Ask Jim #2 - Good Question!

Today's question comes from an anonymous member of the JaCKPie community.(Goodness... everyone is so secretive!)

They write: "I hear different things about asking questions in a scene. Some people say you should never do it. Some people say it is ok... which is right? When is it ok to ask questions in a scene?"

Good Question! My answer to this is less about WHEN it is ok to ask a question and more about how to ask a good question in a scene. There are a couple of factors that affect the use of questions in scenes and if you are aware of them and how they tend to affect scenes then you should technically be able to ask questions all day long in a scene and it will be just as solid as any other scene.

In the beginning of a scene and for each line of dialogue or action on stage we are looking for information, heightening, wants and emotions. Simple questions that do not accomplish any of these 4 things when they are done at the very start of the scene and simply volly the focus, creative work and pressure back onto the other person or seem to have a right or wrong answer implied are the types of questions that I find to lack a real use to the scene... HOWEVER after the scene is established and it is a true character reaction to ask a simple question then it functions in the environment quite well...

An example would be a question like "What are you doing?"

At the start of a scene, walking over to your scene partner and asking in a general way "What are you doing?" does not accomplish emotion, information, heightening or a want. It more or less forces the other person to answer this question and essentially they will be creating the first real line even though it was you spoke first. Now, assuming that they want to make you look good, they will be pigeon holed by the question into answering it in some inventive way. That brings pressure on them, tosses the focus to them and makes them make their first move in a particular way. This is much more limiting than just allowing them to say the first line.

If I were the coach or teacher and a player did this, I would freeze the scene and ask them to "know" what the other person is doing and to make their first line a strong emotion, want, specific or heightening moment instead.

(Before I continue, it should be noted that asking a question like "what are you doing?" after the scene has been fully established might be perfect in the moment because the characters are able to speak from the history developed in the scene.)

So... What would I consider to be a "Good Question?"

The simplest answer is that a "Good Question" would have the same qualities as a statement... but for fun, let's break it down. I have 2 basic approaches when it comes to questions in scenes...

1. If I can say the question as a statement and give information instead of requesting it, then I do so.


2. If it makes sense for me to ask a question rather than make a statement, then I make sure that the question is really a statement in disguise. It should not lead the other person to think that they have to create information and it should not lead them to wonder which answer you want from them.

So... to review...

Questions are good if they generally follow these DOES and DOESN'Ts.

• DOES give Specifics/information


• DOES give an emotional response


• DOES give a want to your character or your partner's


• DOES heighten the scene itself


• DOESN'T dump the pressure/focus on the other person


• DOESN'T demand for their partner to answer a "correct answer" question.


• DOESN'T hand over the ball but force an answer to a question as their first line

Thanks for the question Anonymous! See you all tomorrow!