Word-at-a-time letters usually go through four stages: (1) the letters are usually cautious or nonsensical and full of concealed sexual references; (2) the letters are obscene and psychotic; (3) they are full of religious feeling; (4) finally, they express vulnerability and loneliness.
I was struck by this when I read it in Impro, because it doesn’t match my experience at all. I’ve only played word-at-a-time with rationalists and they think too quickly to play it the way it’s meant to be played (which is with no thinking at all). The result is that it only ever barely gets to stage (1). I think if we ever got past it we would get to stage (4) next.
I mean, I can easily believe that Johnstone’s experience was just very different; I expect working with drama students (edit: who lived in the UK, in the 60s) or whatever is quite different from working with rationalists.
I was struck by this when I read it in Impro, because it doesn’t match my experience at all. I’ve only played word-at-a-time with rationalists and they think too quickly to play it the way it’s meant to be played (which is with no thinking at all). The result is that it only ever barely gets to stage (1). I think if we ever got past it we would get to stage (4) next.
I’m also a little bit dubious of this; I tried playing a couple times and we’ve gotten a bit of (2) and (3) with mostly (1).
I mean, I can easily believe that Johnstone’s experience was just very different; I expect working with drama students (edit: who lived in the UK, in the 60s) or whatever is quite different from working with rationalists.