A Dramatic Metaphor - Tracy Krauss

"All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts."

As You Like It, Act 2, Scene 7

I couldn't help myself. I've been teaching Drama full time for almost eighteen years and seem to find a lot of useful metaphors from the theatre. This month we're talking about metaphors for writing, but this one applies to all of life. Specifically, I want to highlight two key principles of improvisation. (Side note: I'll be facilitating a workshop at the Fall Conference called 'Acting Up' which includes improv!

Good improv has few rules, but there are two basic ones that can make or break the success of any given session. They are: 1) the rule of agreement and 2) be a giver. 

The rule of agreement' simply means that the actor must 'buy in' to whatever is suggested by his or her scene partner. Some people mistakenly interpret this to mean "Always say yes," but it's a little more complicated than that. Without the rule of agreement, a scene can die a quick and often disastrous death. (I've given some examples below.*)

So it is in life. As Christians we need to 'buy in' to God's plan for our lives. This means we are acting upon what God is telling us, not necessarily what other people suggest. We can't always say "Yes" to people, but we must always say "Yes" to God, knowing He will bring about an outcome that will be just right for our lives.

'Be a giver' is the next most important rule in improv. It's not enough to 'buy in' to a suggestion on stage. It's each actor's job to provide information to keep moving the scene forward. If one actor is carrying the entire scene it begins to look lopsided. The 'giver' might even get tired and give up. When the actors work together, however, bouncing ideas off one another, it is a spectacular thing to watch.

This principle can also be applied to real life. We need to be supporting others in their journey, not always taking for ourselves. Being a giver isn't always easy. It can be hard work and sometimes it takes us outside our comfort zone, but in the end the rewards are great for everyone involved.




It reminds me of Jesus' response when He was asked which was the greatest commandment. In Luke 10:27 He said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind." This is a full scale 'buy in', just like the 'Rule of Agreement'. Then He goes on to say, "And love your neighbour as yourself." What better way to love other people than by being a giver?
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*Examples of the rules in action:

Peggy: Hi Grandma. How are you today?

Bill: I'm not your Grandma.

Done. Dead. Scene over. Nothing kills a scene more quickly than Bill NOT agreeing to

Peggy's suggestion that he is her Grandma. Boo! Let's do that over.



Peggy: Hi Grandma. How are you today?

Bill: Your meds are making you hallucinate again. I'm not your Grandma, remember?

Bill still isn't buying in, but at least he gave Peggy another avenue to carry the scene forward.



Peggy: Hi Grandma. How are you today?

Bill: Just fine, dearie, Come on in and I'll fix you some cocoa after I feed my pet rhinoceros. 

Okay... probably not what Peggy was expecting, but Bill bought in to her idea AND

offered new information that she now has to run with.

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Tracy Krauss continues to write - and play theatre games - in her role as Drama teacher at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School. Visit her website for more: http://tracykrauss.com  

- fiction on the edge without crossing the line -