Neurodivergent masking and its affect on being the voice of reason in scenes is one of the first things I learnt would be difficult for me in improv. After I learnt what it was, and was beginning to be coached on the idea, it messed with my head. I started to read stuff about voice of reason, being grounded, the unusual.
What is covered in the episode and reference guide
I was doing a lot of between-class reading and thinking and analyzing – or overthinking depending on your school of thought (any school that isn’t neurodivergent, perhaps) – and then started asking myself questions.
What is “normal” and can I be a good judge of what that is?
Will I continue to analyze (or overanalyze) these things?
And what IS socially acceptable in a scene anyway?
Is what I’m saying or doing deemed “normal” – and to who? WHO IS THAT PERSON LISTENING?
What is normal… to them?
To ALL OF THEM.
The unusual thing too. What’s unusual? What’s my weird? What’s your weird? What does my scene partner think? Do they think the thing I’m doing is normal or weird? Are they neurodivergent too?
Because there seemed to be a commonly accepted answer, a correct one, and I only knew what that answer was some of the time. So it drove me wild, of course, as that scenario generally does and perhaps should.
Masking and Character Acting Reference Guide
This article has now been revised and improved, and is available for download. It includes a reference on masking in character acting, and how to approach:
Character matching and “peas in a pod” scenes
Approaching grounded and “voice of reason” characters
Find this complete reference for download here:
Get the DownloadListen to the Episode
Summary of resource
Figure out what’s important to you.
Figure out new ways to play the position you need to play.
Talk to your teacher, coach, team after you figure you out.
Process whether something is a problem or not. What do you need to do to meet a need (and how important is that need).
Commit honestly most of the time. Don’t the times you shouldn’t. Ha.
Note: This is a written version based on the notes I made for this podcast episode: Episode 9: Masking and Improv – Being the voice of reason.This article is a bit different than the podcast.
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