Scene Entry Points and What Does Your Character Want?

The biggest thing I’d like to comment on as far as what we need to do to take the next step is to really focus on developing your scenes so that something happens that you can build on.  Make sure we (the audience) know the relationship (not just wife/husband, but what kind of a relationship – do you love each other, did you marry for money, etc.), the location, and the conflict as soon as possible so you can really dive into it.  The longer you take to get there, the less likely you’ll get there.  You’ll have time, once you've established the scene, to fill in all the little details.

Here’s an example of quickly getting into a scene, word of inspiration:  love

Player A:  (sad tone, shoulders shrugged) Mom, Dad told me you two are getting a divorce and that it’s my fault.

Player B: (angry tone) It is your fault, you’re 37, you still live at home, you don’t have a job, and you and dad are having an affair.

Player A:  (still sad, but reaching out to Player B) I don’t have a job because you know dad, he’s such a traditionalist, and, yes, we are having an affair because I saw how wonderful he treated you over the years and, like you, I don’t want anyone else to have him, but me.  But, I need you to know that you’ll always be Mom to me, not the hated ex-wife.

Now, that is a bit ridiculous, but it shows just how quickly you can get into a scene and note that emotions help to establish relationships/intent.  Now, let’s try it with a different suggested word from the audience, you got it:  bananas!

Player A:  (happily) Uncle Jed, I’d really like it if you would help me free the animals from the zoo.

Player B: (excitedly) Timmy, I've been hoping you’d ask me to run your army of freedom fighters!

Player A:  (happy/in awe) Well, you’re an inspiration to me because ever since you told me about how you valiantly freed Aunt Mary from her previous husband, I figured I should take up the torch.

Player B:  (happy/proud) You always were an impressionable young lad.  Mary’s husband was such a nice and handsome guy, it just didn't seem fair that she should be caged by him forever.

See how quickly we left the bananas behind (and, didn't even mention them)?  The audience suggested words of inspiration as well as the word association games are just launching pads – the scene didn't have to be about bananas, it just had to start somewhere around bananas.  In the above example – the zoo.  If the word was balloons, you could start a scene at a birthday party or at a circus or amusement park or the scene could start with someone blowing up a balloon and talking to their sister about their father’s retirement and party, etc., but you don’t have to mention balloon – at all.  You have to trust that the audience will make the connection and move on.  The reason this is important is you don’t want to get stuck on the word.  The word, ultimately, is the least important aspect of the game/scene, but if you spend the first 45 seconds talking about bananas, it becomes the focal point instead of the story, the relationship, the characters.

Remember, scenes are not monologues about how you feel about the topic.  Scenes are about characters interacting, developing conflict, creating history, and going somewhere.  Scenes are about how your characters feel about each other.  Each character in every scene should want something and the audience should know that.  It could be an actual thing they want (all the gold in Texas) or a person (his brother’s wife) or an idea (the respect of his fellow congressmen) or something else that the character reveals.  And, each character should try to get what they want – this creates conflict and possible resolutions.  

If your character doesn't want anything in a scene or doesn't try to get anything, your character is just floating along.  Drama demands tension of some kind – so want something and try to get it and see how your fellow characters onstage respond.  Then, resolve it.

A simple way to look at it is like this:

Player A wants Player B’s approval.

Player B wants to rule the universe.

In order for Player A to get what he/she wants (Player B’s approval), a good way to start would be to support all of Player B’s ideas to rule the universe (no matter how zany they are).  Even better – not only support the ideas, but up them a notch or two to beef up Player B’s ego.

In order for Player B to get what he/she wants (to rule the universe), he/she will obviously need supporters, so recruiting and agreeing and accepting Player A’s ideas is a good way to start.

Building the list of what you should be asking yourself:

If this is true, what else is also true?

What do I (my character) want? And how am I going to get it?

If This Is True... On Stage Focus Points

I've got a key concept I want to review that will really help us work these scenes.  It involves being 'self aware' on stage of who your character is (the attributes you and others give that character) and then expanding upon those attributes.

Some of the things I will be referencing will be from yesterday's rehearsal.  I'm doing this because they are fresh on our minds and, yes, I know that it is easy to make suggestions now, after the fact, but this isn't about "you should have done this", this is about what we can do in the future.  I think we had a really good rehearsal yesterday and can use this information to build on.

Always be asking yourself:  If This Is True, What Else Is Also True?

Each time you communicate verbally/physically on stage is an opportunity for the scene to develop.  It is up to you and your fellow actors to decide what to focus on.  

Example:  A man and a woman are floating in the sky by hanging onto balloons. Once the relationship is established (wife/husband) and your location (the sky, above anywhere) is established, the conflict is already there for you:  Someone bit off more than they could chew (by grabbing so many helium balloons).  Now, where do you go from there?

If you stay focused on the physical plight, the scene will become very plot based, but it's an A to B to C story.  A to B to C storytelling is when you relate a story that is based on actions (I went to the store, got some butter, came home and ate dinner).  When you rely on A to B to C plot based storytelling, you have to be really clever (continually) to make it work for the audience, otherwise, it's a  plot with no substance. 

However, if you use the idea of "If this is true, what else is true?" you could easily make this scene about one player's obsession with overreaching (and create the history of that right then) and/or you could also make the other player's need to hang onto their partner (they didn't have to hang onto the balloons and go for the ride) as being a very clingy person (and create the history right then).  

By doing this, you open up this scene to so many different possibilities (especially in Beats 2 & 3 of the Harold) without it relying on clever plot building.  You are simply listening to what is being offered and building on that.  

If player A says, "You grabbed too many balloons and that's why we're flying away" Player A can continue and say, "Just like you always do (insert history)" and/or Player B can 'Yes, and' to grabbing too many balloons and add, "Yes, just like when I blindly grabbed you at that rave party in Ocala 15 years ago and dared you to marry me on the spot, and you did" (or any other possible "if this is true, what else is also true?" thingy).

If this is true, what else is also true really works in the Harold because conflict and/or character flaws create the opportunity for something to be exposed and used in various ways, thus, creating a 'game'.  

Deborah used "If this is true, what else is true?" to create her 'game' by switching her lying about being blind, to lying about not speaking English.  In other words, "If my character lied about having poor eyesight, what else may be true about my character?"  This allowed her character to have a pattern or a 'game' that the audience recognizes.

Goon River is probably the best place to use the "If this is true, what else is also true?" motto.  And there were several opportunities for the player to use it on themselves as well as using it on other characters.

There's an old lady who needs help with her groceries and house chores and she forgot where she put a huge amount of money.  If this is true, what else can be true can be asked by the player acting as the old forgetful lady and the players playing the game with her.  In other words, in Goon River, you get to control yourself AND other people and the best way to do that is to use their offerings.  

If Vi's character needs help with her groceries and house, what else does she need help with?  If she forgets where she puts her money, what else does she forget?  That's what makes Goon River fun, you build a character so others can use them and, along the way, you use the other characters.

If Deborah's character was desperate enough to be a statue to get her family's attention, what else would be true about her?  (When she was 10 did she open up a chain of lemonade stands in the neighborhood that she incorrectly used salt instead of sugar in the mix? Did she send out an email to everyone claiming that she was a Princess from Nigeria and needs you to cash a check for her?)

If Charles' character was retiring form being the ferryman in hell, oh my god, what else could be true about him?  (What would he whittle while he sat on the porch in his rocking chair?)

You've got to explore other people's characters because there's a world inside each one.  You must explore your own character, but don't be afraid to explore other characters.  You can create each other's futures, pasts, and present just as you can your own.

If Paul's character was the pretty girl in Goon River and just returned from LA after failing to make it as an actress, what else is true about her (and Goon River, for that matter)? (Could you remember how she butchered your favorite Shakespeare play and emptied out the theater?  Or have you secretly wished she would be the Captain of the next Enterprise on Star Trek because her acting is so under appreciated?).

If Taryn's character was so desperate that she went fishing for men on main street, what else is true about her?  (Did she up her game to using a bow and arrow at the mall?  Or did she catch you by mistake and throw you back?)

The great thing is we are creating unique characters with back stories, now we just have to use each other's characters by expanding on the information already shared.  

Always be asking, if this is true, what else is also true?

Finding the Gold in a Scene

I want us to start focusing on really paying attention to each other during our scenes so we can take our characters and stories places instead of getting stuck.

In the example of a two-person scene below, we'll look at what choices will lead you to get stuck and what choices will lead you to gold.

Player A (placing a plate on a table with a smile):  Tommy, sit down, I made you some eggs before you head out for your big exam today.

Notes:  This is a great opening by Player A because he/she has established a clear situation for Player B (the big exam), named Player A (Tommy), and created plenty of opportunities for Player B to flush out the relationship and the exact location of the scene (not totally necessary if a family relationship is established).  The smile also establishes that Player A thinks positively toward Player B and/or the situation.

Player B possible response 1 (sitting down):  Gee Betty, you know I like my eggs scrambled, not over easy, you always do that!

Notes:  Though Player B created a mini-conflict (eggs complaint), he/she ignored the Gold of the "big exam".  An argument is created by choosing this route (you always make me the wrong eggs) and though arguments are ok, arguments about physical things with no follow-up of where the real anger is coming from may be funny, but rarely manifest a story (or take too long to do so).

Player B possible response 2 (picking up the plate of eggs and shoveling them into his mouth): Thanks, Mom!  I can't wait to rock this test to be the first Jacobsen to get his GED!

Notes:  This response responded to the two cues created by Player A and really focused on the one that mattered.  By shoveling the eggs in his mouth, Player B not only did something physical to start the scene (supporting Player A), by eating the eggs, no unnecessary time was spent discussing them.  By focusing on the big exam Player B revealed that he is Player A's son and will be the first one in the family to attain a GED (history).  This may not be funny, yet, but it has Gold potential AND Player B listened to Player A, supported, and focused on what mattered.

Be physical with the physical items, create history, and up the ante. 

At our next rehearsal, we will continue to focus on the skills of listening and upping the ante.  We will do this by mixing two exercises and we'll call it Yes, And With Emotions.  Two players will stand back to back and think of an emotion they will maintain throughout the scene.  They will then use the emotion to form their facial expressions and bodily postures:  The audience should know their emotion by the way they appear.  When the players are ready, they will take three slow steps away from each other, turn around, and take each other's presence into account and let it breathe before the scene starts.  When ready, Player 1 will start the scene and will establish at least one of the following three items:  the relationship, the location, the circumstance.  Player 2 will respond with, "Yes, And" and will "Up the ante" as well as help to establish the relationship, location, and circumstance.  We will do this for a total of 4 lines (2 lines each) and in that time, we should have the beginning of a scene that leads to gold. 

*****

It will greatly aid both players to do something physical during the scene.  If you're a doctor, do what doctors do (or perhaps things that a doctor wouldn't do, depending on the character).  It could be simply smoking a cigarette or as exhausting as shoveling coal into a furnace.  Whatever it is, give your audience something to look at besides you talking. 

Remember, energy, focus, and good acting are contagious - spread it around!

1/12/14 Rehearsal Minutes

Much Ado About Doris Improv Company:  First rehearsal of 2014, 7:15-9:30, Karelisa's hosue

Attendance

Vi, Paul, Kazi, Brandy, Emily, Deborah, Karelisa, Doug, Alycin, Taryn, and myself.

Before rehearsal began, we discussed (note, the calendar review & discussion took 20 minutes and that is to be expected for the first rehearsal of the year.  I plan to keep the discussions under 10 minutes, but frequent reading and use of this blog will help to keep the discussions to a much lower time:

Calendar:

Informal rehearsal will be held this Wednesday, 15 Jan, 7pm, Emily's house.

Next Sunday's rehearsal (1/19) will be at Karelisa's 7:15p-9:30pm.

Sunday (1/26) rehearsal and every Sunday afterward (until further notice) will be at the Actor's Warehouse 7:15p-9:30pm (email with info to be sent out).

Satchel's Show, Wednesday, 1/29, show starts at 7pm with a 6:15 call time.

Discussion

We started the improv group one year ago.  Some of us had a lot of experience with improv, some of us had some experience, and some of us had none.  So, last year's goals for the group were to work on the basics of improv and continually improve upon them throughout the year and to eventually incorporate long form into the shows.  We resoundingly accomplished both goals.

This year's goal for the group is to reinforce last year's goals and that means hammering home the basics of improv so they become second nature:  no rejections/denials, zero pointless questions, always supporting, always agreeing, and characters galore.

An additional goal for us is to polish our stage performances so they look and feel professional.  The way we organize the show and how we present it onstage will gradually begin to take shape.  This means smoothing out our transitions between games as well as the energy we put out throughout the whole show.  Also, we can work on including short set performances between some games (perhaps a dance or a fake boxing fight or 10 second stand up/monologue or a 15 second song, etc.).  

This will allow us to accomplish next year's goal of performing in festivals and at hospitals or prisons or schools or events/benefits, etc. as well as traveling to other cities and perform (by creating brother and sister improv troupes in other cities who will host us when we travel and then we will host them when they travel to Gainesville).

Vi also added that she would like us to focus on creating and maintaining characters so that we can, as individual players, portray more than one character during our shows.

Kazi suggested we go out as a group and go bowling, but we interact, bowl, and be a character while we are there.  Excellent idea and Kazi is going to lead the charge to set up a bowling night for the troupe.

I also brought up that once I am fully employed and back on the up and up, I intend to look for a commercial space in Gainesville for us to use as an office, studio, rehearsal space, and what-not.  This space could be used by anyone in the group for their own use (rehearsing for stand up, dance, singing, etc.) or video/photo shoots, as well as the group using it for spontaneous rehearsals.  More information to follow.

Rehearsal Notes

Warm-ups:  Shakedown, make a face ripple effect, big booty (Brandy finally lost her big booty title!).

Exercise:  Interview (everyone answered questions first as themselves and second as a character and they had to maintain this character throughout the entire session).  

This exercise went on for about 50 minutes and became a surreal trip into some sort of madcap false reality.  I let it go on for that long because maintaining character is not easy to do and sometimes it takes a while to figure out who/what your character is.  As Alycin noted, people fell in and out of their voices (accents) and characters.  

During the exercise, I purposely rejected/denied when it appeared someone was going to die or leave the room.  In exercises, we never want to leave the stage or die, simply because the exercise's goal is to maintain a character.  So, for future use during exercises, we should avoid situations where killing another person is going to happen.  Same thing with leaving the room.  It's hard to maintain a character when you're dead or off the stage.  :-)  

During shows (games and long form), death and leaving the stage are obviously possibilities.  But, a good lesson here to think about is if you voluntarily leave the stage or you kill someone or tell them to leave, it should really fit the scene.  Don't use the exit or death until you've tried other ways to work the scene.  That's why I love Goon River, because even when you're dead, you still have a voice!  I'm not saying that leaving the stage or death are wrong (they can be the best thing, sometimes) - I'm just suggesting to not overuse them or use them inadvertently.  

Game:  Physical/verbal freeze tag:  We played this game for 35 minutes and ended the rehearsal with it. The number one thing I noticed:  Not enough people were jumping in.  I know some people believe improv is based on being inspired, but half the fun is actually doing it when you're not inspired just to see what will happen.  Don't be afraid to yell "freeze" if you have no idea what you're going to do.  Once you're onstage and in position, your instincts as well as your partner's will take over.  

Be aggressive, especially during freeze tag.  Don't worry about ending scenes early or anything like that.  This is improv brain storming - let the rage take over!  ;-)

Waiting for inspiration during improv is a safe way to play and there's nothing wrong with it, except that you're leaving a universe or alternate universe(s) of possibilities go by waiting.  Take a chance.  

Throw yourself out there and let us be the net.  We all fall flat, it's going to happen, but I'd rather see an energetic attempt fail than no attempt at all.  Freeze Tag is the perfect game for letting your hair down and just rolling with it.

Don't wait to be inspired - inspire!

Rehearsal Edits:

In future rehearsals, I will eventually break us down into smaller groups while we perform exercises.  This will allow us to go through more repetitions and cover more ground.  This will happen once we're all aware of what the goals are for each exercise and we're all comfortable with group critiquing.

Final thoughts:  When you go on stage - bring an emotion or attitude and a physical representation of that emotion/attitude with you.  By doing this, you're not just relying on quick wit and verbal foreplay and you're giving your fellow players a lot more to work with. It also doesn't hurt if you're doing something (smoking, playing with a yo-yo, doing dishes, looking through binoculars, texting, etc.).

If you have any questions, comments, and/or suggestions, please respond below.  Your participation is vital!

A very fun, positive, and energetic first rehearsal of 2014.  I am looking forward to see where we go this year!