Elvira says, "Ok, what this workshop aims to do is look at techniques
for improvising stories and scenes, taken from Keith Johnstone's books
'Impro' and 'Impro for Storytellers'"

nails will be actively idling soon enough.

Elvira says, "There is no pressure to make us laugh, the emphasis is
on stories - and fully exploring ideas rather than gags. Comedy might
evolve from this but it's not what we're focussing on :)"

Marretta has arrived.  Marretta appears from out of nowhere.

Elvira says, "Also, there is no way to make mistakes here. I might offer
suggestions or throw things in, but I won't criticise. If anything goes
wrong, blame me, it's my fault cos I'm suggesting the exercises and
running the workshop. I in turn will blame Keith Johnstone. Which is
what he asks all his students to do. There is no blame anywhere else :)"

Jules says, "Huzzah, permission to be irresponsible! :D"

Êlvïrå nodnods to Jules, "In fact, I would ask for you to be as creative
and imaginative as possible. Don't censor your ideas or yourself."

Jules opens an umbrella, violating the sanctity of the place.

Elvira says, "If you say something weird and everyone goes 'Huh?' then
that's better than saying something dull or expected. At the same time
though, try and follow the exercises."

Viila says, "Um, this is the place for absurdities, Jules. That won't
work inside here ;>"

Jules says, "I guess I'll just have to be sane. :("

Oni has connected.

Tramp thinks . o O (  I'm glad Pee Wee Herman isn't attending this. )

Oni says, "Wow, lot of people here. Did I connect into the middle of
something fun?"

Elvira says, "This is quite a weird thing to do because we've got to
rely on text storytelling rather than the physical energy which is always
so important in theatre workshops. But that's fine. We have many of the
same tools as we could expect in a theatre workshop. Masks and costumes
are often useful for improvising scenes or exploring dramatic ideas. We
have @name and @desc. These are pretty efficient masks and costumes :)"

Viila says, "Yes, Oni."

Elvira says, "Yeah, we're having an improvisation workshop :)"

Oni says, "oic" Oni leaves the deli.  Oni has left.

Elvira says, "Ok, does anyone have any questions or anything they'd like
to say before we start trying some things? :)"

Jules says, "Yes."

Jules says, "Jabberwocky."

Oni comes into the deli.  Oni has arrived.

Elvira says, "Brilliant. Anyone else want to ask anything?"

Viila says, "Will there be a comedy workshop too sometime? ;>"

Elvira says, "Maybe :) Might do that as part of arts month"

Elvira says, "Ok, let's rock. First game is one we can all do."

Elvira says, "It's called /Let's!/ The way we play is that I'll say
something like, "Let's brush our teeth!" and everyone joining in says,
"YES! LET'S!" and immediately poses brushing their teeth. Type as fast
as you can, don't think too much, but if you want to brush your teeth
in a slightly odd or creative way, go ahead. It'll get spammy but
what the hell ;) I'll begin with an action. You all join in and say,
"YES LET'S!" and start posing that action"

Elvira says, "Did I explain that understandably?"

Jules brushes his eyeteeth with a nailfile. "What?" D:

Elvira says, "Ok..."

Tokeli has arrived.

Elvira says, "Let's... all run for a bus"

Elvira says, "Go! Altogether, "YES LET'S!" and start posing"

Elvira says, "now :)"

tramp, running for a bus, says, "Yes let's! you guys coming?"

Oni says, "YES LET'S!"

Jules says, "YES LET'S! :D"

Oni misses the bus. Oni misses the bus. The bus hits. Oni dies. Do you
want his possessions identified?

Elvira says, "YES LET'S!"

tramp chuckles.

Jules runs over and stands atop his computer equipment attempting to gain
votes to be elected for the bus. Promises more memory, and two bits for
an ale! (And eight bits for a byte to eat!)

Tokeli says, "YES LET'S! :D"

Êlvïrå runs for the bus, cornflake bowl still in hand

nails says, "YES LET'S!!"

Molikai has arrived.

Elvira says, "ok, someone continue the story with a suggestion for a
further action. Begin with, "Let's...""

Marretta says, "Yes, let's!" and brings back her USB adapter.

tramp grins.

nails runs up the side of the embankment and onto the guardrail of the
overpass. When the bus appears, he leaps...

Jules says, "Let's mug Molikai! Wait, no.. uhh... Let's all play
checkers!"

Elvira says, "Ok, stop a moment"

Oni says, "YES LET'S!"

Elvira says, "stop stop stop :)"

Molikai says, "Yes Let's!"

Jules halts momentarily.

Oni comes to a screeching halt, slamming into a wall.

Viila stops the time.

nails misses the bus, but not the pavement. oof.

tramp slams into the bus... which stopped.

Êlvïrå giggles

Elvira says, "Jules..."

Jules says, "Yes?"

Elvira says, "Why did you change your suggestion? The first one was
great! It suited being on a bus, it was weird and spontaneous. That's
good. Checkers is kinda mundane and you don't often play it on a bus."

Elvira says, "Let's go with 'Let's mug Molikai!' :)"

Elvira says, "LET'S MUG MOLIKAI!"

tramp says, "Yes, let's!"  Marretta says, "Yes, Let's!"  nails says,
"YES LET'S!"  Viila says, "Yes, lets!"

tramp offers Molikai a mug of root beer.

Jules cackles insanely and mugs Molikai with a checkerboard! Removes him
from the game! Also removes his wallet from his pocket. Clearly lacks
any rational sense. :D

Viila takes Molikai's mugshot.

nails peels himself off the road, climbs in through the back door of
the bus, finds Molikai and hits him up for a bandaid. When the request
is refused, nails steals his wallet.

Êlvïrå claps. "Someone throw in another 'Let's' suggestion :)

nails says, "Let's all go to the ball game!"

Elvira says, "try and keep it going. When everyone seems to have posed,
someone throw in a continuation of the story, beginning with 'Let's'"

Elvira says, "YES LET'S!"

tramp says, "Yes, let's!"

Êlvïrå jumps off the bus, dragging Molikai by the hair into the stadium

Viila says, "Yes let's!"

tramp puts on a ballgown, "okay, how do you play this game?"

Viila steps from the bus to the field dressed for a ball.

Marretta ignores the ball game and goes straight for the hotdogs, beer,
and Cracker Jacks.

Tokeli jumps off the bus and runs into a pole in the parking lot.

nails jumps into the driver's seat and pilots the enormous vehicle into
the stadium, crashing through hapless gates along th eway.

Elvira says, "Let's all throw hotdogs at the pitch!"

Molikai throws a burning poodle at the pitch.

Tokeli says, "Les let's!"  Tokeli says, "Or whatever!"  nails says,
"YES, LET US!"  tramp says, "Yes, let's!"

Marretta throws a shitzu in menopause.

Tokeli pushes a few boxes of hotdogs in front of nail's bus. *wham*

nails picks a hotdog off the windshield and throws it carelessly away.

tramp opens a pack of oscar mayers and puts them in the boiling tar.

Elvira says, "someone else throw in an action, quick :)"

Viila tars and feathers Molikai's poodle with some pitch.

Elvira says, "try and keep it going for a few more poses"

tramp says, "Let's throw the batter over the fence."

Elvira says, "YES LET'S!"

Molikai throws batter over Tramp.

nails says, "YES LET'S!"

Tokeli says, "NO LET'S NOT! D:"

Marretta uses flour and butter and a pinch of salt and pepper to batter
the fence.

Viila grabs some batter, spins up a pizza, but misses his throw and gets
it all over his head.

Elvira says, "Ok, stop the game for a moment, let's talk about this,
cos some interesting things have come up"

Jules ends up late to the ballgame as he enters doing a logroll. :(
Gets batter chucked all over him and falls down. Then is hit by a batter
/named/ Chuck. "Let's go to the hospital!" D:

nails throws the shifter into gear and heads for home plate. As the
bumper connects with the athlete, physics kicks in.

Elvira says, "Great work, everyone. STOP! :D"

nails says, "Sorry, the brakes on this thing suck."

Viila hands Elvira a large red stop sign. <_<

Jules lies on the ground, battered in two ways and bruised twice. "No
problem."

Molikai offers beep()

nails has sound off.

Elvira says, "ooh, I like the beep thing"

Elvira says, "Ok..."

nails didn't hear that.

Elvira says, "A few notes on this"

tramp got flashed!

Êlvïrå puts her top back on

Oni hits printscreen first.

Tokeli takes a picture first.

nails shushes.

Elvira says, "This is a really silly game and is just to get us warmed
up, but one of the things that we are trying to achieve with this is
that we really want to be trying to make a vaguely coherent if bizarre
story. There's a real temptation to try and be clever and to make
'gags.' This sort of works on M*U*S*H and is the way we often talk
here. But I think what we want to do is look at building something
interesting with roleplay improvisation."

Viila says, "That's because text easily lends itself to puns, and we
have no problems summoning up props to support them. ;>"

Jules summons &-props from the unholy world of MUCKs.

Êlvïrå nodnods to Viila, "Yeah, you're right. I was just thinking about
how reading the text does that"

Tokeli banishes them back to whence they came! Or somesuch.

Elvira says, "But..."

nails dramatically idles now.

Elvira says, "the problem with puns in this sort of work is that they
don't go anywhere. They're funny briefly but they don't help /build/
a story."

Marretta says, "Heh, they built entire text based games in the days of
Zork and HHGttG."

Wilco says, "Well, nobody really played the latter for the story."

Marretta nods

Elvira says, "Well, I agree Marr. But what I'm really interested in
doing in the context of this workshop is building stories."

Viila remembers the T-remover from the Leather Goddess of Phobos. Able
to turn a rabbit into a rabbi...

Molikai says, "A tramp int oa ramp?"

Viila says, "For example."

Jules hmms.

Elvira says, "Puns are fine. But turning a story into something improbable
and illogical for the sake of a pun is a bit cheap if we're looking at
seriously putting together stories. Now if you can do the pun cleverly
and still keep the story making sense and feeling satisfying, then you're
onto something :)"

Molikai says, "So, It's a question of how t ocreate a story from a
random outburst?"

Êlvïrå smiles, "Or maybe a not so random one. It's a question of how to
build a story from a starting point - the starting point can be anything -
an outburst, a new hat, a prop, a sentence, an action..."

Elvira says, "Our goal in these games is to accept an idea that another
player comes up with and then offer another idea that follows. Acceptance
is a really critical thing. 'Blocking' is the opposite of acceptance. If
a player offers an idea, say 'I'm walking into the forest' then the
other players should be considering how to accept that idea and make
it interesting. If another player says, "I'm cutting down the trees and
the forest is gone" then they've just blocked that idea."

Oni says, "So we're not writing Xanth novels?"

Elvira says, "Dunno what Xanth is :("

tramp says, "mix of high fantasy and high pun."  tramp says, "good
reading when you'r hig... er... nm."

Elvira says, "at this point, I just want to say that I'm /not/ trying to
knock anyone's RP style or creativity or prescribe how we should RP. I'm
just proposing a /different/ way of trying things within a specific
framework. I'm specifically bringing in a particular practitioner's
improvisation techniques which work in live improvisation and seeing
whether they can work in textual roleplay."


Elvira says, "So what I'm trying to do when I offer criticisms or
suggestions is to get you looking at and understanding this particular
framework and style."

Elvira says, "if you choose to take that and apply elements of it to
your RP, then great, if not, then at least maybe we've had fun and tried
something :)"

Oni hmm...  Oni says, "YES LET'S!"

Êlvïrå giggles

Jules smirks.

Molikai gribs. "Hmm. s owhat next?" :()

Oni says, "Next I die in nethack."

Elvira says, "Ok, let's try another game..."

#-1 Unknown function :().

Êlvïrå thinks for a sec

Jules throws a c at Oni.

Oni `

Elvira says, "Ok, I need a volunteer :)"

Everyone except Jules takes one step backward.

Elvira says, "Brilliant, Jules :)"

Elvira says, "You are my fabulous actor. This game is called 'What
Comes Next?'"

Elvira says, "And actually, the rest of the group are going to do most
of the work"

Molikai grins.

Elvira says, "Your job is to ask 'What comes next?' - the group will
tell you, and you will pose that. And then ask it again. And again,
they'll tell you"

Molikai says, "Should this be a round-robin, s ohe isn't spammed t
odeath? i.e. me, then nails, then..?"

Elvira says, "The group will try and keep in mind the ideas I've just
brought up about forwarding the story. You need to be committed to
whatever they tell you and go along with it."

Sketch has arrived.

Jules shrugs softly and pulls out an axe. :D

Elvira says, "Well, we could do it either way - we could do it with
people shouting out suggestions as they have them. Or we could do it
round robin style. Hmm"

Elvira says, "Let's do it round robin, ok" Elvira says, "Hands up who
wants to offer suggestions in the group" Elvira says, "So we can see
who's playing and set an order"

Molikai raises both his hands, both his wings, and his tail.

Êlvïrå :)

tramp raises a hand.

Elvira says, "Marr? V? Sketch?"

Molikai raises Sketch's hand for him.  Molikai says, "He'll thank
me later."

Oni says, "Should the what's next be actions for him to take, or abience
for him to react to?"

Elvira says, "Actually, Sketch, maybe it's better to watch as you've
just got in :)"

Oni says, "ambience"

Jules casts Stone to Flesh on Oni. Or is it Stoni?

Elvira says, "Either. It could be 'You go for a walk' or it could be
'The phone rings'"

Oni says, "The Intergalactic Hyperspace Planning Comission is demolishing
your home to make way for a bypass."

Elvira says, "Ok, so we have Molikai, tramp and Oni in that order. That's
fine. So Jules, you start by asking 'What happens next?' and Molikai
will give you a suggestion :)"

Elvira says, "Go!"

Oni says, "Og, sorry. XD"

Elvira says, "no worries, Oni :)"

Molikai waits for Jules.

Êlvïrå pokes Jules :)

Jules uhohs. Is crashing. D: stayed up too late and now suffers the
wrath of the great tiredness+insanity.

Molikai volunteers, then?

Elvira says, "Ok, Molikai be the actor. Jules do you want to take
Molikai's place in the group offering suggestions?"  Elvira says, "Jules?"
Elvira says, "Ok, I guess it's tramp, me and Oni. Molikai, you start :)"

Oni says, "I think Jules it bowing out entirely in favor of sleep."

Elvira says, "tramp, then Oni, then me"

Elvira says, "fair 'nuff"

Jules says, "Erk! I'll try? No promises, my conciousness is doing weird
things. Probably best if someone else didit."

Wilco says, "Well, nobody really played the latter for the story."
Wilco says, "Er, my bad."

Elvira says, "don't worry Jules, just watch"

Elvira says, "Molikai, go :)"

Molikai says, "What comes Next?"

Elvira says, "tramp gives a suggestion now..."

tramp says, "It begins to snow, heavily... blowing in through the
windows."

You paged Molikai with 'Ok, so you react and then ask again :)'

Oni tries to turn nethack off in his brain before his contribution is
"suddenly, fifteen hill orcs spawn in your room in full view."

Molikai shuts the windows, shivering, and closes the nice, thick
curtains. And puts the heating on. And gets a hot water bottle. And some
blankets. "What's Next?"

Elvira says, "hang on Oni, Molikai had to react :)"

Oni says, "I know, I'm saying I -don't- want that to be my answer."

Êlvïrå grins, "Oh, sorry :)"

Elvira says, "good stuff Molikai. Oni's turn"

Oni says, "The snow gets deeper, and soon power goes out."

Êlvïrå beams

Molikai sighs, and lights some candles, then calls the power company
to see how long it will be until they fix it. THen curls back up in the
blankets. "What's next?"

Elvira says, "Alone in the candlelight you hear a sound outside. Rushing
footsteps."

Molikai frowns, grabs a kitchen knife, and goes to check all the doors
are locked. He usually locks them, but it's best to be sure.

(You forgot to say something, Molikai...)

"What comes Next?" Molikai mutters, ever s osoftly.

tramp says, "When you return to your chair and blankets, there is now a
crackling fire in the fireplace, next to which has been hung a sock full
of fresh fruit. There is the faint smell of peanut butter cookiesin
the room. You hear the rushing footsteps again as they fade off in
the distance."

Elvira says, "Stop a moment :)"

tramp snickers.

Elvira says, "Why do the footsteps fade off?"

Oni says, "Yeah, that's a block isn't it, and I think that level of
detail is more than the goal of the game?"

Elvira says, "I'm not worried about the detail except that it slows the
game down a little. But losing the footsteps is a block."

tramp says, "because they moved on to the next house?"

Oni says, "I think he's trying to imply the presence of a supernatural
winter-holiday-related being. :D"

Wilco says, "No it's not, blocking is good. I'm not blocking at all."
Wilco nods sagely.

Elvira says, "it's like cutting down the trees in the forest. At this
point, I'd like to bring up the topic of 'commitment' - it's really scary
in impro to pin something down. It's easy to keep procrastinating, say
'I open the box... and inside is.... another box... and inside the other
box is... some paper... and inside the paper is...' and you never get to
the end. And it slows everything down. Don't be afraid of commiting to
an idea even if it sounds weird and crazy. Inside the box is... a spider,
a dead body, a cake, a dildo! Anything except 'Another box'"

Elvira says, "Same applies here. Don't be afraid of saying what the
footsteps belong to. His mum, a frightened boy, a werewolf. Anything is
fine. But if the footsteps go away, nothing happens"

Sketch says, "What a pervy little spider.."

Jules says, "Inside a box is..."

Elvira says, "A crazy thing happening is better than nothing"

Jules says, "...the box itself!"

tramp says, "should I re-suggest?"

Oni says, "It's okay to have another box in there if there's some
significance."

Jules says, "Figure that one out, space-time!"

Êlvïrå nodnods, "Please tramp. Let's go back to the game"

Elvira says, "maybe Oni, that's just an example"

Oni says, "For example, I made it snow more. But I put an effect of it
to make the added snow significant."

Elvira says, "you put in the power outage. Yeah, that advanced the
story :)"

Oni says, "If I'd just said, "It keeps snowing", that wouldn't have
helped any."

tramp suggests, "there is a knock at the front door."

Êlvïrå actually thinks this is a /really/ important concept for MUSH
RPing. I've been in scenes that have gone on for hours not going anywhere
because no-one wanted to commit to a decision or an event :)

Molikai frowns, moving to the peephole - cautiously, knife still in
hand, tense and ready to jump back if, oh, someone tries to poke his
eye out. "What next?"

Elvira says, "That's ok, tramp... but how about..."

tramp says, "look out, elv. he's got a knife."

Elvira says, "A huge clawed hand comes through the door, splintering
the wood. It's followed by a hairy face with gleaming yellow eyes and
a drooling maw."

Sketch says, "OH SNAP A GRUE"

Êlvïrå :)

Sketch sorries. :) *ziplip*

Oni says, "Well there goes what -I- was going to suggest."

Êlvïrå notes.. her suggestion wasn't massively original but it advances
the story

Elvira says, "sorry Oni"

Oni says, "Is that an official suggestion?"

Elvira says, "wanna try with something else?"

Elvira says, "Go ahead and carry on the game from the knock on the door,
Oni if you like Molikai shall repose? :)

Oni says, "No, looking through the peephole is fine. I can respond
to that."

Elvira says, "nah, your pose was fine Molikai. Just ignore my monster
coming through the door :D"

Oni says, "It's your girlfriend! She has a box of instant hot chocolate
packets, but she looks mad..."

Êlvïrå :)

Molikai gulps, deeply, quickly putting the knife on the dresser and
opening the door, gesturing her inside. "Come in, Come in, Oh god,
I thought.. It's so good to see you!" a warm, friendly smile, as I
desperately thinks, 'What /next/?'

Sake has arrived.

Êlvïrå grins, "Ok, tramp, do you want another go or shall we move on to
one last game?"

tramp thought you were next?  tramp shrugs.  tramp says, "your game. I
just following along."

Êlvïrå nodnods, "I think that's probably a good stopping point for the
story though. Really good stuff everyone :)"

Elvira says, "hi Sake. Welcome :)" Saké wves.

Elvira says, "Ok, I'm going to suggest one last game. Let's play with
status."

Oni is confused and hallucinating.

Elvira says, "whassup Oni? Does anyone want to ask anything or talk
about anything at this point?"

Jules applies a unicorn horn to Oni! Splorch. ... "I think I did it
really wrong." :(

Oni killed by a unicorn horn at level 1 with 34 points.

Oni says, "So anyways, Status? :D"

Viila says, "He was making another NetHack joke. ;>"

Marretta has disconnected.

Elvira says, "Ok... Status is a really interesting thing and whole scenes
can come out of just figuring out how two characters react to each other
based upon their status... It's a /really/ important factor in comedy
in particular."

Elvira says, "Status is a funny thing because certain things convey
status. A politician, a teacher, a dentist, an army commander, a
dominatrix, a man in a suit. Any of those are sterotypically high
status. A schoolboy, a 70's wife... should be low status"

Elvira says, "Comedy in particular comes from screwing with those
roles. Bart Simpson, a schoolboy has high status. Cybil Fawlty has high
status. Basil Fawlty should have high status but actually can't keep
control and usually has low status."

Viila puts on a top hat.

Oni says, "Monty Python should have low status, but can't keep control
and so has high status?"

Elvira says, "This is a bit of a tangent, but as V asked about comedy I'm
throwing it in :) Stand-up comics in particular pay a lot of attention to
status - some wear suits, some come on shabbily dressed. Sometimes they
do a double bluff by acting in a manner not suggested by their clothes."

Elvira says, "does this make sense?"

Viila adjusts his pocket watch and monocle. "What choo talkin bout
guv?" <_<

Elvira says, "Hugh Grant is another example. He's upper-middle class,
well dressed and good looking. Yet he almost always plays low status,
stuttering, unsure of himself and confused"

Elvira says, "So what I'd like to do is play one last game, using status
as the starting point for the scene"

Elvira says, "You can choose whether you want to watch or play :)"

Elvira says, "who wants to play? :)"

Sketch would just like to watch..thanks. ^_^;

tramp likes to watch until sufficiently aroused.

Elvira says, "hmm. It really needs two or three people to play"

tramp blames Johnstone.

Jules offers his corpse.

tramp will play.

Elvira says, "tramp, Jules... Sake?"

Jules says, "No, not Jules, just his body. :( Jules is tired, but offers
himself as a prop."

Êlvïrå hmms, "I need actors who are alive and well ;)"

Viila props Jules against the wall in an embarrassing pose.

Elvira says, "V? :)"

Viila says, "Sure."

Jules successfully lures another out! Has been useful.

Elvira says, "Ok, tramp and Viila. Sake, wanna play?"

Molikai says, "Sure."

Elvira says, "Ok, that's four I think"

Elvira says, "Right, there's a party at tramp's house. Each of you
needs to pick a profession - it can be obscure, it can be ostentatious,
it can be pathetic, it can be mundane, it can be glorious."

tramp's house is a cardboard refrigerator box, down by the bowry.

Sketch will be Tramp. It's a hard job, but somebody's got to do it. Oh,
the role is taken?

Elvira says, "Great, that works, tramp :)"

Saké says, "I'll play."

Elvira says, "Great. Has everyone got an occupation in mind?"

Saké nods.

Elvira says, "If you have, I'm going to assign you each a status between
1 and 5 via page."

tramp has his profession chosen.

Viila has.

Elvira says, "1 is the lowest of the low. You feel utterly worthless. 5
is king of the world. These are /attitudes/ - you maintain your occupation
throughout, but your status will change"

Oni says, "Ooooh."  Oni says, "That looks fun."  Oni says, "Do we tell
people our occupation?"

Elvira says, "What you need to do is roleplay a party. Chat to one
another, about anything you like. About your jobs, your day. Stay with
your occupation at all times though. Your occupation is what you do,
no matter your status."

Molikai has his occupation worked out.  Molikai says, "Do we tell people,
or just you ?:)"

Elvira says, "Try and keep the poses succinct - no need for lots of
ambient detail etc."

Elvira says, "You can tell each other if you want, but you don't have
to as long as you play it throughout. You don't even have to tell me :)"

Elvira says, "Ok, everyone playing please raise their hands quick cos
I'm tired and have forgotten"

Molikai raises hand.

Saké raises hand.

Jules . o O ( I'm an secret agent racecar driver astronaught
billionair. .. with a cowboy hat! from space! )

Elvira says, "V, Oni, tramp, Molikai and Sake, right?"

Viila raises a hand.

Oni wasn't in, just asking questions.

Elvira says, "ah, ok, Oni :)"

Elvira says, "If you want in, you can be though"

Oni is probably going to have to go really soon now, though. *waits by
phone, staring*

tramp in.

Elvira says, "Ok, I'm paging your status. As soon as you have that,
you can start posing"

You paged tramp with '2' You paged Molikai with '4' You paged Viila with
'5' You paged Sake with '1'


tramp offers newspapers to people to sit on as they arrive.  tramp says,
"anybody bring any booze?"

Molikai strides in as if he owns the place, glancing at the papers with
a sigh. "Some wine, yes, but nothing, I suspect, t oyour tastes."

Viila steps "in" from the street. "I have a bottle of '58 Chardonay,
I brought it with me since I thought this place wouldn't quite live up
to my standards."

tramp says, "if yer not sharin' go do that in someone else's refrigerator
box. *points at the other residents of skid row*"

Êlvïrå giggles

Molikai snorts. "I hardly said I Wasn't sharing, TRamp. It's merely
that I thought, perhaps, you would tend to more student fare. Do you
have a glass?"

tramp holds out an empty jam jar, "yep."

You paged tramp with 'You're now Status: 1'

Viila says, "A bit squalid. Isn't that."

You paged Molikai with 'You're now status: 5'

Viila looks for a place to sit, carefully avoiding all the bits of
newspaper strewn around.

You paged Molikai with 'Sorry :) I want you to play status 5. Typoed.'

Oni gigglesnorts.

An ambulance shows up, sirens blazing. Sake steps out the back. "We've
received word of a rectal injury...lord, I hate these days, who was it
this time?"

tramp says, "a mite crowded in here. perhaps we should adjourn to the
front ... um... railroad tracks... where there's more room."

Viila says, "Mine is in absolutely perfect shape thank you very much."

Molikai just, stands there, curling his brow a little. "a.. A /what/?" he
says, tiredly.

Viila says, "So. Gentlemen. I don't think I've been introduced to you
who have the honour to be graced by my presence."

Saké says, "Come on, give me a hand raise, I don't want to do a cavity
search any more than you want to receive it. You can't make me hate my
life anymore with a little statue of liberty."

Saké walks up to tramp.

Oni still isn't playing, but the idea of role/status reversal has given
me an interesting mental image I just must emit.

Elvira says, "can you just hold onto the end of the game, Oni?"

Oni says, "I think so. :D Unless the phone rings. XD"

Elvira says, "I want to stop in about five-10 minutes cos I need to
sleep anyway"

Elvira says, "Oni, what status do you think everyone's playing? Don't
think too hard about it. Just assign 1-5 to V, tramp, Sake and Mol"

tramp stares at Sake, "far be it from me to contradict the rectal
professional, but I think you may have the wrong carboard box."

Viila shoos sake away. "Just don't dare to try touch me. I already told
you, I am in absolutely perfect state of health."

Molikai shakes his head, looking to Villa. "Why on /earth /did we deign
t ocome here, Sir? D oyou have aany idea?"

Oni says, "1 to tramp, 2 to sake, viila and molikai are around 4-5?"

Saké says, "Don't be embarassed, you blokes keep me up late at night
with your calls. I'm not worth impressing your friends over."

Êlvïrå nods, "Pretty close"

Elvira says, "Ok, I'm going to stop the game cos I think we've got
the gist"

w "I do say, old chap, come a bit closer. BURRRP!"

Elvira says, "But I have some comments :)"

Saké nods.

Viila says, "Ok. :)"

Molikai says, "m'kay."

Elvira says, "I may be wrong because Oni was pretty close. But I felt
the low status characters were still trying to be high status. Just
because tramp lives in a cardboard box and is a tramp doesn't make him
low status. I felt he was quite assertive and actually would rank him
about 3. Sake too, perhaps. I'd expect maybe a bit more apologetic. Or
humble. It's very hard to judge in text based play and there's no rights
or wrongs. But I think it's an interesting experiment."

Elvira says, "The high status characters were pretty good. Although at
status 5, I'd expect a /commanding/ presence. Overpowering, maybe a very
loud voice, or some other way of assuming control."

Saké says, "I got more along the lines I was supposed to be
self-loathing."  Saké says, "2 to me would be more apologetic."

Êlvïrå nods to Sake. There's no right or wrongs really and it's all open
to interpretation. Oni guessed the statuses really well, so it shows I
could well be wrong :)

Viila nods.

Molikai was thinking more arrogant: /assume/ rights and privelages,
why as kfor them?

Viila says, "Yeah."

Molikai says, "You don't ask for air. you just take it."

Elvira says, "true, Mol"

Oni says, "My interpretation of tramp as 1 was due to molikai's
interaction."

tramp was attempting to be an accomodating host... in a carboard box.

Oni says, "Nothing -you'd- be accustomed to drinking."

Êlvïrå nodnods to tramp

Saké says, "That's a referring to his occupation, though."

Oni says, "If they were both high class, they'd be laughing about the
circumstance of being in the box."

tramp says, "if I'd had my preference, we'd have had this party over at
the brewery."

Saké says, "Not his status/attitude."

Elvira says, "It's really good that we're discussing this - that's all
the exercise is meant to do really, to get us thinking about how we play
a character. Just because we're a mafia boss or president of the USA
doesn't mean we should stalk around like we own the place. Just because
we're a homeless guy or a kid we should be submissive and shy"

Elvira says, "Course if everyone turns the stereotypes on their heads,
that becomes dull too. But it's an interesting one to think about"

Elvira says, "Oni, you had something to say?"

Jules has disconnected.

Saké says, "Well, that's why Lewis Black is extremely successful."
Saké says, "He comes off as very sophisticated..and he is utterly uncouth
in his comedy."

Elvira says, "weird, second time in two hours I've heard his name... and
never heard of him before :)"

Saké laughs.

Viila says, "Heh."

Êlvïrå really needs to watch more US stand-ups

Viila says, "There's a fancy term for that sort of coincidences, but I
can't for the life of me remember it."

Saké says, "Actually, contrast is a MAJOR part of comedy, isn't it?"

Molikai says, "happenstance."

Saké says, "Not just in appearances."

Viila says, "Yeah, Sake."

Molikai says, "Once is chance, twice is coincidence, third time is
enemy action!"

Viila says, "No, fancy name for this specific type of happenstance. Ie,
that you hear of something you've never heard of before, and then come
across it again very soon."

Elvira says, "Ok, I need to wrap this up cos I'm shattered and have to
be at uni all day tomorrow. This has been a really good workshop. I know
it's been a bit tough in parts and I've come across as sounding critical
- but my criticisms are entirely based in the context and framework of
Johnstone style impro. They're not a reflection on how you RP or play in
general on text games. I really hope I've provided a few concepts that
may be useful in future. If not, I hope we've had a fun couple of hours."

tramp says, "jamais vu"

Viila says, "I had fun."

tramp says, "and deja vu."

Viila says, "Thanks for the workshop, Elv :)"

Elvira says, "The key concepts we dealt with were acceptance and building,
not blocking, commitment to making things happen and not chickening
out. And lastly status"

Elvira says, "If you want to find out more, either of Keith Johnstone's
books are good. The storytelling one is particularly good for text
based games."

Elvira says, "If you want to talk about anything from this workshop with
me or try anything or run something else similar, I'd be very happy to
help or contribute."

Oni says, "I said it already."  Oni says, "It involved a purple worm
with a monocle."

Viila says, "Either? He's written 5 books according to wikipedia."

Elvira says, "thank you all for coming. And thank you for being commited
to the workshop and following through the exercises properly. I really
appreciate that."

Viila says, "Oh wait, those aren't all his books. 3 are books about
him :P"

Molikai bows. "Sorry I was late."

tramp claps, careful not to spill his jam jar full of wine.

Elvira says, "'Impro' or 'Impro for Storytellers' are the two I'm
recommending :)"

Viila nods.

Elvira says, "ok, I'm going to bed. G'night all! :)"