The Deconstruction w/Piero Procaccini – session 4 . . .

Session 4:

Commentary Scenes (Premise-based scenes, Gameplay, Mapping, Frustrating Wants)

Note from Piero are in CAPS

Things at work in commentary scenes-

– Premise-based
– Behavior critical to theme
– Mapping
– Agree to deny
– Game-based

Like external and internal characteristics there are internal and external minds at work within one individual.

The internal mind is responsible for the thoughts we have as the character.
The external mind is the improvisers minds. The puppet and the puppet master.

Exercise –
Two person scene with four characters – something in the scene will frustrate one person, both people will escalate the frustration and then a 3rd person (played by one of the two people already in the scene) will appear and raise the frustration level and so will a fourth.
A matching energy will helps the characters doing the frustrating and for the person being frustrated an opposing energy will help.

There is an initiator and a responder. The initiator instigates a scene start with providing to the responder how they will react to the information that you are going to present. Responder will just react to the information that you give them and nothing more until they understand their role and then they can heighten.
Let the responder know what you need from them from your first line of dialogue.
A dance normally occurs with the initiator instigating a reaction and then pacifying the reaction.
The responder’s job is not to “and” until they understand what they need to do and then they help to heighten.

Mapping – putting one set of internal reactions onto the most inappropriate place.
This is the portion that requires the most thought.

YES, THE COMMENTARY SCENES ARE A CHANCE TO HIGHLIGHT BEHAVIOR THAT IS CRITICAL TO THE THEME OF THE PIECE. WE HIGHLIGHT THIS BEHAVIOR BY PLACING IT WHERE IT DOESN’T BELONG (I.E. WHERE IT WILL STAND OUT AS ODD). IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, IN CHOOSING, WHAT SCENE TO MAP TO, THE BEHAVIOR, ITSELF, SHOULD STRIKE US AS ODD GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES – IT IS NOT JUST A MATTER OF FINDING A SILLY SCENE.