The Rules of Improvisation - the Commedia Convention

Whenever people play together we need to agree to a bunch of rules. In Counter-Strike you agree to try and off your buddies with various guns, in Commedia you improvise a renaissance comedy. The big difference is that in most computerized games the program takes care of the rules and enforces them. In Commedia the rules are no more than tips and recommendations on how to make the game enjoyable for everyone. You can play the game any way you like, from a serious re-enactment of historical Commedia to a chat room with gestures, the choice is yours, just make sure everyone expects the same playing style when you begin. Below you find our best advice for a successful session of Commedia, together they form the dafault "rules" of the Commedia - the Commedia Convention.

The Rule of Character
Act and talk as if you were the character at all times.

The Rule of Action
Nothing will happen unless you make it.

The Rule of Comittment
Take the act of playing Commedia seriously and try to believe in what you say and do on stage. Be as funny and cynical as you want in character but don't distance yourself from the experience itself.

The Rule of Masks
The characters you play in the Commedia are new takes on age-old archetypes. Act them out as they are described, their gestural range and look has been tailored to fit a certain personality and the game will be richer if you try to act these out as fully as possible.

The Rule of Setting
The Commedia is set in the decadent city of Vendora, a fictional city in Renaissance Italy. The description of the city and the players ideas about the period form the foundation for improvisation. Stick to it and try not to use references to modern phenomena.

The Rule of Collaboration
Your fellow players are your greatest resources, be perceptive of what they are up to and add to their stories by reacting to what they are saying.

The Rule of Responsibility
You are responsible for moving the story forward. There are no specific plot points or stages programmed into the Commedia, you have to push action soley by interacting with the other players.

The Rule of Audaciousness
Cut loose and go wild, it's better to overreact than not react. You are in no way responsible for what your character does and says during the game.

Using Gestures

An actors physical presence on stage is the basis of any theatrical performance. A pose, step or gesture often captures a character and her feelings far better than a thousand fancy words. In the Commedia each character has a set of approximatley a dozen pre-defined gestures tailored to suit the Mask and a handful facial expressions. The Captain swings his sword with bravado, the Harlequin farts and teases while Isabelle hides a grin behind her fan. The gestures give you control over your Masks physical presence. Use them to underscore your lines or give them a double meaning. If you smile and jump about while telling the tragic tale of your mothers demise you will come across quite differently from when you cry and go down on your knees doing the same. Since the gestures are performed by klicking buttons you can easily insert gestures in the middle of a conversation, timing them to your lines. The importance of movement on the stage cannot be overempasized. Nothing is as boring as a stage where the characters just stand around and talk. Jump with happiness, kneel in anger and dismiss stupid ideas with a flamboyant flick of the wrist. Watch your fellow players, react to their gestures as well as their words. Play around with the gestures; by interrupting them halfway through you can give the impression of chancing your mind or emulate all sorts of quirks and fidgets. A dozen gestures may not seem like much, but remember that the historical Commediants worked with a limited palette of postures as well. The limitation is part of the art, giving the Commedia it's distinct flavour of controlled chaos.

Using Text

So, the gestures are really important. How about the text? Well, sometimes you need to say something that can't be described by flopping about. That's when you open your mouth and say it. Or in this case, crack your fingers and type it. Imagine how your mask would speak and try to emulate it in text, without making what you say too incomprehensible. Try to capture the character in every line you say, the Commedia is no place to be subtle. Let the Captain rave about past victories, the Harlequin crack jokes and Isabelle flirt and manipulate. Use archaic language when it suits you and what you're trying to convey, but don't get stuck using thou's, thee's and perchance all the time. Shakespearian English goes stale quickly unless done with great skill. Don't be afraid to use harsh language or outright profanities if it adds to the scene. I'm quite convinced the historical Commedia had it's fair share of cussing and considering the subject matter of the scenarios it may be hard to avoid. If some actor is especially sensitive, use whatever means of censorship you feel is appropriate.

Listening and Responding

More important than what you say is how you listen. No skill is more fundamental in improvisation than listening to and responding to the other actors and their actions. It's easy to carry on your own thread of improvisation and ignore what the other actors are doing, quickly degenerating the play into three parallell monolouges. Always read the others lines and react to them directly without forgetting where you were going yourself. If someone insults you, yell back, beat them on the head or plan your revenge - don´t let it slide and become forgotten. If someone introduces a off screen character or event, like the local lazy butcher or his fatal fall from a clock-tower, use them as a part of your story. Every thread that is dropped is a waste. Weave your drama together.

Using Voice

As of yet no voice over IP sollution is imbedded in the Commedia application. Feel free to use any of the available sollutions to enable much more fast paced and potentially even more hilarious scenarios.