Bovine Metropolis Theater

I hear questions from my students like “How do I know where to go in the scene?”,  “How should the scene progress?”, “How do I know what the scene is about?”, “When should I edit?”.  Lots of questions that have as many different answers as scenes you can play.  Instead of tackling this big subject with “if X, then Y” mentality. I thought I would write about some types of scenes you may see or be in.  If you know the “type” of scene you are playing, then you know how that scene type is ‘normally’ played.

This is a minimalist list of the type of scenes you may be involved with and how the “normal” progression of the scene evolves.

Black Outs

We have all stumbled into those one liner scenes where the first thing said is devastatingly funny. This is the loudest laugh of the evening to this point in time, it may even stop the show for a bit. 9 times out of ten this line is a disconnect to the relationship. In other words, a joke that ends the scene, even if it is the start of the scene.  Even if it does start a relationship it doesn’t matter, it is the high point of the scene, so needs to be swept (ended).

Inside the scene (on stage): Try to hold it together, you may want to break, but channel that intensity into looking at your partner and hold on, hopefully help is on the way.  Do not speak if the audience is rolling.

Outside the scene (off stage): Run, don’t walk, think or justify, just sweep the scene.  End it!  You can wait until the laugh crescendos (starts to subside, but not stops), but end the scene fast.

Game (Scenes)

These are scenes that are usually transaction scenes.  No relationship, no ‘real’ stakes for the character (or no ‘buy in’ by one/both/all characters), but lots of laughs.  Patterns, Rhythms and Call/Response are some of the tell tale signs that you are in a Game. The scene is all about the game, you have no emotional transactions going on stage. They have a tendency to loop and not move us forward.

Each time you play the game (this is called a “reveal”) you are rewarded with a laugh (or series of laughs depending on the game).  Each next reveal must be bigger than the previous.  Each time you play the game it has to be bigger and better than the last time. After 3 reveals the game is over (this is called The Rule of 3).

Inside the scene (on stage): Raise the stakes, intensify the emotions, make the reactions bigger.  Don’t go too big on the second reveal or you won’t have anywhere to go for the third reveal. Don’t try to figure it out, just do it again.

Outside the scene (off stage):  You need to see the pattern and after the third reveal, end it quickly.  The third reveal should be the biggest laugh.  Always try to sweep on the biggest laugh, especially when it is not a relationship scene.

Relationship Scenes

This type of scene is a disappearing art form in improv, but in many ways the most rewarding.  This is a scene where the players on stage know each other and something happens to change the dynamic in their relationship, we the audience get to watch while the sparks fly until they resolve and the relationship settles down.

Spolin put it as Staus Quo, Change, New Status Quo.  Johnstone put it as Platform, Tilt, Platform.  Your English teacher put is as Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action.

There are a thousand ways to do these types of scenes. In a tight 3 minute relationship scene you may see 30 seconds of set-up (Status Quo, Platform, Exposition, etc.), something changes and a majority of the scene will be exploring the shift in the relationship, and 10 seconds or less will be establishing the new status quo.  If it is done really well the new status quo (ending) will be established with a punch line. I would hate to see every scene like this, but it gives you an idea of where the meat of the scene can be found.

Inside the scene (on stage): Let the gravity of the change hit you. Raise the stakes, intensify the emotions, make the reactions bigger. This is a whole new worldview for you. Go with it, embrace it for the good or for the bad. Sink into it.

Outside the scene (off stage): Look to help the scene. If they need a where, or something to break the original status quo, anything to help with the exception of a joke. (I hate it when I see a good relationship scene tapped out to make a game. Relationship scenes are rare and game scenes are common.) Help raise the stakes.  Make it worse. Eventually, look for the new status quo to be established then sweep fast!

Mixed Scenes

A mixed scene is a relationship scene that has a game embedded in it.  The rules of the game still applies and only 3 reveals.   There are 2 main ways these scenes usually set up:

1)The game is at the front of the scene and runs it course with all three reveals, no one edits and now we start a scene.  Don’t be freaked out by this, it works. The game by it’s nature produces a status quo.  After the third reveal you have a great insight into the relationship and what needs to change. The only caveat is that change needs to be based in a relationship.

2)The delayed reveal. We play a game then start a relationship scene, the second reveal hits and then finally the third reveal ends the scene.  In this type of mixed scene you play the game like a trump card. You use the reveal whenever you need to add the funny.  In this type of mixed scene the third reveal usually ends the scene.

Inside the scene (on stage): Don’t be in a hurry to play your game and don’t force your reveals. These scenes can be sustained for a while because of the relationship.  They are the best of both worlds. Play it slow and let it come to you.

Outside the scene (off stage): Look to help the scene. Eventually, look for the third reveal or the new status quo to be established then sweep fast!

Flowing Scene

There is an old adage that scenes are about only one thing.  Find that one thing and life on stage becomes easy.  It is important to know “what is the scene about?” and the cool thing is the scene may be about X for me and about Y for you. (ok, sometimes X and Y are useful.)

Flowing scenes however, are scenes where the focus of the scene is not about one thing or a relationship. They flow from point A to point B. They are only about the last thing said.  They don’t know where they are going and don’t care where they have been. I find these scenes to be difficult unless they are grounded in some super sharp characters, then the scene become character studies. The trap in these scenes is that if they are not grounded in the character they usually become cleaver/thinking/talking heads scenes.

Inside the scene (on stage): Let your character be affected by what is happening on stage.  Drive it to the emotional.  Stay in your character and let everything hit them. Go big or go home.

Outside the scene (off stage): Sweep on the next laugh or in 15 seconds, whatever happens first. These scenes are very hard to sustain. Unless the players are in the zone and the audience is eating it with a spoon, end it.

I hope this reductionist look at scene work helps you get an idea of what you are doing out there and how to play scenes that you are in.  I have seen thousands of scenes and most fall into one of these categories. If you get lost, you can always just play the form of the scene you are in.

I do need to add that if you play a character, who interacts with their environment, that is affected by what is transpiring on stage, no matter how seemingly benign, your scenes will fly off the stage and entertain your audience.

Break a leg!

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 17th, 2009 at 1:07 am and is filed under By Author, Eric Farone, Overview, Performing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.