To Interact or Not To Interact...
Acxxi
Emcee" shows. At first, this was primarily to create variety in our
presentations, but they have worked out so well that we are starting to
consider eleminating the concept of "singular emcee" or even "emcee at all"
alogether. This is not to say that we don't go to the audience for
suggestions, just that we don't designate one person as the "emcee."
Sometimes, we don't even designate who will emcee what event - first person to
jump up introduces event.
I realize several groups on the newsgroup already use this option. I'm
wondering what kidns of experiences people have had with it.
On a second subject, I've been considering the Science Fiction Long Form we're
creating for next May (kabuki has been pushed back to October '00). I am
looking for way to involve the audience in the storytelling as much as
possible... or hardly at all except for some introductory remarks. What are
the extremes of audience interaction folks have used during their long form
production out there on the web?
Oh, and we've decided that whatever we do, somebody will be dressed up as a Dog
at all times. Its the Pantomime Animal of the next Millienium, after all.
R. Kevin Doyle
Loose Screws
Honolulu, HI
karo
Acxxi <ac...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19991023224624...@ng-fg1.aol.com...
> Recently, Loose Screws has been experimenting with "No Emcee" and "Miniaml
> Emcee" shows. At first, this was primarily to create variety in our
> presentations, but they have worked out so well that we are starting to
> consider eleminating the concept of "singular emcee" or even "emcee at
all"
> alogether. This is not to say that we don't go to the audience for
> suggestions, just that we don't designate one person as the "emcee."
> Sometimes, we don't even designate who will emcee what event - first
person to
> jump up introduces event.
>
> I realize several groups on the newsgroup already use this option. I'm
> wondering what kidns of experiences people have had with it.
I'm in a group of only four players, and for a while, I acted as emcee while
performing in the games, or 'events' as you call them. I found this rather
tiring for myself. So we switched to a different format. Now, each of the
4 of us take turns introducing the next game. Our basic rule is that, if
possible, someone other than the players who have just finished a scene
becomes the emcee for the next game. Some of us are better than others at
it, but the disparity, I find, just adds to the fun of the evening.
Also, whereas I was primarily responsible for coming up with set lists of
the evening's games, we've switched to a more exciting way to spend an
evening of improv... We have a basket which contains a couple of dozen
slips of paper, each slip has a different game to play. After the preceding
game is finished, the 'next' emcee goes into the audience, where an audience
member picks the next game we play. If you haven't tried it, it's
surprising how thrilling it is not to know what game is going to come up
next. I also find that the audience is very supportive when they see that
the improvisors are truly flying by the seat of their pants by not knowing
what is coming next.
Finally, we also have a basket of "Actor's Challenges" which we throw in
whenever we feel like it. What these slips of paper contain are very fast
challenges which supposedely display our topnotch acting skills. They're
things like "Best Double-Take", "Best Extra in a Library Scene", "Best Being
Beaten Up By An Invisible Thug"... things like that. While they don't
require so much improv skill, they are a big hit with our audiences, and
it's fun to get that playful rivalry between the players on stage.
>
> On a second subject, I've been considering the Science Fiction Long Form
we're
> creating for next May (kabuki has been pushed back to October '00). I am
> looking for way to involve the audience in the storytelling as much as
> possible... or hardly at all except for some introductory remarks. What
are
> the extremes of audience interaction folks have used during their long
form
> production out there on the web?
The most personally successful and rewarding long form I've been involved in
had very little audience interaction. We'd start the show by getting a
word, phrase, whatever, from the audience, plus the names of two vegetables.
After that, each night would vary slightly in format, but for the next half
hour or so, we'd create characters, settings, etc. somehow based on the
suggestions(s), with the goal (in that half hour) of creating some sort of
fictional community. At the half hour mark, an election in that community
would be called. The election would be between two parties, each named as
one of the vegetables given earlier, eg. the Cumquat Party.
For the next half hour, we'd further develop the characters we've created,
add new ones, and from all these, four would come forward and declare
themselves as candidates in the election. Two of the candidates would run
for one vegetable party, two for the other party. The 'issues' for the
election would come out of the audience suggestion(s), or out of the improv,
and we'd strive to have diametrically opposing viewpoints on those issues.
At about the 50 minute mark, each of the four 'politicians', two for each
party, gives a speech, afterwhich, the audience, by applause, declares the
official candidate for each party. After about an hour of improv, it's
intermission, during which each audience member votes for the party of their
choice, and the stage manager tabulates the voting. The second act starts
with the announcement of the winner of the election, and the second act
revolves how this newly elected official affects the community that was
created earlier.
I've performed in this show about a dozen times, and it's amazing how
completely different each show unfolds. By building a community of
characters, and creating issues for that community, no matter how mundane or
ridiculous the issues or the characters are, there are all sorts of
alliances, feuds, conflicts, betrayals, etc. that come forward.
Of the times that I managed to 'win' the election, once I was a leprechaun
fetus in a man's body, once I was a sheep-loving cow from New Zealand, once
I was an alcoholic midget, to name a few.
Very little audience participation, but very high audience enjoyment.
karo
Colin Murchie
not someone who is in the game preceding it. They do a quick intro, get
the suggestions, and then either slink offstage or join the game, as our
setlist dictates.
We have also found that shticky hosting of a game nearly always falls
falt, and it's better to just do an utterly forgettable, "get it and get
out" hosting job and let the games do the talking. (or sucking.)
- Colin
Acxxi wrote:
>
> Recently, Loose Screws has been experimenting with "No Emcee" and "Miniaml
> Emcee" shows. At first, this was primarily to create variety in our
> presentations, but they have worked out so well that we are starting to
> consider eleminating the concept of "singular emcee" or even "emcee at all"
> alogether. This is not to say that we don't go to the audience for
> suggestions, just that we don't designate one person as the "emcee."
> Sometimes, we don't even designate who will emcee what event - first person to
> jump up introduces event.
>
> I realize several groups on the newsgroup already use this option. I'm
> wondering what kidns of experiences people have had with it.
>
> On a second subject, I've been considering the Science Fiction Long Form we're
> creating for next May (kabuki has been pushed back to October '00). I am
> looking for way to involve the audience in the storytelling as much as
> possible... or hardly at all except for some introductory remarks. What are
> the extremes of audience interaction folks have used during their long form
> production out there on the web?
>
rand...@kc.rr.com
decided we wanted our show to be a very confident yet relaxed show.
We wanted to get away from the 3 minute long explanations of the games
we were playing, and simply trust the audience to (1) figure out the
game or (2) not get the game, but just enjoy the funny scenes.
We rotate amongst the players to get the suggestion, which worked
pretty good. There was the ocassional "Ninja Dance" (as Dan O'Connor
put it) where everyone waited for someone else to go out on stage for
the next suggestion. But, when we played confident, it worked great.
We started the show with "185", with a minimal introduction (no
Chicago Bulls theme music, no Beastie Boys "Sabotage", just a simple
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Funny Outfit"). Then, one member went on stage
(usually the wonderfully talented Bob Dusin), and asked for an
occupation. He then stood on stage until a 185 joke came to him. The
great thing about Bob is that he will wait 5 minutes if he has to, and
never look worried.
Then, the rest of the cast would come up one at a time when they had a
185 joke. I really liked this intro. Very confident and
professional. The show went over very well.
Randy Tennison
Funny Outfit
Kansas City
Irony1
apply to a lot of groups, but how does the idea of an "Emcee Specialist"
hit you? You know, if there's someone who 1) likes to MC, and
2) is good at it. Then have that person become a full time MC or
host. They can develop specific characters for specific shows,
maybe hire out as an MC for other groups, you know, become
the MC guy! (Or gal)
Second thing is about MC for long form, or interaction with
the audience in general. Just remember, you're much better at
telling stories than they are. If you go to them for specific stuff,
they will gag, and you'll be getting butt-slammed by talking, drunk
gerbils in no time. If you need to interact with them, get general
stuff like what season it is, or, you know, what, uh, season it is.
Something where they can't do much damage or make you go
down a gaggy road. Long form must move, it can't wallow in
old gags forever. Look at me.
Vose
Covered in funny
Acxxi
>This just sort of popped into my head, and it probably doesn't
>apply to a lot of groups, but how does the idea of an "Emcee Specialist"
>hit you? You know, if there's someone who 1) likes to MC, and
>2) is good at it.
That was me (except for maybe the number 2 part) for the first part of Loose
Screws' career. I found that I couldn't, for a time, coach and play, but I
could coach and emcee. This is really not that bad an option if you have
somebody who really digs on emceeing, but I sometimes felt that my emcee
character was verging on competition with the improvisors... which is why I
stoped (stopped?) doing the full time emcee thing and started the process that
led to our collectivization.
Resistance is futile (so is spelling)