deird_lj: (Default)
deird_lj ([personal profile] deird_lj) wrote2008-02-11 08:54 am
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Accidental Prompting

Play rehearsal last night.

Unfortunately, I am very good at learning lines. Not just mine - everyone's. And unfortunately, I am extremely bad at monitoring the stuff I'm saying, or stopping it from coming out of my mouth.

So, when someone on stage hesitates, I call out their next line. It's not even a conscious action on my part - it's just instinctive.
But I'm not supposed to be talking at all while people are rehearsing scenes. I'm certainly not supposed to be prompting them!
It's just so hard not to...

[identity profile] spuffyduds.livejournal.com 2008-02-11 02:03 am (UTC)(link)
Hee! I have a couple of times coached or co-coached one or the other of my son's DI teams. (Destination Imagination--it's sort of competitive improv, crossed with the sort of corporate team-building type exercise where you try to build the tallest tower out of toothpicks and marshmallows.) And during the improv section, they're handed a prompt, given three minutes or so to discuss it, and then have about five minutes to perform. During which the coach cannot do ANY prompting--including involuntary "c'mon, c'mon" gestures to indicate that they're running out of time.

I actually, literally SAT ON MY HANDS.

Maybe you could hold a pen in your teeth or something?
deird1: Fred looking pretty and thoughful (Default)

[personal profile] deird1 2008-02-11 02:11 am (UTC)(link)
Good plan!

Last night I did actually slap my hand over my mouth a couple of times...