SAG-AFTRA

Fall / Winter 2024

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94 SAG-AFTRA | Fall/Winter 2024 | sagaftra.org GE T T Y IM AGES ' R o l e ' W i t h A d v a n t a g e ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE, BUT THE KITCHEN TABLE CAN BE TOO: HOW PERFORMERS FIND THEIR BLISS IN TABLETOP ROLEPLAYING GAMES A group of actors are assembled around a table. One, a woman, is holding a piece of paper with one hand and gesticulating grandly with the other, delivering a flamboyant monologue. From a distance, you might think it's a table read, but there's something else going on here: It's a tale of heroics, of a rag-tag group of misfits venturing into ancient catacombs to rescue the innkeeper's daughter. Or find a magic sword. Or defeat an evil cult of fish-people. The group is playing a tabletop roleplaying game, working together to solve problems and defeat enemies in a forum that's a safe space for performers to ply their skills, revel in the joy of performance and connect with fellow actors. And that piece of paper? It isn't a script; it contains the description of the player's character, game statistics that determine their skill at a given task, and their possessions. Each player takes on one of these personas, anything from an alien to a detective, depending on the genre. For Dungeons & Dragons, the most widely played and best-known tabletop roleplaying game, the story is usually set squarely in the fantasy realm, and characters are often spellcasters, warriors and rogues. One person, the game master, guides the narrative, describing to the other players the obstacles they face and the people they meet, and resolving the results of the players' actions. What sets these kinds of games apart from other tabletop experiences is that each player embodies their character, much as an actor does in a role, and the game itself is a storytelling experience. And the goal

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