Player Spotlight: Steven on Olive

Hey, fam. It’s been a hot second since I popped onto the blog, but I thought it was about time I check in as the resident “baby” of the group. As a relatively new gamer, I thought I’d do a check-in for The Story Told now that we’re wrapping up Season One of The Body Electric. To be entirely honest, there’s been a handful of sessions I feel like it’s really starting to click, but there’s also been sessions where I feel a little out at sea. But ain’t that part of learning something new? Sometimes you fall off your bike and you’ve gotta clean up those scrapes and try again the next day.

Fun fact: I was born with inner ear problems that cause serious balance issues and I can’t ride a bike…. A tricycle, however, is a very old friend of mine. Anyway, I digress.…

In one of the most recent episodes, I found myself spending a long while thinking about how my character could engage in combat. As Olive is more of an intellectual type, I’m not always sure how to engage at these moments, but I realized that as a playwright and storyteller, I needed to let my imagination do the work. Since Olive is obsessed with the cinema and has an exhaustive knowledge of film, I decided to let her draw from the very combat she watched on screen. First type to come to mind? Kung Fu. Olive’s got eclectic taste, and she’s always admired Jackie Chan.

For me, that imagination fueling character development has been my favorite part of The Body Electric. I’ve loved getting to know my character, as I do when I begin writing a new play, or short story. And so, I wanted to write this blog and encourage my fellow theatre-makers, improv artist and storytellers to consider table-top gaming as a way to boost their creativity. While storytelling is my greatest passion, I’ve lately struggled to put pen to paper. (Okayyy, finger to keyboard. What? I’m lazy, don’t look at me like that.) The world of Promethean, however, has started to get these old, greasy wheels turning again.

Then again, I’m writing this blog instead of my latest story…. Sigh. Old habits die hard.

Until next time.

-Steven/Olive