Chapter 48: Play (9)
"Other than the trust in your scene partner, another crucial skill for an actor to have on stage is to improvise, or the ability to think on his feet. It is human nature for one to forget about lines or set direction, after all, we are not robots with photographic memory.
"When that happens, you will need to improvise. Now, you might think this is something that is not related to your scene partners but that is where you are wrong. Improvisation is not something that can be done alone. If you go off the lines and your partner does not cooperate with you, it'll be so obvious that something is wrong.
"That is why the trust exercise is so important. A good partner can make or break the whole show. During improvisation, the partner's role is to keep the scene going, and if you know your partner's lines, try to feed it to him or her in a natural way, like phrasing it in the form of question." Mr. Sam paused to think of an example before continuing, "For example, the line that your partner has forgotten could be, I have to go to the market this afternoon. When you see your partner hesitating or improvising, you can say something like, yes, by the way, aren't you supposed to be going to the market this afternoon?
"Do not correct your partner on the spot because that will clue the audience in on the mistake and that is the one thing you mustn't do when you are on stage… unless of course, it is a purposeful plot device.
"There is only one key rule to improvisation, and that is to always say yes. Do not stop the flow of your partner and the overall show. Continue the scene. If you are good and natural enough, the audience might not even realize you are improvising and sometimes, the best material comes from improvisation."
That was all the teaching Mr. Sam could impart on the theory of the acting exercise. He could talk all day about the theory but acting required much practical lessons, so he moved onto the next step.
"Alright, to keep things moving along fast, just work with the partner you currently have. There is no script, come up with any scene that you want and continue from there. Remember, for improvisation, always say yes!"
Jun Yang had no idea his English teacher was actually so knowledgeable in the arts and acting. Then again, he believed it was because there had not been an avenue for the good teacher to showcase this side of his talent. Regardless, that was not his concern. Instead his concern was…
Jun Yang turned his eyes to look at the fiendishly handsome young man who stood next to him. The grin on his face looked so innocent but Jun Yang was not fooled. He could see the scheming that was taking place behind his eyes.
To stop Feng Qi from derailing the whole exercise, Jun Yang knew he had to take the lead. If he decided the theme and flow of the scene, then it would be harder for Feng Qi to take it somewhere weird. Yes, that was the plan!
With that in mind, Jun Yang thought about it and quickly began before Feng Qi had the chance to do his thing, "Hey, how it's going, Feng Qi? Are you enjoying your day at the market? The day's nice isn't it?"
Well, it wasn't particularly original to have copied Mr. Sam's prompt but at least it did the trick. There was no way Feng Qi could turn a chance encounter at the market into something else… or at least that was what Jun Yang thought.
Feng Qi smiled and followed the rules by continuing the conversation, "Oh, yes. The weather today is wonderful. I am definitely enjoying myself." Here, the young man paused to let the message sink in before continuing, "How about you, Jun Yang? Are you enjoying a great day as well?"
"Yes, I am…" Jun Yang said and then, he was at a loss. He had not come up with what he was to say next. He was too fixated on setting up a normal scene that it slipped his mind on how to perpetuate the scene.
Like a panther sensing an opening in its prey, Feng Qi pounced with a wickedly charming statement, "Oh, is that because of the company that you have for the day? I have no idea you enjoy my company so much…"
Jun Yang was flustered by the sudden attack from Feng Qi and he had to say yes to that?! Why was this happening?
Suddenly, it crossed Jun Yang's mind that perhaps it was because he was being too passive. Like they say, maybe offense is the best defense. He was too busy trying to defuse Feng Qi's charms and perhaps that was not the way to go.
With the idea of switching up the tactic, Jun Yang tossed the question back to Feng Qi, "Yes, I am enjoying the company that I have." Jun Yang knew that was part of the improvisation exercise but when he said that, he still blushed a little. "But how about you, are you enjoying the company that you have?"
Feng Qi raised his brows at that. He was expecting Jun Yang to squirm and change the subject so this aggressive counter came as a surprise. Jun Yang saw that change of expression on Feng Qi's face and he thought he had succeeded, alas…
"Of course, I have you as my company. How can I not enjoy hanging out with the most gorgeous person in the room, the man that I love?" Feng Qi admitted with a straight face.
Then, Jun Yang realized the mistake he had done. He had forgotten that the man had no threshold to his shamelessness. Things that might fluster him was not going to have any effect on Feng Qi, if anything, it only accentuated his shamelessness. Needless to say his plan backfired.
But Feng Qi was not yet done…
"You have to say yes to everything during this exercise, right?" Feng Qi asked even though he already knew the answer. Jun Yang eyed his suspiciously. Then Feng Qi continued. "Perfect, because I have a question to ask. Jun Yang, will you be my boyfriend?"
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