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Exercises
Two players play characters who are having an argument about something important. When a person outside the scene calls “switch,” they instantly take on the other character’s point of view in the argument.
Exercises
Without creating the scene that has come before, Player A delivers a final line of dialogue, a physical button, and holds the silence.
Topics
being emotionally changed by what someone says or does
When someone does something and your emotion changes, that’s “taking the hit.” It’s a bit like stunt fighting. Someone else tries to affect your character, and you complete the illusion by taking the hit.
Topics
When you’re trying to accomplish something in a scene, there’s a tendency to speed up. You might be establishing the context, answering a question, or pursuing a scene goal. When you feel your gears start to rev up, breathe deep and take your time. It’s not a race. If you appear rushed, spects become nervous. When you take your time, it’s easier to be present and sense impulses as they arise. Your relaxed presence makes it easier for spects to be relaxed and present as well.
Exercises
While players play a scene, outside observers periodically call out “talk” or “do.” The next player to respond uses language or action as directed.
Topics
a rehearsal process in which players skim through the story beats
When training or rehearsing, you sometimes need a way to fast-forward through the story. This can be accomplished with a talk-through, where players do basic blocking while summarizing what their characters say and do. The idea is to slide back and forth between description and dialogue, while introducing some specific details. Here’s an example.
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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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talking too much, to the detriment of the scene
When a scene suffers because the players are talking too much, this is “talking heads.” Talking a lot isn’t inherently bad, but if it impedes the story, it helps to know how to address the issue.
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