The wisdom of the unrehearsed scene – Riley Tom
Toms article begins by comparing the differences between a soccer and football game. He notes that football is a very strategic game, there are lots of rules and guidelines by which a player must abide. Football teams spend a large amount of time talking about tactics and game plans and pre meditating their match. Soccer on the other hand is far more fluid and unpredictable. Tom calls it a creative sport. A player has much more freedoms to move in the way they want and maneuver the ball as they feel in that moment. Tom likens this to 2 different directing styles, one style of director who is organized and plans and maps everything out in order to avoid any unforeseeable events. The other kind of director goes on gut instinct, they live and work in the moment to achieve a more naturalistic and less rehearsed result. In a soccer game the players have to be constantly on their feet and aware of their surroundings. They have to have spatial awareness and try to anticipate future moves. This is also relevant to the ‘in the moment’ actor. They have to listen to their fellow actors, work with their current and ever changing environment and attempt to predict what is coming. Tom gives the impression that football is much more of a team sport, players are required to plan things out together and work like clockwork. Soccer is much more of an individual sport, you could effectively play soccer with 2 members as long as they are skilled and competent. The ‘in the moment’ actor is also highly skilled and trained, they are a self aware individual. They are tuned into their emotions, which makes it easier for them to read and bounce off others. Should acting be a team or solo sport? Should actors be able to transition from one team to another like soccer players? Moving from set to set like chameleons due to their versatile nature. Should actors be able to slot in instantaneously with a new cast and crew because of their self awareness and understanding of their individual responsibilities or is it more important to work as a team and build a group dynamic in order to achieve natural relationships and interaction?