Tension and Tensional Force Exercise

We spend most of our lives (most of us) trying to avoid or alleviate tension. You call someone tense, it's a negative thing. Your shoulders are tense, you want a massage so that you can relax. Tension is a kind of kryptonite.

But on stage, Tension is lifeblood. Without it, you likely have something unwatchable.
It's the difference between tension in your shoulders and tension in a ROPE. The tension in a rope is what makes it productive, allows it to do its work.

Look for tension in your work. Foster it. It will keep your play moving, will keep your audience engaged in the question of "what next?"

This was an exercise that Suzan gave us.

Take six pieces of paper, and label each as follows:
(1) Character
(2) Theme
(3) Image
(4) Plot
(5) Language
(6) Spectacle

Consider a piece on which you are currently working. For each of the above elements, brainstorm all of the tensional forces currently at work in your play. For example, in Character, you might have tensions of age, race, gender, socioeconomic background, religion, etc. For image, you might have light and dark, up and down, rounded and angular, dirty and clean...you see. For theme, various paradoxes, for plot you're looking at events that upset a balance that then must be restored.

Now step back, look at what you've got, and consider what you have. Are there sufficient tensional forces at work? Do you want more or to up the ante on the ones you have? What do you see? Paste it to your wall and get back to writing your play.