Beat

A beat is the moment in which the player has the impression that the running scene ends, must end, or will be ending.

This may be,

• if the scene has reached a climax,
• a gag;
• In the regular flow of the scene, when one asks himself a question, the question can be explained through insertion -- in particular by spelling out.
• when a dramatic, unproductive sequence threatens, e.g. a car journey, that contributes nothing to the undertaking or the suspense curve,
• If the basic question is answered (CROW)

The identified beat can lead to, that

• a non-actor has an impulse and enters the stage and acts
• one wants for himself to get a (further) reaction from the audience,
• a new/different scene begins
• the scene/the play is completed
• a time jump happens

If the immediate interruption after a Beat is missing, it may occur that the tension curve of the scene goes (drastically) down, becoming uninteresting as well as boring. It then frequently happens that a Talkativeness-scene arises. Beginners often do not recognize the Beat yet or they don't dare to interrupt the scene, even if they feel the impulse.

With the help of the game Freeze Tag, one can train to recognize and observe the beat well.