a satisfying ending. It’s like the period at the end of a sentence that tells you when things are over. Physical buttons come in a variety of forms: a nod, a turn of the head, the pat of a hand, the shift of an eyebrow. One type of button is so common that it has its own name.

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Encyclopedia of Interactive Performance