Player A
Dave, I haven't felt this young in years. Thanks for taking me out.
Player B
You always loved going fishing, I remember when you taught that adult education course on it last year
Player A
Yeah, I did always want to teach...
Player B
You always said that! Even back in elementary school you were dressing up like our teachers! Remember Mr. Carsen, you two had a really strange relationship
Player A
Yeah, he really treated me like a son, he was a great guy...
Player B
That's why you got that tattoo of his face on your neck...
Player A
Uh, yeah. That I did.
Player B
While you were in prison, for fishing without a license!
Boy, is Player B being supportive. Look at all of that information he's giving his partner! He even brought it back around to fishing! What a rich stew we have now! If only there was a scene!
This pattern I call "The Waterfall". It's a deluge of information in one direction with little regard to the scene. When you're The Waterfall, you can feel good about yourself: you're endowing your partner with so many gifts! The problem is that without taking care of yourself, or allowing your partner to give back, you end up with a scene that is an exercise in describing and inventing instead of exploration.
Players who are writers fall into this rhythm ( I know I've done it a lot in the past), because what feels like a great round of "yes anding" is in reality a one-man-writing-room. This becomes especially apparent watching performances on tape.
To combat The Waterfall, and other writer-y beasts, slow down, recenter yourself, limit your words, make the choice to listen. It's the now that's the most important. Take a breath, maybe busy part of your brain with an informative object, but most importantly run the circuit: look at your partner and decide what you are feeling, what they are feeling, and then how that affects you. Then maybe say something about it. From your perspective. About you. Right now.
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