Harold Night 2003 — 22 of 27

Chapter 2 - Content of The Scene

Beat is a recurring scene. Beat begins when the YesAnding is used. Beat ends when YesAnding is unused.

Every turn while the player is in Arena and Beat is not happening:

say "To start a scene, type INITIATE.".

An improv move has some text called mantra.

The mantra of YesAnding is "YES AND".

The mantra of justifying is "JUSTIFY".

The mantra of premise is "INITIATE WITH PREMISE".

The mantra of committing is "COMMIT".

The mantra of confidence is "BE CONFIDENT".

The mantra of specificity is "BE SPECIFIC".

The mantra of simplicity is "SIMPLIFY".

The mantra of if-this-then-what is "HEIGHTEN".

The mantra of truth is "BE TRUTHFUL".

An improv move can be used or unused. An improv move is usually unused.

An improv move can be scored or unscored. An improv move is usually unscored.

Initiating is an action applying to nothing.

Understand "initiate" as initiating.

Check initiating:

If player is not in Arena:

say "You can only start a scene on the stage." instead.

Carry out initiating:

say "[if premise is known]Drawing from the opening, you initiate to [partner] 'This chair is coming with me when I do the triathlon.' [partner] takes a moment, then says 'They're gonna know you've got a chair with you'[else]Drawing from the suggestion, you start stretching. Then you and [partner] establish you're getting ready for a triathlon. Then you touch a chair, and [partner] asks if you are taking that chair with you and you say 'yes'[end if].";

now all improv moves are unused;

if premise is known:

now premise is used;

record "initiated with premise" in Table of Notes;

if premise is unscored:

increase the score by 1;

now premise is scored;

now YesAnding is used; [begins the internal scene 'Beat']

now the StageLights are scened;

try summarizing.

Summarizing is an action applying to nothing.

Carry out summarizing:

let O be a list of texts;

let L be the list of known unused improv moves;

repeat with im running through L:

add mantra of im to O;

if number of entries in O is not 0, say "Options: you can: [O]. ";

say "You can [if number of entries in O is not 0]also [end if]BLACKOUT to end the game[if fewer than 9 improv moves are known] or go WEST to keep exploring[end if].".

invoking is an action applying to one thing.

Understand "invoke [improv move]" as invoking.

Check invoking:

if Beat is not happening:

say "Wait until you're doing a scene on the stage!" instead;

else if noun is unknown:

say "You need to learn the improv lesson [noun] to do that!" instead;

else if noun is used:

say "You've already done that. I know you can re-use moves in a real improv scene. But this is just a game." instead.

To say audience-pleased:

say "[br][one of]The audience is the right kind of quiet; they're listening[or]You hear a couple of quiet giggles -- the kind that means they're relating to what's going on. This is good[or]You hear a few people from the Performer's Corner laughing, which means the people who really know they're stuff like this[or]You hear Ian laugh! Now you KNOW this is killing[or]The audience is reacting to everything -- when this kind of energy gets going, this is easy. YOU LOVE THIS[or]You could keep this scene going for hours! Everything is hitting hugely[or]You guys have crushed it[cycling]".

Carry out invoking:

if noun is:

-- if-this-then-what:

if justifying is unused:

say "Wait at least until the premise is justified.";

else:

say "[walkon] walks on and cuts to an Olympic subcommittee meeting and says to you and [partner] 'Look, we're testing you two for the presence of chairs. Give us a urine sample.' [if specificity is used] You snort and grumble about the IOC being a buncha squares[end if][if committing is used] Then you perfectly mime the 'defendant's microphone' you're speaking into[end if].";

now if-this-then-what is used;

if if-this-then-what is unscored:

increase the score by 1;

now if-this-then-what is scored;

say "[audience-pleased].";

try calming player;

-- justifying:

say "[partner] says 'You don't need a chair in a triathlon.' You [if committing is used]thunder forth[else]say[end if] to [partner] 'I've always practiced with this chair, and it's important for an athlete to not break his routine![run paragraph on][if specificity is used] So cheese it, bra[else]I got this[end if]!";

now justifying is used;

if justifying is unscored:

increase the score by 1;

now justifying is scored;

say "[audience-pleased].";

try calming player;

-- simplicity:

if if-this-then-what is unused:

say "Not yet. You don't really need to simplify if you haven't heightened.";

else:

say "[partner] says 'So chairs are important, I get it. And you've worked hard. And you're from a long line of athletes.' And you say 'Look, [if specificity is used] bro, [end if]I just want to win the Olympics'.";

now simplicity is used;

if simplicity is unscored:

increase the score by 1;

now simplicity is scored;

say "[audience-pleased].";

try calming player;

-- confidence:

say "Your posture straightens, your voice strengthens and you feel you can do no wrong. To flaunt your new playfulness, you reveal your character has a pet dolphin. Not on game, but you feel invincible. [partner] seems energized, too.";

now confidence is used;

if confidence is unscored:

increase the score by 1;

now confidence is scored;

say "[audience-pleased].";

try calming player;

-- specificity:

say "You adjust your performance from merely being a 'triathlete' to 'well-meaning dude triathlete' from Massachusetts.[run paragraph on][if committing is used] You mime slapping a sweatband onto your head.[run paragraph on][end if] [partner] can tell, and asks you how the Red Sox are doing, to which you reply 'Wicked'.";

now specificity is used;

if specificity is unscored:

increase the score by 1;

now specificity is scored;

say "[audience-pleased].";

try calming player;

-- committing:

say "You buckle down and truly become your character. You can see the runner's shorts you're wearing, you can feel the snug [if specificity is used]Nike Air[else]expensive[end if] sneakers around your ankles. [partner] also commits more.";

now committing is used;

if committing is unscored:

increase the score by 1;

now committing is scored;

say "[audience-pleased].";

try calming player;

-- truth:

if confidence is unused:

say "Not yet. Be a little more confident first.";

else if justifying is unused:

say "Not yet. Not before you've justified.";

else if committing is unused:

say "Not yet. Maybe commit first?";

else if specificity is unused:

say "Not yet. Make your performance specific first.";

else if if-this-then-what is unused:

say "Not yet. Heighten first!";

else if simplicity is unused:

say "Not yet. Simplify what's going on a bit first.";

else:

say "You say 'If you want to test me for chairs, just [i]look and see if I have a chair[/i]'.";

now truth is used;

if truth is unscored:

increase the score by 1;

now truth is scored;

say "[audience-pleased].";

try calming player.

Report invoking:

try summarizing.

Understand "heighten" as heightening. Heightening is an action applying to nothing.

Instead of heightening, try invoking if-this-then-what.

Understand "justify" as sensifying. Sensifying is an action applying to nothing.

Instead of sensifying, try invoking justifying.

Understand "simplify" as simplifying. Simplifying is an action applying to nothing.

Instead of simplifying, try invoking simplicity.

Understand "commit" as acting. acting is an action applying to nothing.

Instead of acting, try invoking committing.

Understand "be confident" as owning. Owning is an action applying to nothing.

Instead of owning, try invoking confidence.

Understand "be specific" as specifying. Specifying is an action applying to nothing.

Instead of specifying, try invoking specificity.

Understand "be truthful" as truthifying. Truthifying is an action applying to nothing.

Instead of truthifying, try invoking truth.