When the scene gets ishy, how do you get out?

[PyroDan]

What I like to think is that there are two types of scenes,

If he is Creepy this is the first time we have noticed it, and we should react and call it out.

Or

He is always creepy, it is a given (as we have seemingly made agreement he is not a stranger) and we exist in that dynamic somehow. No different than an old couple that bickers constantly but is bound by love.

So if it has gone for awhile, and no one has reacted adversely you must embrace it as status quo.

[arthursimone]

will you guys please stop talking about my uncle??!?
he's not that bad, he's family and I love him!

[Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell]

What I like to think is that there are two types of scenes,

If he is Creepy this is the first time we have noticed it, and we should react and call it out.

Or

He is always creepy, it is a given (as we have seemingly made agreement he is not a stranger) and we exist in that dynamic somehow. No different than an old couple that bickers constantly but is bound by love.

So if it has gone for awhile, and no one has reacted adversely you must embrace it as status quo.

i would say in that latter situation then you have to have a new character come in and react. or someone in the family's finally had enough and breaks down. i think it's important to ask, "why are we seeing this day of all days? something has to happen, something has to change." otherwise, it just becomes a bit about the premise. "He's creepy! Watch him be creepy! Why is no one reacting to him being creepy? It's wacky! CREEPY!"

i could see it working if things are happening IN SPITE of him being creepy (Uncle Eddie's creepy as ever, but we need to deal with cousin Jake's problems being popular at school!). but that's kind of a fine line between acknowledging and incorporating Eddie's creepiness into the reality of the scene and coming off like a big "fuck you" denial of Eddie's offer of creepiness. a newer improvisor, dealing with other new improvisors, might feel like his choice is just being ignored moreso than incorporated as status quo and it might either make him resentful towards the rest of the ensemble or feel like he shouldn't take such big risks anymore if it's just going to be treated like window dressing. if that makes sense...

[PyroDan]

What I like to think is that there are two types of scenes,

If he is Creepy this is the first time we have noticed it, and we should react and call it out.

Or

He is always creepy, it is a given (as we have seemingly made agreement he is not a stranger) and we exist in that dynamic somehow. No different than an old couple that bickers constantly but is bound by love.

So if it has gone for awhile, and no one has reacted adversely you must embrace it as status quo.

i would say in that latter situation then you have to have a new character come in and react. or someone in the family's finally had enough and breaks down. i think it's important to ask, "why are we seeing this day of all days? something has to happen, something has to change." otherwise, it just becomes a bit about the premise. "He's creepy! Watch him be creepy! Why is no one reacting to him being creepy? It's wacky! CREEPY!"

i could see it working if things are happening IN SPITE of him being creepy (Uncle Eddie's creepy as ever, but we need to deal with cousin Jake's problems being popular at school!). but that's kind of a fine line between acknowledging and incorporating Eddie's creepiness into the reality of the scene and coming off like a big "fuck you" denial of Eddie's offer of creepiness. a newer improvisor, dealing with other new improvisors, might feel like his choice is just being ignored moreso than incorporated as status quo and it might either make him resentful towards the rest of the ensemble or feel like he shouldn't take such big risks anymore if it's just going to be treated like window dressing. if that makes sense...

I guess I didn't really voice that there should always be REACTION to anything, in any scene.

My real intent in this comment is that if the performers are uncomfortable, everyone while be uncomfortable, but if they make it a normality for their reality then some of the really hard part will fade away.

I think there are real good choices here. Really this thread is more about navigating an unpleasant topic than about performers sensibility or experience.

I have been in scenes where I was any number of flagrantly foul things/people and have found that if I choose to be comfortable in it, as that character, or run dead straight into people can't help but make a strong reactive choose. So I would surmise that heightening the 'creepiness' or whatever is a strong choice that forces it to be confronted, or forces an equally heightened reaction. Which in turn would shift status or the absurd/straight dynamic like Ratliff mentioned.

You can also choose to make that the only chink in your character, like being a murderer, but being very considerate about it. I guess that is more in playing the absurd.

Rev, you too have a good point about why are we seeing this day, but I would say there is also equal merit to a slice of life, generally character heavy laden scenes where the curtain is just drawn back.

[Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell]

My real intent in this comment is that if the performers are uncomfortable, everyone while be uncomfortable, but if they make it a normality for their reality then some of the really hard part will fade away.

and i think that can be all well and good, so long as you're making strong choices besides and USE the creepiness as part of the reality rather than just ignoring it (your brother speaks gibberish in a scene and you understand him perfectly and help him communicate with others while never calling out the fact that he's speaking gibberish).

but i think the more important lesson/teaching moment to take from this is not how to NOT be uncomfortable onstage as a performer, but how to use those genuine moments of discomfort and translate them into the character. the audience is uncomfortable because your personal discomfort causes you to hold back, to hesitate or to make weak choices. if you translate that into "okay, this is my natural reaction...let's make it the character's natural reaction as well," then you're playing an uncomfortable character. and audiences LOVE watching characters squirm in awkward situations (going to my "the audience wants to watch you catch fire and die" theory. ) and are almost always engaged by a genuine emotional reaction.

Rev, you too have a good point about why are we seeing this day, but I would say there is also equal merit to a slice of life, generally character heavy laden scenes where the curtain is just drawn back.

i don't know that i agree with this, at least not as written. even if nothing happens plot/story wise, there should still be something going on between the characters. a character or relationship arc. something that personally affects them. two characters on a front porch talking about the weather isn't engaging. it can be funny and charming enough, if you have some skilled performers...but it's better for them to talk about each rather than whether or not it's gonna rain. unless the point of the scene is "nothing ever changes for these people. behold the comedy of monotony!" but again, that comes across very premise based for me and 9 times out of 10, i don't know how well it would connect with an audience or another performer.

[Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell]

(your brother speaks gibberish in a scene and you understand him perfectly and help him communicate with others while never calling out the fact that he's speaking gibberish).

alternately, your brother is Chewbacca.

[LuBu McJohnson]

Frankly, I would end the scene with baby murder.

[DollarBill]

Dude... This is such a specific skill. I love this thread. I can't believe people talk about improv this way. Or... I guess I should say... I can't believe so many people can write so thoughtfully about such a specific improv issue. Kids these days. They don't know what they have.