Genre Zones

Synonyms

Emotional Boundaries. Mood Scape.

Introduction

In this scene the stage will be divided into three different genre zones. The performers must modify the story to the zone that they are in.

Description

Genre Zones is a handle that overlays an open scene. The host will typically collects genres suggested by the audience. The host then divides the stage into three parts assigning a genre to each section. For example, stage left is science fiction, center stage is soap opera and stage right is documentary. One would hope that in regular course of a scene the performers would naturally move across the stage and be affected by the designated genres.

For example if a performer is located stage left their narrative would be suffused with science fiction elements. When the same character moves to center stage the narrative will embody elements of soap opera. It is possible to have one character in science fiction while another is in documentary. The narrative is always more important than the handle. Performers should not sacrifice the narrative arc for short term laughs from genre changes.

Gimmicks

• Rapidly crossing boundaries and altering genres.
• Straddling a boundary and combining genres.
• Have many genre zones (more than three).
• Use obscure complicated genres (kabuki, experimental film, etc.)

Variations

• Emotional Zones; Animal Zones; Political Party Zones.
• Genre Object – whichever character has the object is in a specific genre (different from the other performers).

Credits

• None

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