Untitled - Index of - Free

[More Organ Music]
Brought to You By the Makers of-
(Start Jingle]
Sluggypuggies ...
"$/uggypuggies are the best,
look terrific on your vest -
Serve them to unwanted guests,
stuff your mattress with the rest!
Sluggypuggieeeeees ... mmmhhhmmm."
(courtesy of Warner Brothers*}
ABOARD THE 0BERZEPPELIN ...
[Announcer]
When last we encountered our heroes, they had
made good an escape from their cell aboard the
OberZeppelin, ruined the airship's guidance controls, and
were just making their way towards the hangar deck in
order to escape the doomed craft. We now rejoin our
patriotic crew, as they once again face down the shrouded
menace of ... Nazi Gennany!
[Heroic Theme Music]
Director- You make your way down the riveted steel
staircase. Yourfootfalls echo along the sheet
metal walls, but there is no other sound. You
can hear only the low thrumming of the
engines ahead. You move along the corridor
towards the hangar deck ... when one of the
doorways on the left side slams open with a
resounding 'Bang!' ...
Scott - What?! I run back up the stairs, fast.
Abe - Damn! I emptied my gun upstairs. I throw
myself behind the steel staircase.
Director - All right, but it's an open framework, made to
be light. This is an airship.
Abe- Yeah, but it's a circular stairwell, supported
1 02 Theatlix -
by a central pole, and I leap into the space
behind the stairs. That will provide better
coverage than a straight staircase, anyway.
The Core Rules
And now, a word from our sponsors ...
See the 'Mini-Adventure' at the back of this book.
Description is essential. The movement described here
could have been done in a much flater style, saving time
at the expense of mood. However, dropping into narrative
form accomplishes two goals. First, it tells the Actors that
something important is coming up, so they need to pay
attention to the details. Yes, this does forewarn the
Actors, but they won't know exactly what awaits them,
which will create tension. You can't buy tension, you have
to paint it with your descriptions. Second, the narrative
sets the tone for improvisations, provides some starting
props, and guides the Scene by expressing its mood. Flat
narrative will inhibit both improvisation and roleplay.
The action here should engender a feeling of constant
danger. The Director wants the Main Cast to have to
scramble to stay alive. Safety should be hard won.
Good counter-improvisation. It buys a small margin of
comfort more than the Director would willingly have
given. This kind of interplay forces the Actors to work for
an edge, enforces creativity, and provides the feeling that
victory was due to the Actors' roleplay and ingenuity.