Difficult form with huge potential for play. Needs jamming!
JTS Brown is the name of a whisky (which is immaterial).
9 rules (one of then is 5 rules).
Opening is a shared monologue, personal true or in character. If the first person starts a true monologue it will become a character monologue by the 2nd person tagging in anyway. It’s one story not many.
Variation for the monologue is the shattered mirror version: as you say your piece you go out into the audience and continue to soak in one voice with the person on stage.
Motto
Anything that happens is the perfect thing to happen
Rules
1. No sweeps. Transformation from within or outside.
2. No walk ons. New character means new scene. Remove character go back to previous scene with those two actors.
If you’re in a new scene you don’t have to speak or stay you have a moment to leave or to become an object.
3. No side or back lines. If the audience can see you then you are in the scene
4. Use the whole space not just the stage
5. Any scene can come back/ recur
6. Worlds within worlds. Not tiedto any source scene
7. Gimmicks (devices, handles)
7a Hemingway
Narrate a character’s inner thoughts (from within as a soliloquy, from without by anyone). Trick is to be clear it’s not a new scene if you’re entering.
7b ed tv
Alternate scene endings
Need to find a pivotal moment in the scene. Return to that moment and change the ending. Staging helps here. Need to move away from it physically so it’s clear when you return. Done only when the scene is still playing (nor as a call back)
7c third degree
Enter a scene point at a character, ask them three questions then leave (like Hemingway need to jam or so it’s clear you’re not entering the scene). Save your juiciest q for last. Should illuminate the scene in progress or character in that scene. Can also be done from within the scene.
7d shadows
A second person embodies the emotion that the character is feeling (again need to be clear you are not entering the scene. Visual representation of the sub text.
7e shape shifting
Anyone can play anyone else’s characters
8. Solid relationships
Not about being weird. The form is weird so the the play must be grounded.
9. Spotlight scene
Longer 2 person scene somewhere in the middle of the show. Noone fucks with it.
The gimmicks are designed to enrich the characters.
There’s fun in making strong move. And fun in it being ignored.
If you do the shattered mirror version and you are in the audience a neutral stance says you are not in the scene. If not Neutral stance then you’re in the scene.
