The Encyclopedia of Interactive Performance

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A magician climbs the steps to a platform, high above the stage. He is covered with a cloth. There’s no place he can hide. The platform is raised up into the air. At this point, if you try to figure out how the magician is going to disappear, you’re too late. It doesn’t matter how closely you watch. The trick has already been done.

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the spects’ introduction to an interactive experience

Interactive experiences come with a wide variety of expectations. Some expect participants to hold back and observe, while others want them to get in the middle of it all. Some expect no physical contact, and in others, there’s no avoiding it.

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an open-structure script for improvised performance

A scenario is like a set of monkey bars. It gives you something solid to hang onto while allowing room to play in the spaces between. Everything from a single-scene vignette to a multi-scene SimuLife uses a scenario as a script.

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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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There’s a lot of useful software out there for training and putting on a show. Here are a variety of useful apps that come in handy, and they’re all free.

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a single-scene, scenario-based, interactive story

Vignettes are interactive stories that play out in a single scene, typically lasting between five and fifteen minutes. Many vignettes are focused on a one-on-one encounter between a spect-actor and an inter-actor. They may be played on a stage or in a real-world setting. The simplicity of a vignette keeps the focus on the inter-actor’s ability to engage with a spect.

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The Volunteer App is an easy way to gather a pool of willing participants.  Here’s how it works.

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Encyclopedia of Interactive Performance