RE: Interactive Drama and improvised stage comedy

["Bruce Ford"]

Hi -

Ed has made some very good observations about improvisation to build a
story.   I would recommend that any writer worth his or her salt , would
benefit from such an experience.    There are always local theatre groups or
acting teachers who will regularly teach those important techniques to the
willing student.

In every strong and believable story, interactive or not, every action or
spoken word should do one of three things:

- Progress the story (and conflict)
- Develop a character
- Get a laugh

I believe the main difference between improv and scripted stories, is many
times, an improv doesn't do any of the three... the line or action by the
actor just falls on its face... which is okay because improv believes in
speed and energy.   In the scripted world,  rewrites can flesh out the story
and character and looks for laughs, even if the point is give the audience
relief from a high pressure scene.   (RE:  Chased down and beaten up,
Indiana Jones comes face to face with the most expert swordsman in Cairo...
He breathes a heavy sigh... and shoots him.)

Improv helps bring to the surface the conflict and characters who stoke the
fires of the conflict.


Bruce J. Ford


-----Original Message-----
From:	owner-idrama@flutterby.com [mailto:owner-idrama@flutterby.com] On
Behalf Of Ed Snible
Sent:	Tuesday, August 03, 1999 2:12 PM
To:	idrama@flutterby.com
Subject:	Interactive Drama and improvised stage comedy

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