The Encyclopedia of Interactive Performance

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Ideas can be captured by writing, typing, or recording. Each medium has its strengths and weaknesses. There may be times when you want to move information from one medium to another. When you do, there’s an app for that.

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to count on the reliability of someone

In interactive performance, trust is more than a platitude. Saying that you trust someone is nice, but it doesn’t mean anything until it’s put into action. Trust is demonstrated through the risks that players are willing to take with each other.

Exercises

Catcher stands behind Faller, with hands a few inches from Faller’s shoulders. Faller asks, "Ready?" Catcher responds, "Ready." Then Faller falls backward, keeping the body straight. Catcher catches Faller, then sets Faller back up to center. Catcher moves hands back a few more inches and the process is repeated. Continue falling farther each time, until either player feels the limit of safety has been reached. Then trade roles.

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Trust must be earned, and it usually takes a while to happen. This serves us well in life, but not in interactive performance. As an inter-actor, you’re expected to play with total strangers in ways that are intimate, aggressive, bold, and vulnerable, with barely any time for trust to be earned. This is why entrusting is an essential skill for all inter-actors. Entrusting is the conscious act of giving trust before it has been earned.

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Charna Halpern, Del Close, Kim Johnson

A book presenting the structure and techniques for performing “Harolds,” long-form improvisations, in which full-length shows are created around central themes through improvisation.

Exercises

Player A makes an offer. Player B responds with a strange or unexpected offer. Player A responds truthfully to Player B’s offer. Repeat.

Exercises

Spend thirty seconds trying to lift a small object. Don’t actually lift the object, just try. Then stop, breathe deep, and relax. When you feel present, pick up the object. Identify the difference between the two experiences.

Exercises

Players divide into two teams and play tug of war with an invisible rope until one side wins. If the rope stretches, the game is restarted.

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Encyclopedia of Interactive Performance