New games & principles to remember

A couple of new games we've incorporated into the practices, or exercises really, intended to get people thinking about plot and genre: 

Storytime: Groups of four sit in a circle; first person gives a genre and a title for a story, the next person tells the situation, the third tells the conflict and the fourth, the resolution.  The idea is to come up with something original and compelling, with a nice humorous finish.  

Elements: One person grabs a whiteboard, the group agrees on a genre, and everyone contributes elements common to stories in that genre.  Elements get written on the board, then we construct a plot using those elements.  The plot should be true to the genre.  

A few principles to remember when we're letting it all hang out: 

Stagecraft, stagecraft, stagecraft!  Remember the audience: move around the stage as necessary, face forward (unless you specifically shouldn't), and speak clearly.  Give 'em a show. 

Yes, AND: as Del Close famously said.  Take what another person gives you and build on it; don't get locked in to your own ideas and ignore what all is going on. 

Running gags from one scene to another can be quite funny.  Running gags from one practice to another won't mean a thing to an audience.  Or, to put it another way: inside jokes aren't funny.