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Sometimes spects need time before they respond. While waiting, if you fill the space with language, it keeps spects from speaking or taking action. When you want a response from the spect, stay quiet. Hold the silence. This allows room for spects to say or do something.
If you instruct a spect to do something, they may do it, but only because you told them to. To have a sense of agency, spects need to feel like they’re doing things because it’s what they choose to do. This is why it’s better to imply than instruct. You imply by establishing a context within which spects can connect the dots for themselves, which leads them to an action that you have in mind.
When scenes have no dramatic juice, it’s sometimes because the activity has no impact on the relationship. Focus on what’s at stake between you and the other character. It doesn’t have to be conflict; it can also be something positive. Let the activity you’re engaged in affect the relationship between the characters.
Trying to be interesting seldom works. It places your perspective outside the scene and makes your performance feel forced
Trying to be creative is a trap. It puts you in your head and gets in the way of flow. Let your offers arise naturally out of the context. Trying to be interesting or entertaining seldom produces the desired result. Allow things to be obvious and see where they take you.
If you find yourself stuck in your head trying to respond, let your response be simple. Don’t worry about coming up with something clever, interesting, or entertaining. Allow your response to be simple and see where it takes you.
If you’re stuck for what to say, declare something. Say how you feel. Make an observation about a character, the location, or what’s going on. Let it be simple. State the obvious. When you make a declaration, you establish a detail while avoiding a question.
The more you talk, the less spects contribute. Allow room for others to speak. Say one sentence, maybe two, then be quiet. See what the spect has to say, and respond to that. This tool gets spects verbally activated and produces good give and take. It also keeps you from talking too much.