The Encyclopedia of Interactive Performance

Some spects seem not to be affected by anything. They don’t get excited, intrigued, frightened, or angry. No matter what happens, it all slides right off them as if they were made of teflon.

It can be frustrating to deal with a teflon spect. It’s tempting to ramp up the emotional stakes to provoke an emotional response. It’s also tempting to punish the spect for not being invested. Neither of these strategies produces useful results.

The way to engage with teflon spects is to assume that they’re playing the best they know how. Justify their behavior. When you treat the way that they’re playing as “right,” teflon spects will sometimes relax and play more freely.

It also helps to introduce a character who mirrors their point of view. When there’s someone on their side, teflon spects initiate more within the fiction. As their offers are incorporated into the story, teflon spects shed their protective coating and become more emotionally invested.