What is Theatre Style Larp?

Information about Theatre Style Larp

Theatre-style live action role-playing is a style of freeform live action role-playing game distinguished by four principal attributes. While not every theatre-style LARP has all of these attributes, strength in these areas distinguishes theatre style LARP:
  1. The organizers are likely to have pre-written characters for the players to play; if not, they may provide much more proactive plotting and guidance during the event. The organizers in general provide more direction and are more likely to supply goals for the character.
  2. The action is likely to be generated or instigated by the players. "Theatre style" describes an event in which players play in a background, ethos, or environment set up by the organizers, but may have a great deal of latitude in choosing how to behave and what to do within the setting. Organizers are more likely to provide guidance and less likely to prohibit or penalize changes of heart or compromises.
  3. It is likely that the game setup will involve elements of character versus character play. This means that characters may have mutually exclusive or irreconcilable goals, and may be in direct conflict, in some cases actually "killing" or sending each other out of the game.
  4. It is likely that combat will be symbolic combat, simulated with cards or a numeric system involving dice or some other randomizer such as rock, paper, scissors, or other more complex rules methods, rather than by fighting with padded weapons. Historically, the distinction of not involving live combat was seen as paramount, though some modern theatre-style games have used elements of live combat successfully.


Theatre style is not a specific brand or genre of LARP, but rather a style of LARP. Most Mind's Eye Theatre games could be described as theater-style, for example, though their organizers tend to identify them more heavily by genre than by style.) Typically the term has been heavily used by GMs in the northeastern United States, producing eclectic games, especially those produced at the three Intercon LARP conventions.
Freeform role-playing games, also called freeforms, are a type of role-playing game which employ minimal or no rules; occupying a middle-ground between traditional role-playing games and improvisational theatre.
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Not to be confused with Larb.
A live action role-playing game (LARP or LRP) is a form of role-playing game where the participants physically act out some or all of their characters' actions.
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role-playing game (RPG; often roleplaying game) is a game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters and collaboratively create or follow stories.
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Rock, Paper, Scissors is a common name for a popular two-person hand game. It may also be referred to as Paper, Rock, Scissors, or by other combinations of the three words.
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Mind's Eye Theatre is a live action role-playing game based on the White Wolf World of Darkness universe, sharing a theme and setting originally with the table-top role-playing game and now with its revision, . (The rules for 'Mind's Eye Theatre'' have likewise been revised.
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The Intercon LARP conventions are a series of LARP conventions licensed by LARPA and produced by independent groups. The conventions began with the Silicon LARP convention, organized in 1986.
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