Wimping

A common scene-work habit in which a performer accepts an offer or idea but fails to add to it, act on it, or commit to its implications. Often called the opposite of blocking, wimping represents a subtler form of resistance: the performer does not reject what has been established, but neither do they advance the scene by making bold choices. The most frequent manifestation is asking questions rather than making declarative statements, effectively shifting creative responsibility to scene partners. Other forms include making decisions without following through, lowering the stakes through a noncommittal attitude, or endlessly delaying arrival at the interesting part of a scene. As one teaching text puts it, performers should "make the active choice" rather than stalling. In Theatresports competition, wimping is a penalizable offense. The corresponding foul was originally called the "wimping foul" in Canadian Theatresports but was later renamed to "waffling" after the limp-wristed gesture used by judges was too often misinterpreted as a homophobic signal. Bernie Sahlins identified wimping, which he characterized as failing to take action, as one of the key habits that cause scenes to fail. Teachers and directors sometimes use code words or shorthand calls during rehearsal to flag wimping in real time, allowing performers to self-correct without stopping the scene.