👻Invisibility

Setup and Launch

Explain that one character exists for the performers but not for the audience — they can't be seen or heard, yet everyone on stage reacts to them as real. The goal is to make the invisible presence felt through blocking, gaze, pauses, physical consequences, and coordinated reactions.

Have actors quickly establish the basics: who or what is invisible (role or function), where they are right now, their approximate height and level, how the others address them. Fix anchors in the space and agree on entry and exit signals for the invisible character so the whole group shares one map of the scene.

Play

1) Establish spatial anchors

Briefly indicate the point where the invisible character stands or sits, mark distances and sightlines. Every actor locks onto that point with eyes and body so the audience immediately reads the empty spot as occupied.

2) First introduction

The first actors gently bring the invisible character in through yielding space, pauses, gaze, and object work — pulling out a chair, opening a door, stepping aside. Keep words minimal; let the audience read the facts from behavior, not dialogue.

3) Build relationships

Develop relationships with the invisible character and between the visible partners: status, goals, emotions. Raise stakes through consequences — the invisible character intervenes, arrives late, helps or blocks someone — without breaking the consistency of their position and size.

4) Coach corrections

Freeze the scene when the anchor drifts or sightlines disagree. Quickly re-establish anchors and restart from the last clear moment. Remind actors to show the physical trace of every interaction: weight shifts, touch reactions, and inertia reflected in their bodies and in the space.

5) Ending

Build toward the invisible character's clear exit or a decisive action, then land a sharp button — a freeze, a final line, a bell. The ending should confirm the shared reality the group has built together.