Re: (TFT) Pitching game to newbies

[Jay Carlisle <maou.tsaou@gmail.com>]

Improv - Brenda Bakker Harger
While improvisational acting cannot be strictly classified as a tabletop
game, there are enough similarities to make it worth examining. Like a
tabletop game, improvisational acting takes place in real time, requires
more than one participant to be present in the same room, and asks those
participants to be willing to play adhering to an agreed upon set of rules.
Improv differs in that there is rarely a “win” state, there
 is usually no
score, and even when presented as “competitive” (i.e. Theat
resports), it
is always cooperative. In both cases, the experience is ephemeral –
 it is
something that exists for a period of time, then is gone, perhaps to be re-
peated, but never in exactly the same way. What follows is an introduc-
tion to improvisational acting – the basic paradigm along with seve
ral
exercises that illuminate that paradigm through immersion. Improvisa-
tional acting is part of the core curriculum at the Entertainment Techno-
logy Center (ETC) at Carnegie Mellon University. The students in this
program are not only interdisciplinary – 40% fall under the ��Art” monik-
er – which includes everything from visual arts – 2D 3D, de
sign, drama,
music, etc., 40% are technical – primarily computer science, but al
so en-
gineering, and 20% are other – business, philosophy, English, etc..
.., they
are also international. Improvisational acting forces them to reexamine
their starting points, creating a level playing field where they begin with
an agreed upon set of rules to create in a new way.
What is Improv?
There is a clear relationship between improvisation and games. A rela-
tionship that includes storytelling, story structure, character develop-
ment, movement, team building, listening, focus, basic acting, and most
of all a paradigm and heuristic that serve both the process of game de-
velopment as well the games themselves. Improvisational acting is a
method of expression through performance which brings participants to
a common starting place enabling them to put aside egos and create to-
gether. Most famously known as a comedy performance vehicle (Second
City, Upright Citizen’s Brigade, Who’s Line is it Anyway?),
 improvisa-
tional acting techniques are also useful in other applications. Improvisers
learn through playing games and exercises to develop a set of hard skills
and soft skills that help them to create. Animators can benefit from char-
acter movement and behavior exercises, producers from effective team
communication and idea generation, programmers from exercises and
patterns that can be replicated in code to inform A.I., game designers in
the heuristic and emphasis on real-time problem solving. The hard skills
182improvisers practice include exercises in the basics of storytelling ��
what
makes a story, how to create a story arc, how do you build suspense; in
character development – what is a character, how to build a charact
er
from an external perspective through body language, how that translates
into personality, psychology, and archetypes; in the character’s ob
jective
– how what they want informs behavior, choices and actions that fur
ther
develop that psychology. Improvisers practice creating sections of story
called scenes which are the building blocks and parts that form a greater
story. These blocks may be defined as CROW; Character, Relationship,
Objective, and Where. We need to know who we are, who we are with,
what we want, and where it all takes place.
The soft skills (those more related to personal interaction and emotion-
al intelligience) practiced are in the form of listening to each other, of
working in teams, of exercising spontaneity, of adding to each other��s
ideas, and becoming great observers – all essential skills for an a
ctor. Im-
provisers use games and exercises to practice these skills. Because the fo-
cus is on taking risks and exploring the moment to moment, improvisa-
tion allows participants to once again access the aspect of self that
creates
in the form of play. In the ETC, all of the first year students are require
d
to take improv. The aim is not to teach them how to perform (although
many of them are perfectly capable by the end of the semester), but to
teach them how to use the skills they develop in improv in their future
work. By placing the emphasis on creation rather than performance, we
are able to focus on the application of skills rather than on achievement.
The Paradigm and the Rules: Why They are Important.
Improvisational acting and games both function by agreeing to follow
a set of rules. In tabletop games, the rules vary from game to game, but
the need for all to agree to play by the rules is constant. In improv, the
rules will vary according to the focus or goal of the game or exercise,
however, there are three universal rules that all improvisers need to fol-
low if they are to move forward in their work together. These rules
define the paradigm. The first rule is: Be fun to play with. This means
having a spirit of generosity, a willingness to share with others and to
not take yourself and your own ideas too seriously. It’s being able
 to in-
corporate other’s ideas. This is different than, “Have fun 
playing,” there
are plenty of people who have no problem having fun but are not fun to
play with. The second rule is: Serve the narrative. In improv, the narrat-
ive is often the story or scene that is unfolding in real time. It also
however refers to anything at all that you are working on that is group-
generated and outside of yourself. Your focus should always be on that ��
183the narrative – rather than your own ideas or agenda. The final 
rule is:
Make your partner look good. Simply, if you are concentrating on the
people you are with and on helping them perform the best they can by
setting them up and supporting them, you will be keeping the other
rules. If you agree to this rule, you can be assured they will also be doin
g
the same.
Making Offers and Assumptions.
Improvisers move the story or the game forward by making offers and
making assumptions. An offer is anything an actor does. Period. An offer
they give this to a partner who treats it like a present and opens it, nam-
ing what’s inside. An offer can be an actor walking on to a stage w
ith a
suitcase, setting it down, and looking around. Suddenly the audience has
questions. Who is that? Where are they? Why are they here? Why now?
Where did they come from? The actor
can be something an actor does, says or emotes. An offer is a gift �� early
in our ETC Improv class, we play a game called Presents. One impro-
viser starts by making an offer of something that has size and weight
–answers these questions, a mo-
ment at a time, but making small advances in her actions. She might
sigh, or look at her watch, or straighten her skirt, or her hair. She might
be sad, or excited, or resigned. Everything she does is an offer to make
more sense of the narrative – to move it forward. The important thi
ng to
remember is that the actor has no more idea of where the narrative is go-
ing than the audience. They are discovering it together a moment, an ac-
tion, an emotion at a time. Like games, the player only has what is in
front of him, and has to make offers in return to move forward. In order
to serve the narrative, we listen for three basic elements: Facts, Feelings
,
and Intentions: facts – what?; Feelings – emotions; and Int
entions – mo-
tivations and justifications.
An assumption is also an offer – usually verbal. The most important
thing to remember about an assumption is that whatever is assumed in
improv is true. If I say you are my mother, you are. If you say we’
re on
the moon, we are. Once an assumption is made, the other actors have to
accept the assumption and work with it.
Presents
There are many variations on this game, but the basic principle is the
same: Two people take turns giving each other imaginary presents. The
first person decides the general characteristics of the present – h
ow big it
is, how much it weighs, what kind of package it comes in, etc., but makes
no attempt to assume what it is. The second person “unwraps�� the
present and names it according to the information he/she has received.
184Then they switch. The game continues as long as anyone wants it to. The
only way this game will work is if the participants are both saying ��yes”
to the other’s offers.
Saying Yes...
Saying Yes is the key to serving the narrative. In the Presents game,
one offers a size and weight without knowing what the present actually
is, the other accepts those parameters and completes the transaction by
naming what it is. In doing so, the participants are not only saying yes,
but they are fulfilling expectations which were created in the initial
offer.
When the expectations are not fulfilled, the audience (and the parti-
cipants) become confused. This non-fulfillment can take several forms.
Blocking (saying no), breaks all of the rules. If the receiving partner
names something that does not coincide with the initial offer – a l
arge
heavy present is a named a feather for example – the offer is block
ed. If I
say you are my mother and you reply with “I’m not your moth
er”, we
have to stop and figure out, well, then who are you? We are not serving
the narrative. The actor who is blocking also is not (in this moment) fun
to play with. Blocking in improv is almost always done out of fear. An
occasional block will be forgiven by the audience, but too many will res-
ult in confusion and negativity. Another exercise in saying yes is in a
game where we describe a painting. Three participants make statements
about a painting they see (of course, imagine) on the opposite wall. The
first person makes a statement: “I see a meadow... ..” The 
second person
agrees to that statement and adds on by saying “Yes, and... there i
s a
blue sky above.” The third person agrees and adds “Yes, and
... .there are
puffy clouds in the sky.” The first person picks up from there ��Yes,
and... .there is a large oak tree on the left hand side,” and so on
. Until
the
participants run out ideas (never!), or fumble in some way - by hesitat-
ing, by adding “I think... ” or turning the statement into 
a question... or
by saying Yes, but... instead of Yes, and... Yes, but is the same as block-
ing. You “pretend’ to agree by saying yes, but you don��t really accept the
offer. Think about it this way; have you ever received a Yes, but apo-
logy? I’m sorry, but ... (endless qualifiers) It’s difficul
t to discern
what is
true. Waffling is a milder form of blocking. A participant waffles when
they refuse to define something that needs definition. If you receive a
present and respond with “Wow! I love this!” or “It
’s just what I
wanted!” without naming what it is, we stall the narrative instead 
of
moving it forward. Students learn to add to ideas rather than judge
them, an all too common problem in any kind of group work – especia
lly
regarding brainstorming. This does not mean that ideas eventually
should not be judged...just not before they have been pushed to their
maximum potential.
Problem Solving in Real Time.
One obvious aspect where games and improv are most alike is in the
need for real time problem solving. Problem solving could be seen as the
basis of all creative processes, the difference with improv is that it is
per-
formed live in real time in a designated space without writing anything
down. Like taking turns in a game, improvisers move the narrative for-
ward by focusing on these three principles:
1. Use small amounts of information
2. Use what’s in front of you – you only have what has been
 intro-
duced in the scene or what has been named explicitly.
3. You need to be present – Observe, Listen....and go slow.
By taking turns, the improvisers ensure that no player is forcing their
ideas on the narrative. By going slow, the improvisers ensure that they
are incorporating everything that has been introduced. The audience
sees everything that is offered and is disappointed when an improviser
misses something that they – the audience have seen. At the very le
ast,
students learn to appreciate the power of details – in their storie
s, their
worlds, their pictures, their work, and their lives. They also learn to re-
cognize the power of the moment – how an ordinary activity can beco
me
extraordinary by paying attention and committing to the action.
Team Work / Group Mind
At the ETC, the Improvisational Acting class meets for two to three
hours a week. For most of our students, this course is unlike anything
they have ever done before and for many it is one of the most difficult
classes they have ever taken. There are different reasons for this, but the
primary reason is that although they are usually extremely intelligent,
they find that they cannot rely on the skill sets they have developed, or
any book knowledge they may have acquired. The best way to learn and
understand these processes is by engaging in them – in doing; so in
 im-
prov, the students learn by participation. The class takes place in an
empty room – there is no power point or note taking. The students a
re
asked to dress comfortably and leave their belongings (and egos) at the
door. For any theatrical experience to succeed, the ensemble must under-
stand and be able to communicate the common goal. In improv this is re-
ferred to as “group mind”. Group mind is not all thinking a
like, but
rather focusing on the same goal – serving the narrative. Exercises
 in
group mind focus on getting the partipant to let go of an individual idea
and give themselves over to the collective narrative.
186Here are a few simple group mind exercises and games:
Pass the applause: Participants get in a circle. Each person claps simul-
taneously with the person to the left, passing the clap around the circle.
It should eventually sound like one person clapping. This exercise helps
to teach and practice focus, clear communication, speed and precision.
Eye contact is key to receiving as well as sending. Speed and precision
help the participant to ‘give up” control and be ready for 
anything - just
respond. The game teaches participants the importance of being alert, be-
ing present, and communicating clearly.
Organic Circle: The group stands in a circle. One person offers a sound
and a gesture to the person on his/her left. The next participant repeats
the sound and gesture and passes it to the left. The sound and gesture
are accepted and sent on in one motion, so each participant only repeats
it once (unlike pass the applause). I usually side coach (giving instruc-
tions while they continue to play) to have the group speed up or slow
down or reverse the action. The sound and gesture usually change - nat-
urally - no one should change it deliberately. This game teaches attention
and being accepting and open to offers made.
Who are we? What do we make? What’s our Slogan? The group stands
in “blob” formation - and answers these three questions in 
order: Leader
points to one person at a time who answers with whatever comes to
mind in the moment. The questions are : Who are we? (one person an-
swers) What do we make? (another person answers) and What’s our Slo
-
gan? (third person answers). The rest of the group repeats the answer en-
thusiastically all together as though they are at a rally. Repeat several
times through. This helps teach a group to work around each other’s
ideas and the narrative they’re creating together. A more sophistic
ated
group mind exercise is:
Counting to twenty as a group: The group can sit or stand in whatever
formation they like - a circle works well. The group simply counts to
twenty as a group, one person at a time. If any number is said by more
than one person, the group needs to go back to the beginning. The group
should count randomly, without any assistance like forming patterns,
pointing the next person to speak, going around the circle, etc. The more
control any individual tries to exert over the exercise, the harder it is t
o
accomplish. This teaches a group to be alert to each other and give them-
selves over to the task together.
Storytelling Foundations: How Improvisers
Tell Stories.
187Storytelling is key to almost all improvisation. Whether a story is told
from start to finish, or we see just a glimpse of the overall in the form
of a
scene, creating a narrative is one of the main goals. In order to tell a
story, improvisers know that you need to be very clear on the definition
of a story. No matter how you describe the structure, the principles are
the same. There needs to be a world that has its own laws and proper-
ties. A character or characters inhabit that world. Something happens
that interrupts the character’s world; tension needs to build and c
ontinue
to build until something changes. After the change happens, the charac-
ter continues in the world, but something has been transformed. Wheth-
er the character’s transformation is internal (the character has an
 attitude
adjustment, a new view of his circumstances, knowledge he did not hold
before), or external – the circumstances around the character have
changed and forces a reaction by the character that is transformed from
before. These aspects need to be in place to make it a story. Keith John-
stone’s circle of expectation specifies additional requirements - w
hatever
you introduce into your story needs to be within what the audience
might expect in that world. Too many “unusual things” make 
it too diffi-
cult to justify and pull together. Keep the main thing the main thing ��
stay with the story!
The best template for checking to see that all of the elements of story
are present was developed by Kenn Adamss of Bay Area Theatresports:
Once upon a time.....
Everyday...
But one day...
Because of this...
Until finally...
And ever since then...
The moral of the story is...
The first section; “Once upon a time...” and “Every
day...,” is the ex-
position. “Once upon a time...”: we are introduced to the w
orld and
characters in that world. “Everyday...”: we are introduced 
to the
routines in that world - what they do and what happens to them nor-
mally. “But one day...”: is the inciting incident –
 what happens that in-
terrupts that world and routine. “Because of this...”: are 
the con-
sequences of that incident, and the beginning of the rising action. The
“Because of this...” section can be repeated – cons
equences beget con-
sequences. “Until finally...”: the climax, the consequences
 reach a point
that there is no turning back. “And ever since then...”: is
 the resolution -
the climax has rendered a change in the character or the world that will
188remain forever. At this point, there is no going back to the world that
ex-
isted in the exposition. The moral of the story gives one last opportunity
to tie everything together – to reiterate what was potentially lear
ned (or
not) and to justify the reason we told the story in the first place.
Improvisers tell stories in many different ways. One is from start to
finish – from “Once upon a time...” to “And
 ever since then...”. A scene
is the story delivered in part. Scenes can be presented as part of a greate
r
narrative (in long form, there are many scenes played which eventually
all relate to each other) or they can exist as a very small glimpse into a
world at any given time and place. As stated earlier, improvisers need to
communicate to each other the basic parameters of the circumstances,
CROW (Character, Relationship, Objective, and Where), in order to have
a scene. In addition to CROW, all scenes have these characteristics in
common.
• They usually start in the middle (In media res). Scenes usually
don’t start with “Once upon a time...,” we are usua
lly thrust into
the middle of a relationship, an event, a problem, a place, etc, but
we don’t know initially how we got there. Furthermore, we don��t
always see the resolution in the scene. Improvised scenes don’t
take the time to go through the entire exposition. Improvisers be-
come adept at giving us just enough information to let us know
what is about to change in the scene.
• The story can only be shared a moment at a time. Actors work
very hard to take the actions and dialogue of a character within a
given story and make them real – as though they are truly hap-
pening in that moment, not replicated. Because improvisers do not
use a text, they have to pay closer attention to the moment they
are in and react to each other and what is offered – everything is
unfolding at the same time – character, story, needs, wants �� so
much information to incorporate. The only way to manage this is
by paying attention to what is happening in that moment, not
worry about the moment after. The result is a truth in response
that is perceived as genuine. These exercises help/force actors to
stay in the moment.
Two exercises that help to achieve this are “Without a Letter��, and
“Leave for the Same Reason.” The first, “Without a 
Letter,” incorporates
dialogue, the second, “Leave for the Same Reason,” uses no 
dialogue,
but asks the participants to be fully present in the moment and by doing
so, be fully aware.
189Without a Letter. (from Keith Johnstone) 2 actors start at scene with
CROW. They can either initiate it themselves, or get a suggestion from
the audience or the instructor. It is important that the characters each
have a strong objective. If I give the actors a suggestion, it is something
like this:
Aa son comes home from his first semester away at university. His
father or mother is anxious for his return – proud tht he is follow
ing in
the family’s academic footsteps. The son however has made a decisio
n
he needs to share with his father/mother. He has decided to become a
hairdresser.
The actors then get an additional challenge to the scene – they mus
t
perform the scene without using a letter of the alphabet – say ��s” (the let-
ter should be a consonant – vowels are too difficult). The result i
s that
the
actors are forced to take their time, and the challenge of avoiding the ut-
terance of a particular letter is seen by the audience as thoughtful,
sometimes emotion-filled responses to difficult news.
Leave for the Same Reason: (Johnstone) 3 players sit side by side on-
stage. Without speaking to each other, they must make offers that escal-
ate a situation to point that all three must leave the stage at exactly the
same time for exactly the same reason - without any of the players lead-
ing the others. Anyone can start – i.e. someone might make an offer
 of a
slight cough. The others would accept that offer by mimicking that
cough and exaggerating it slightly. This game teaches the importance of
careful nonverbal listening which relies heavily on the player’s pe
ri-
phery. It also emphasizes the importance of accepting offers and taking
your time in figuring out what’s going on. And it emphasizes very c
lear
moment to moment acting (seeing what happens next) with rising stakes,
careful listening and observing, and finally, accepting offers and build-
ing on them.
Both of these games force the improvisers to move forward slowly and
more carefully than they might otherwise. When improvisers slow down
and pay attention to moment to moment actions and reactions, the result
is very real and satisfying – what improvisers often refer to as a 
moment
of truth. A moment of truth is an empathic connection through a specific
incident in a story. These moments of truth are the moments that elicit a
reaction from the audience – whether it’s laughter, a gasp,
 or a sigh
doesn’t matter, it’s a recognition that something has happe
ned. Satisfy-
ing stories are created by evoking moments of truth within the audience.
A moment of truth does not have to be profound. Moments of truth can
occur at any time during a story. Sometimes the greatest realizations oc-
cur in the details of everyday life.
In improvisational theater, moments of truth, from the most profound
to the most simplistically humorous, are the goal of each story, and
CROW (Character, Relationship, Objective, and Where) is the foundation
- the rules - towards achieving these moments. So the above all leads us
back to CROW, the building blocks of a scene, or what do we need to
know to move forward.
While the rules, assumptions, offers and saying yes define the process
of how we are to tell stories as a group, we also need to name what we
need to know with CROW. Characters are the people in the scene – th
ey
are defined by external characteristics as well as internal characteristics
-
how they more through space, what they say and do, and how those
things define their personalities and psychological makeup. The charac-
ters have relationships to each other. Relationships can take many forms
– familial, professional, etc. Relationship is the most important c
ompon-
ent to name as quickly as possible – it is always more interesting 
for
characters to know each other. And all characters have objectives. An ob-
jective is what the character wants. An objective is either a physical or a
psychological goal, and is crucial to the creation of satisfying stories.
Ob-
jectives should be thought of as verbs, and must lead to action.
A simple physical objective may be something as basic as, “to take 
a
single step.” A complex, physical objective consists of several sim
ple ob-
jectives and may be something such as, “to follow the yellow brick 
path
to its end.” A psychological objective will add a layer of inner si
gnific-
ance, such as “to follow the yellow brick road in order to find a w
ay back
home.”
Through layering and mixing complexities, these kinds of objectives
become critical to creating satisfying stories. The physical objectives can
be made more dynamic with the addition of psychological components.
The psychological objectives can be made more concrete by adding phys-
ical goals. An objective that is moving and motivated, active and attract-
ive, and grounded in story will resonate.
All objectives in a story should lead toward the achievement of the
overarching character objective. This is the single most important object-
ive that carries a character through the story. The overarching objective
helps to structure most smaller physical and emotional objectives. It is
not always apparent and does not always take precedence over the im-
mediate objectives. However, it will constantly come back into play and
often times acts as a framework for the lower level objectives.
To help us wrap up, here are two games that help to define and under-
stand objective:
Outta that chair. A game to teach objective. One person sits in a chair.
One by one improvisers enter with one objective - to get the person out
of the chair and take their place. The person in the chair also has an ob-
jective - to stay in the chair. Any offer is legitimate, so long as the
impro-
viser doesn’t threaten or use force. To stay in the chair, the pers
on needs
to reply with a compelling response to the offer on why he/she must re-
main. If they cannot come up with a compelling reason to stay, they
must leave.
Red Light Green Light A classic children’s game. Divide a group in
half - one half watches while the other plays. One player (the light)
stands at the opposite side of the room - the rest of the group starts be-
hind a line. When the player turns his or her back to the group and says,
“Green light,” the group can move forward. When the player 
turns back
and looks directly at the group and says, “Red light,” the 
group must
freeze in place. The player as the light determines what constitutes
“freezing.” If the person catches anyone moving, they will 
be sent back
to the original spot behind the line. The objective of the game is to be th
e
first to reach the player (light) without getting caught, tag them, and tak
e
their place. Variations: Players proceed as partners - linked up with one
or two others – and they must be connected (touching) at all times.
 Play-
ers can also proceed as one group (all touching). Metaphorically, the
game follows classic story structure. If the playing area is divided into
three sections, each section represents how the emotional stakes change
while working to achieve the objective. Using story structure terms and
Kenn Adams’s story spine, the first segment is the Exposition (��Once
upon a time... ” and “Everyday... ”) The players ar
e testing their space,
the objective is far off, the player as the light is comfortable, and far
from
getting caught, and the audience (the group watching) is getting to know
the players. The attitude is carefree and fun - loose body movements and
low commitment. The emotional stakes are low. The middle section is
the Inciting incident and the beginning of the rising action (“But 
one
day... ” and “Because of this... ”). The consequenc
es for getting caught
are greater, so the emotional stakes become higher. The players become
more serious, more committed - body movements become more bal-
anced and rigid, and the audience begins to look for the potential
“winners.” The player as the light starts to become more 
“paranoid,”
watching more closely and even stepping back some. The third segment
picks up at the end of the rising action and up to the climax (“Bec
ause of
this... ” and “Until finally... ”). The climax is t
he actual tagging of the
player as the light. Substitute “characters” and story situ
ations (teacher/
students, guard/prisoners) to explicate further. The theme of justice also
emerges.
The last element of CROW is Where. Where is defining the space.
There are several ways to communicate the where. The simplest is to ask
the audience where you are. Or you can name it in the dialogue, or you
can show it by creating and using a object that would exist in the loca-
tion, or you can create sound effects that give clues and give actors an
opportunity to react, or add music as a soundscape (live musicians are
best), and so on. Defining where you are is the easiest way to begin a
scene – you suddenly have a wealth of possible expectations and act
ivit-
ies that could be useful.
These are the basic principles that create the paradigm of improvisa-
tional acting. Building on these principles, improv goes in many differ-
ent directions.; from comedy-based, to serious, to short games and short
form (scenes), to long form and full narratives. The interactions change
constantly according to the groups of improvisers, but the principles and
rules remain the same. Like a hundred variations on Scrabble or any role
playing game, improv is at its core a fluid experience focused on the
present time, in other words, play. Which brings us back to the relation-
ship of improvisational acting to tabletop games. Play is what we do in
both. We play in groups with clear goals and parameters, and while the
results of our play are not exactly quantifiable, they work parts of our
brains that call us to reason in creative ways. In the ETC, we think this i
s
important, and so play is a part of our curriculum. Not only do we create
better teams, we create leaders who know how to problem solve in real
time and to be comfortable with what they don’t know, rather than c
ling-
ing desperately to what they do. Improv naturally produces risk takers
and innovative thinkers who work well with others, and it provides a
performative perspective on how we can best play well with others,
whether it’s on the stage or around the table.


Brenda Bakker Harger
Brenda Bakker Harger is a theater director (MFA Carnegie Mellon
University), improviser, and professor of Entertainment technology at
Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center where
she teaches improvisational acting and leads diverse interdisciplinary
projects. As an improviser, Brenda has performed with Pittsburgh
Theatresports and SAK Theatre, and has led improv workshops nation-
ally and internationally from theater improvisers to executive leadership
training (Carnegie Bosch Insititute) to video game companies. Bakker
Harger is also director of a unique award winning theater company at
Carnegie Mellon, which uses live interactive theater to address contro-
versial issues in the workplace and classroom. She has produced an
exploratory DVD-ROM for interactive theater, and is currently pursuing
her interest in further exploring her theory and skills in directing and im
-
provisation with technology, both in gaming and theater.
Recent projects include: making a demo/prototype of a game based on
the film Night of the Living Dead (with George Romero); creating a toy/
exhibit featuring virtual representations of The Pittsburgh Children��s
Museum’s Puppet collection; and interactive robots - creating a rob
ot
which had distinct character and was able to convey emotion and inten-
tion. In theater, Harger has directed and developed plays as technologic-
ally based interactive experiences, one which premiered at the Humana
New Play Festival at the Actor’s Theatre in Louisville, Virtual Med
itation
#1, and another, Full Spectrum, which premiered at the Ensemble Studio
Theatre in New York City. In addition, Harger engages in ongoing re-
search on using improvisational methods to create more believable virtu-
al characters.







doenough

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