Interactive Drama and improvised stage comedy

[Ed Snible]

I'm a software developer and I perform in improvised comedy shows.  I
feel performing the long-form variery of improv has a lot in common with
playing and writing interactive fiction.

The basic long-form comedy structure, called "Harold" in the improv
world, works like this:
    o A theme is taken from an audience member and players 
      free-associate for a few minutes on the theme.
    o Three seemingly-unrelated scenes are performed (with no script and
      no planning.)
    o A group or crowd scene is performed. 
    o The first three scenes continue and their themes are developed and
      the stakes are heightened.
    o Another second crowd scene happens followed by several scenes to
      which complete and possibly connect the ideas of the original 
      three scenes.

Hopefully the audience has enjoyed comedic storytelling worthy of the 
admission price.  Each player should have had a fully interactive story 
experience.  The scene order is planned but everything else that 
happened during the show is a result of the choices made during the show 
by players acting in character -- whispered out-of-character "side 
channels" between the players are not allowed.

The improv rule is "don't deny": to remember what has happened and not 
deny the reality being created by the other players.  Without this rule 
there would be chaos:
    F: (shaking hands with G) "Excellent sermon, Pastor Delaney."
    G: (confused) "But I'm a grizzly bear!"
Learning how to improvise is learning how to make up and act out an 
interesting, dramatically believable funny story and following the improv 
rule.

If you find stage improv techniques in an IF frameworks interesting I've 
found an academic paper on the subject of using stage improv techniques.  
"Acting in Character" by Barbara Hayes-Roth, published in _Creating 
Personalities for Synthetic Actors_ and available in postscript form near 
http://ksl-web.stanford.edu/KSL_Abstracts/KSL-96-13.html.

The IF culture I'm discovering on the web reminds me of the improv 
culture.  The improvisors I know are generally well read or have seen 
all the classic movies.  Many wonder why the mass public would rather 
go see a SFX Hollywood thriller than a good play or improv show, they 
know they will not make money improvising but continue for love of the 
form and because it uses the imagination in interesting ways.


I'm starting on my first IF work although I've written MUD zones in the 
past.  I know Java and I'm slowly INFORM.  I recently played _Photopia_ 
and I liked how it was scripted like a short film instead of the typical 
single long thread following a single character, I hope to do something 
similar.   After struggling with puzzle games like _Grim Fandango_ and 
_Colossal Cavern_ I also appreciated how easy it was.

I'm surprised how tough it is to write out the scripts and branches for 
my game.  My MUD experience is almost hurting me now, as those games are 
all about exploration and dangerous obstacles and I find myself wanting 
to write a lot of useless rooms with atmosphere, traps, and red herrings.

Ed Snible
esnible@goodnet.com
New York City