Half Life
A scene is performed and then replayed in exactly half the time, then half again, and again - until the entire scene is compressed into a single second of perfectly simultaneous action.
About
Half Life is a demanding short-form game that requires players to identify the absolute essential beats of a scene and strip everything else away under increasing time pressure. The final compressed replay - where an entire scene is communicated in a single shared physical moment - can be genuinely extraordinary when the ensemble is aligned.
How to Play
- 1
Two players perform a complete scene from an audience suggestion. Note the running time.
- 2
The players immediately replay the scene in exactly half that time - same beats, same emotional arc, compressed.
- 3
Replay again in half that time. And again. Continue halving.
- 4
The final replay is one second long: a single shared physical and vocal moment that contains the whole scene.
- 5
The facilitator times each replay and calls the cut.
Variations
- -Reverse half life: start with one second and expand outward, building detail with each replay.