Tip of the Week
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One of the first games a lot of people get on stage to play
is Tag Line.
A simple scene game, it involves two people to sit in chairs and
say the
first thing that comes to mind when tagged. Their job is simple.
The job
of the other two players in the scene is hard, for they must justify
whatever is said and make it work in the context of the scene.
You've all
seen it played, but let's examine what makes the game work: Justification.
The scene partners must use whatever the people in the chair
shout
out as dialog. They justify non-sense into the scene, and this
is what
sells the game. Without justification, the scene falls flat.
Let's look
at this example in a scene about painting a house, where Donny
and Marie
are tagging Tito and Randy of the Jackson Five.
Donny: I think I'll paint the house with this(tags Tito)
Tito: Marble?
Donny: Marble.
Marie: Yes. I'll spread them with this (Tags Randy)
Randy: I hate Janet!
Marie: I hate Janet! Let's get to work.
As you can see, that makes no sense. Sure, we'd all like to
laugh
at poor Randy and Tito's zany talk, but there is no logic to the
scene.
Surrealism doesn't play well in tagline. What we want are solid
justifications of why this non-sense is being used. Let's try
again.
Donny: I think I'll paint the house with this(tags Tito)
Tito: Marble?
Donny: Marble. Yes, liquid Italian marble, to give the homestead
that
roman look you love!
Marie: Yes. I'll spread it with this (Tags Randy)
Randy: I hate Janet!
Marie: I hate Janet! She made a pass at you last New Years,
so I'll use
her hair, which I cut off when she passed out drunk on top of
you!
Donny: Honey, I'm sorry
Justification turns non-sense into scene work. Here are some
important tips for justifying in Tag Line. First, always repeat
what the
person in the chair just said. It makes sure that the audience
heard the
line, and reinforces that your character meant to say that. Second,
tie
it into the scene immediately. Don't expect to get back to the
justification later. Third, never justify with "cop outs"
like
drunkenness, insanity, or the like. Fourth, don't be afraid to
trust your
partner if you are coming up blank. He or she is just as responsible
for
justifying as you are. Fifth, if all else fails, and you and
your partner
have no reason for dialog, start talking about why you said it,
and it
will come to you 9 times out of 10 before you finish your sentence.
There are many games that are based on the principles of
justification. Prop Shop of Horrors, the Play Game, Hat line,
and Stage
Directions come to mind. But all games can benefit from the lessons
taught by justification games. If you or your partner breaks
a "rule" of
improv, it is better to justify the choice and continue than to
panic. If
you had an accent that has disappeared, you better tell the audience
why
it happened. If you accidentally walk through your car on stage,
the
audience wants to know how. The audience is willing to suspend
disbelief
if you are willing to justify errors.
So when something goes wrong on stage, spin-doctor that negative
into a
positive, just like politicians do. And if you are playing a
justification game, remember that's the point. Remember, at FNI
there are
no bad reasons, only unknown ones. Random action without Justification
is
like taxation without representation; it's not fair!