Untitled - Index of - Free

Sequence that they're dreammg. The Scene will have
dtfferent connotations depending on whether the charac­
ter ts aware of the nature of the experience or not It can
be interesting for example, to allow the Scene to have an
obvious dream quality about it Or, you can make sure
that netther the character, nor the Actor, will be aware of
the nature of the experience until it's over. We often
prefer the later route for its shock value
TIMING AND COINCIDENCE
The timing of events 1s entirely up to the Director
Pacing and timing are the most Important factors in
maintaining the tension of a plot. Coincidences are fun, so
use and abuse the pace of time and action in the story.
Whenever you can, shamelessly stretch or shrink the
amount of time Scenes take, the distance characters
have to travel, and the delays wh1ch hold them up, in order
to keep the plot interesting and intense Don't feel bad
about altenng your plot in mid-game Feel free to retrofit
your plot to the actions of the Actors You can do whatever
you want, so long as ifs fun.
Meanwhile, Back At The ...
Following the Actors can be tough. Various groups
of characters may be in several places at once, all acting
at the same t1me As Director, you may have to move from
group to group to handle the action. The Actors can do a
lot of roleplay on their own, but sometimes they must have
26 Theatrix - The Core Rules
the presence of the Director. Try not to leave any group
sitting on its thumbs too long. When moving from one
group to another, try to time your move so as to leave the
Actors in the middle of a desperate situation. That sounds
mean, but they'll be a lot more interested in the game in
general while you're gone, if they're anxious about it. Try
to roleplay all the Scenes in front of everyone Don't spoil
the big surprises, but it's a lot easier for the Actors to wait
their tum, if they can watch the other parts of the roleplay
unfold
LITTLE SCENES
We've saved the most important trick for last These
are all the Little Scenes In movies whose main purpose is
to provide transition from one part of the action to another,
to provide comic relief in the middle of an otherwise
turbulent plot, and to give time to the characterization of
the Main Cast. Build these Scenes into your stories as
they develop. They're the best times for your Actors to
interact. To use each other in a way which will breed
familiar smiles when they talk about the session later
Don't let them know it, but these Little Scenes are the real
reason for the rest of the plot. There are many examples
of such Scenes sprinkled throughout every good movie.
One holographic chess game between an alien sasquatch
and a small robot comes to mind. These Scenes give the
Actors a chance to earn roleplay points {to be discussed
in the chapter entitled 'Improvisation'), while givtng the
Director a pause to clear her thoughts.