A friend reads your message and doesn’t reply. By dinner, you’ve decided she’s mad at you. She was at the dentist.
You do this more than you think. The group chat goes quiet. A professor emails “Can we talk?” A clip goes viral with a caption already telling you what it means. Before you’ve checked what you know, you’ve written the whole story.
This workshop teaches you a habit actors use in rehearsal: say what you see before you say what it means. You’ll try a few simple acting exercises that train your attention, then use the same skill on group chats, headlines, screenshots, and the conversations you have every day.
It’s led by writer and theatre artist Jill Szoo Wilson and draws on Meta-Absurdism, her framework for living in a world with too many explanations, and on her book Thinking Through Theatre.
Who it’s for
College students and young adults, roughly 18 to 30. No acting experience needed. It works especially well for:
- Theatre and acting students
- Communication, writing, and journalism students
- Anyone who has ever spiraled over an unanswered text
What happens in the workshop
- Taking the first thing. Partners sit across from each other and take turns. Each one says out loud the first thing they notice about the other person in that moment: “Your eye.” “Your chin.” “Your collar.” Then they look again and name the next thing they notice. No opinions, no stories. The point isn’t the list. It’s learning to keep looking instead of assuming you’ve already seen.
- The scene. Two volunteers run a short scene. First, the group describes only what they saw (he stood up, he walked to the door, he said he’d be back in an hour). Then we compare possible interpretations and ask what evidence supports each one.
- What I saw, what I’m guessing, what I don’t know. The group looks at a headline, a screenshot, or a short clip and uses those three questions to examine their reactions. Then they form an explanation, test it against what they saw, and revise it when more information comes in.
- Talk-back. Where does this show up for you? In rehearsal, in class, at work, at home, online?
What participants leave with
- Three questions they can use on anything they read or watch
- A rehearsal exercise they can practice with a partner
- Practice forming an explanation, testing it, and revising it
- An introduction to Meta-Absurdism and how to examine competing explanations while staying grounded in facts
Format
| Detail | Options |
|---|---|
| Length | 60 minutes, or 90 minutes with a second scene and longer discussion |
| Group size | 10 to 30 people |
| Space | A classroom or rehearsal room with movable chairs |
| Equipment | A screen is helpful; printouts also work |
This workshop is a hands-on companion to the talk “Are We All Performing Now?” See all of Jill’s talks and workshops.
About Jill
Jill Szoo Wilson is a writer, theatre artist, and educator who has taught communication and performance since 2001. She is the author of Thinking Through Theatre and the creator of Meta-Absurdism. She is an alumna of St. Louis Community College–Meramec, where she also taught.
Bring this workshop to your class
To ask about dates and availability, email jillszoowilson@gmail.com.
