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!
