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:::Jochen Rick
::Improv
:Scenic Archetypes
Scenic Archetypes
- Spider and Fly
- Fish out of Water
- Sheer Rejection
- Unexpected Confession
- Archetype SuggestionsLocked
Play Structures
- Antigone Structure
- Dr. Faustus Structure
- Mamet Structure
- Tarantino Structure
Reflection Games
- Fountain
- Calvin Klein

Sheer Rejection

This archetype is for two players: a rejector and rejectee. The rejectee wants something from the rejector and is looking for the rejector to be kind and grant it. Instead, the rejector utterly rejects the idea to the embarassment of the rejectee. At the end of the scene, the audience should feel pitty for the rejectee and hate the rejector.

Characters

  • Rejector: high status, a jerk
  • Rejectee: low status, naive

An Example

Greg and Alexandra were playing this scene. Greg played the popular guy. Alexandra played the outsider girl that's enfatuated with the guy. It's a bit like Pretty in Pink. In the scene, Alexandra is trying to get Greg to ask her to the dance. By the end, Alexandra's character was reduced to tears and all of us wanted to clobber Greg's character. Greg is good at being a jerk:

GregThat dress...
AlexandraYeah. Do you like it? I made it myself.
GregI can tell.
Alexandra[reading it as a compliment] Yeah. You like it?
GregAh. No. It looks like something you'd find on a 70s sofa... and not a good one.
 ...
AlexandraI thought you like me. I saw you looking at me across the room.
GregYeah. You see... you have this giant pimple on your forehead and I was thinking you should pop it. It's pretty disgusting.

Making It Work

In a normal scene, improvisers tend not to insult their partners as it can seem like an insult to the player. In this scene, you agree upon the put-down. The more devastating it is, the more entertaining it is to the audience. Remember, the audience does not have to like your character to find the character interesting.