The Encyclopedia of Interactive Performance

 » Subtext

Subtext

whatever underlies things spoken or done


Two psychiatrists encountered each other while walking down the street. As they approached one another, one psychiatrist said to the other, “Good morning.” After they had passed, the second psychiatrist thought to himself, “I wonder what he meant by that?”

Often, the most potent aspects of a scene are not what characters say and do, but rather what they wish they could say and do, and how that influences what actually happens. In other words, the subtext is often what makes a scene most interesting.

An effective way to create subtext is by using the tool of mantra. This gives an underlying focus that makes itself evident, not just by what things are done, but also by how those things are done.

Another tool that brings subtext into play is endow the subtext, which causes your character to see every offer made by another character through a specific lens, which in turn affects how your character responds to what you assume underlies their offers.

Tags:

Updated: August 22, 2024

Related topics
Related exercises
© 2024 Interactive PlayLab
Subscribe for encyclopedia updates

Encyclopedia of Interactive Performance