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CHAPTER FIVE: DATA ANALYSIS
talks about a similar notion: "you first have the idea and then think it
through for yourself, but then its built on improvisation so you dont know
what will actually happen"."" Ihe unfolding action, the unpredictability of
the improvisation was reflected on by many participants:
P1: I didn’t know what my partners would say in the scene and I had to think and
react on my feet. I had this feeling of not having boundaries, that we can bring
anything into the situation.
P2: You have to keep re-defining everything for yourself. Because the improvisation
will throw you some other responses than what you had expected.
P3: It was exciting that you didn’t know what will happen next.’
These quotes show that the ‘being’ mode of LTD was clearly possible
within the structure offered by the framing. Though the framework for
the improvisations was set in the Wild Child drama lesson, the participants
felt they needed to react in the situation to the unfolding event. This issue
was examined further. In the questionnaire one item asked what helped or
hindered their engagement in the improvisations. Responses to what made it
difficult to take part in improvisations included: “my partners in the group", "7
“my own inhibitions”,”* “we didn’t have enough time for preparation”,””
“more authentic space would have helped”’” and “I didn’t know enough
about the character”.”!'! None of the respondents in the second cycle wrote
that the dramaturgical structures or the frame employed caused difficulty in
participating in the improvisation.
There was an incident in the second version of the 1956 lesson that is worth
looking at in detail, as it offers useful insight into the possible difficulties.
I will look at another specific example that offers a very different perspective
further on. This was an improvised situation, the last time the daughter and
the father met before she crossed the border. The girl who took on the role
of the father froze and stepped out of the situation. The following discussion
happened in the lesson:
P1: VII stop.
T: Why?
P1: It’s difficult.
T: What’s difficult?
705 FE We.
706 Ibid.
707 Q Wd.
708 Q We.
79 Q 56B.
710 Q Wa.
71 Q Rev.
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