Large characters and outlandish desires form the stylistic bedrock of Soap Opera.
The Basics
One piece of furniture (such as a chair, stool, or block) is designated as the triggering device for the duration of an over-the-top scene. For the duration of the action, whenever a character makes contact with the chosen item, an off-stage player provides their deepest thoughts and secrets as a voice-over (perhaps on a microphone). When physical contact ends, so too does the accompanying narrative. Players utilize revealed thoughts as the story continues through multiple subtextual interruptions.
Example
The team receives two elements from the periodic table as character names (Carbon and Beryllium as well as a family business (funeral home) to launch the action. A chair is placed stage right and designated as the subtext trigger.
Player A: (standing with great dramatic energy at the lip of the stage while mixing their martini with a straw) “So, you finally decided to show up to work, Carbon…”
Player B: (in the doorway, while looking scoldingly at their sibling) “Why must you always mock me, brother? You know I don’t have a heart for… funerals.”
Player A: “I’ll never understand you, sister. This business has been good to us both. It has paid for everything you’re wearing. What, exactly, do you have a heart for…?”
“Player B: “And why would I tell you that, Beryllium? So you could use it against me?”
Player B approaches the subtext chair and lays a hand on it.
Player C: (voicing B’s thoughts on a microphone) “It’s not easy being the younger child, the overlooked child. All of this will go to my brother, our parents’ favorite. What will I get…?”
Player B removes her hand, causing the subtext to stop with equal abruptness.
Player A: (putting down his drink) “We have a new client coming in today. I’d like you to take the lead.”
Player B: “Is this some kind of joke…?”
The Focus
Play the text. Play the subtext. Play the scene.
Traps and Tips
1.) Embrace the style. You needn’t deploy my periodic title name gimmick above but find some way to launch yourself into the overtly dramatic world of soap operas. (Elemental names are just so deliciously ridiculous!) There are many other games that can use subtext to more nuanced ends; this offering thrives on bold moves from bold characters and bolder still plot points.
2.) Share the spotlight. Obviously, there’s a lot of fun to be had with the subtext furniture piece and the accompanying offstage narrative, so make sure you’re providing everyone with appropriate opportunities to have their thoughts revealed. It’s a good rule of thumb to make sure that everyone gets at least one strategic moment to utilize the device, even if the rhythms of the scene favor one character a little more than others. As the scene approaches the finish line, it can be a little anticlimactic if an important character hasn’t had a chance to have their subtext and secrets voiced. Also, be sure to justify your staging choices: don’t just wander to the special chair when you want your subtext to be heard.
3.) Help the narrator. The narrating position can be both daunting and exhilarating as it’s quite the task to come up with dynamic choices for everyone in the heat of the moment. To this end, don’t expect brilliant subtextual ideas to emerge from nothing. As the characters, make big choices and endowments rich with undercurrents and emotion so that the narrator can heighten, invert, or disrupt your intentions. Make sure the scene has a solid foundation before expecting your offstage scene partner to bring the comedic heat.
4.) Challenge the narrator. And once the scene is up and running, you can (and perhaps should) torture the narrator a little as well. Characters can toy with when (and if) they are going to touch the assigned piece of furniture and then play further with the duration (and interruptions) of their contact. This is perhaps a “trick” of the game, so I share it here with caution, as you shouldn’t play the stock gimmick at the expense of the uniquely discovered game, but as the offstage voice can exert a considerable amount of sway on the story arc, it evens the playing field a little if the team playfully pushes back. (It’s helpful for the cueing item to be a furniture piece for this reason, as it encourages different ways of connection.)
In performance
You’ll want to have an able and excited narrator in the mix to bring out the sharpest hues from this dramatic outing. Strive to lean into the tropes of the base genre (ideally with some loving critique or whimsy). Love triangles, hidden identities, and impassioned revelations are likely to become frequent and popular elements of the game.
Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
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Photo Credit: Tony Firriolo
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