(Intro Period)
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Objective: to have students gain a sense of themselves and of how others see them in a positive light.
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Introduction: Circle Name Game. Students stand in a circle. Each student says his/her name and makes a motion of something they like to do. They are to shout out. Example: Jenny! Double Dutch! As each student takes a turn, that student shouts his/her own name, performs his/her action, repeats all the previous names and actions, and repeats his/her own name and action again. Emphasize projection and physical commitment to the actions.
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Cognitive Activity: Distribute handouts with 12 -15 vocabulary words. Have students write out definitions as I give them. Place vocabulary words in their notebooks.
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Creative Activity: Students take turns lying down on an unwrapped roll of paper. One at a time they have their silhouettes traced. Each student decorates the image and cuts it out. We pin the silhouettes against the wall. Students then take turns to write positive comments regarding the person on each image. Take a Polaroid snapshot of each person’s completed image. This snapshot goes into their notebooks.
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Evaluation: Monitor for individual participation and constructive behavior. Reward constructive behavior with both praise and dots. Connect the rewards and punishments with specific behavior.
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Closure: Review, propose subject for next class period, assign homework as necessary.
As we complete the Introductory Period, we will move into the Theatre classroom and begin the Period of Starting Points. Iput will establish a single exercise for students to enter class and begin every day without direction by me. I have observed this method as a means of consistency for students to begin class. They know to their books down and then to join in without speaking. I may have them Build a Machine or perform a Group Mirror variation. Classes will continue in the format described above. The cognitive activities will move away from vocabulary and toward understanding “Antigone” in terms of our themes. I will draw on numerous Theatre games described below to serve as the creative activities. Some of these activities carry over into Periods of Development and Completion.
A list of some activities and games:
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1. Build a Machine. A fellow Theatre teacher uses this activity to start every class. Students are to come in and automatically go to it. This gives the teacher time to take roll even as students enter in a consistent and orderly way.
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2. Freeze, and Freeze Variations Students move through the space, then freeze into statues when the teacher claps and yells, “Freeze!” Variations include moving in particular ways, or in particular character types, or with particular emotional content.
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3. Mirror, Mirror Variations, including group mirror. See Spolin.
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4. A circle chant game, the leader stands inside the group’s circle
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Leader:
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Group
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(moves to rhythm)
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“Shay shay koo lay!”
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(repeats leader’s words and motions)
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“Shay ko fee shah!”
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“Ko fee shah lala!”
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“Ala kee lala!”
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“Shay! ah-yende!”
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“Shay! ah-yende!”
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(Leader closes eyes, extends arm and points. As the leader counts, the leader spins around. Whoever he/she points at on the count of ten becomes the new leader.)
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Leader:
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Group:
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“one!”
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“two!”
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“three!”
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“four!”
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“five!”
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“six!”
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“seven!”
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“eight!”
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“nine!
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(All shout “ten!”)
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5. Psychiatrist The group sits in a circle and sends one person outside the room. The group decides upon a specific attitude, action, or response. The psychiatrist re-enters and asks questions to each person, trying to guess the pre-arranged response. (Tricks: ask the same question to several people, ask simple questions, ask questions to which you already know the answer.)
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6. Blindfold trust walk The group divides into paired partners. One partner ties a blindfold around the other partner. The teacher leads the group in a guided walk. (backwards, skipping, running, etc.)
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7. Circle trust/fallHaving previously agreed to single out one person on the circle, the group stands in an enclosed circle. Another person stands blindfolded in the middle. The person in the middle gets spun around. By all concentrating together, the group tries to make the blindfolded person fall toward the person chosen on the circle. This is a kind of an ESP party game that is fun.
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8. Labyrinth/variationsClass divides into partners. One set of partners devise a labyrinth in the classroom out of chairs, obstacles, and bolts of fabric. Then, the those who devised the maze lead their blindfolded partners through the maze. After one group completes the labyrinth walk, then they switch. The original group takes on the blindfolds while the second group re-arranges the maze.
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Individuals of the second group then lead their blindfolded partners through the new maze. This is an excellent game to stimulate ensemble and trust, as well as to stimulate the kinesthetic imagination. Individuals emerge with an activated sense of stage space, and often characters or designs for sets. This is beneficial to the actor as well as to the playwright.
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9. Pet Peeve rant/variationsStudents take fast turns ranting about pet peeves they have. Prepare by making a list of several possible pet peeves.
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10. Seven changes/variationsStudents choose a partner, face and observe each other. They turn about, make up to seven changes in their personal appearance. On a signal, all turn around again to face their partners. Take turns guessing the changes.
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11. Improv from 3 bags (character, setting, problem or conflict) Students develop short, improbable scenes based on the chance selection of Character, Setting, Problem written on a piece of paper and drawn from each of three marked bags.
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12. Dream OptionThis is an improv game for up to five players. One person interviews a member of the audience, about what that person did that day, or the previous day. The interviewer tries to be thorough and pick up on details. After the interview, the group replays the interviewee’s day as a dream sequence.
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13. Story Circle/ story by beads The group sits in a circle. Each person adds one word to the story as it grows. The group establishes a rhythm so that the pace of the unfolding story is continuous. Whenever anyone gets stuck for a word, they are to re-insert a key word that has already been used. If the story-circle is a kind of necklace, then these key words are “beads.” This makes for cohesive and absurd stories.
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14. Complete Centering/ alignment This is less of a game and more of an exercise for the actor. Based in body alignment discipline that informs stage movement, breath, and voice, these exercises relax the body and give confidence to the actor. The student must focus attention. My methods of centering draw on several disciplines that include yoga, the work of Jerzy Grotowski, and Kristin Linklater.
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A simplified account has the student find a relaxed and balanced standing position, then make it conscious. How are they standing? What part of the feet have weight? Where is the hip balanced? How is the back? The chest? The head? Have students roll down their spines one vertebra at a time, then re-stack themselves. Students identify balance physically. Then they identify balance regarding breath, internal dialogue, and time. To describe this process requires quite a bit of development not appropriate to this space. But for further reference see Grotowski’s and Linklater’s books listed in the bibliography.
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15. Zip Zap Zup This is a game of elimination with two winners. The group stands in a circle with hands clasped and index fingers pointing like a gun. One person initiates the game by pointing his/her fingers at a person and saying, “ZIP!” The person must point directly and make eye contact. Sloppy shooting is grounds for being tossed out of the circle. The person who received the “Zip” points his/her own fingers at another person and says, “ZAP!” That third person the passes the charge along to someone else by saying, “ZUP!” Breaking the rhythm or in any way not being clear with a single zip, zap, or zup causes the person to be out of the game.
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16. Pantomime tools The basis for pantomime is in muscular tension and relaxation. I will demonstrate various forms for facial masks based on tension/relaxation, as well as demonstrating body movements that imitate actions such as pulling a rope, climbing a ladder, walking (without moving), holding a glass of water, throwing a ball, carrying a heavy suitcase.
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17. Three balls and a glass of water. This is a fun game that is a metaphor for the actor’s stage experience. First the group stands outside or in a large open space. Each person counts off, but not in any regular pattern around the circle. “One” should not stand next to “two” who should not stand next to “three,” etc. The first objective is for the group to pass one ball in ascending sequence. Don’t drop it!
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When the group masters one ball in ascending sequence, then stop. Introduce a second ball to pass in descending sequence. If you drop the ball, start over! Once the group masters the descending sequence, then add both balls together—ascending and descending. This is tricky. Once the group masters two balls, the third step is add a ball which is passed along the outside of the circle, so it goes around as the other two balls go in sequence. Lots of ACTION! The final step is to add a glass of water to be passed along the outside of the circle in the opposite direction to ball #3. Don’t spill the water or drop the balls! Watch out! Great game for concentration and ensemble building. This may also be played with a hat instead of a glass of water.
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18. Sound/movement transformations. Described by Spolin, this game involves students standing opposite one another. One person finds a motion and an accompanying sound, then moves toward the person opposite. That person mirrors the sound and motion and steps out to meet the originator. The second person fully claims the first person’s sound and motion. The first person rejoins the line opposite where he started. Meanwhile, the second person allows the sound and motion to transform into a new sound and motion. This game passes from one person to the next until everyone has had a turn.
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19. Handprop transformations. This is a fast game that requires respect for the handprops involved so that they are not damaged. The game is fun and fast and requires mind-popping imagination. As is the case with many of these games, they work better if you don’t think, but simply jump in and be silly, allowing your subconscious to work. The group stands in a circle. In the center of the circle is a collection of handprops and toys and objects that suggest many possible uses. Rugged percussion instruments are good for this game also. At the word “GO!” students take turns. They run into the center, take a prop and make a short scene consisting of one line. The person is to use the prop in a way that it was not originally intended. The person transforms the prop into some other object. Thus, a telephone may become a banana, an oar, a bow tie, a belt buckle, an ear, a nose, sunglasses, a baseball bat, etc. Each person must take at least four turns and the action must be fast but not jumbled up on top of each other. This is an ancient clown game.
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20. Charades. Everyone knows how to play charades. One hint, however, is that you have strips of paper with suggestions already written down.
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21. Entrances/Exits Students are to demonstrate a character’s entrance and exit, entering from stage right and exiting stage left. Each entrance must designate from where the character is coming. Each exit must demonstrate where the character is going. This is a game that pertains directly to writing scenes because the simple boundaries of entrance and exit define a fundamental dramatic action.
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22. Filling the space. This is a Spolin exercise described in both books. It involves the entire group moving around the room, not making contact, but rather giving attention to the space. This is a great exercise for allowing the body to come alive in space. See Spolin’s description in either book listed in the bibliography.
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23. Apology. Two students stand back to back. Each student has a telephone. They may be mimed. One student makes a call to the other and apologizes for something they have done. The more outrageous the better.
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24. Moving a dream/ walking a trip / making a wish. Students spread out and find the most comfortable position to lie down or sit. Students are instructed to relax and close their eyes. They can travel to a place they like very much. Have them picture in mind the actual trip they would take if they were to leave the classroom and go to their favorite place. Which direction would they go? What would they see as they passed by on the way? What would they do as they went along? Who would they meet along the way? And, after they arrive—Who is there in that special place? What is there? What is one wish you would give that person who is there? Or one wish you would make for the place itself? After students complete the mental imagery, instruct each student to not speak to classmates, and practice acting out the stages of their journey. Move through the space without interacting. Focus only on acting out the journey, the arrival, and the wish. Find motions for the journey, the arrival, interactions within the dream, and the wish. This can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. When students have practiced their dream walk, then each takes turns showing them to the class.
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25. Instruct students to think of a character who wants something terribly. The character would be willing to do almost anything to get the object of their desire. Perform the same exercise as above except this time acting out the character and objective.
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26. The assignment is to bring in an unusual photograph of a person. Students place photos in a bag and draw them out. Each person has a photo. Take the photo and write the words the person is saying. What does the character feel? How does the character move? What does the character want? How much does the character want it? Where is the character going? To whom is the character talking? Who are the character’s friends? family? enemies? What does the character like to eat? Do for fun? What is the character afraid of? Who or what does the character love? For what would that character give his/her life? Where is that character? WRITE these down. ACT them out.
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27. Take a hat out of the hat box and play with it. Do not interact with other students. Become a kind of character. Feel what that character feels. Imagine having the thoughts of that character. Find motions and actions to go with the character. Same questions as above. Write down your character’s thoughts, actions and reactions, plus any dialogue spoken to another character. If a companion character is present too, then write that down also.
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28. Each person moves to a separate space on the floor. Get comfortable. Close your eyes. Imagine a moment from your life that has been most joyful or most painful. Imagine the events that preceded that moment. Imagine how your body moved in those events. Allow your body to move again through those moments. Keep your eyes closed and move in a way most comfortable to you in reproducing that time. Allow your body’s movements to reproduce that time. The movements may be realistic or they may be the expression of how you felt on the inside. Move according to how your body feels. Come to a conclusion. Get a partner. One partner sit and watch, the other repeat the motions just discovered. When finished, switch places. The partner who watched now re-creates the motions of the first partner. The first partner watches the re-creation of his/her movements. Repeat with the second partner. Discussion.
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29. Write out scenarios—two characters, their objectives, a place, a conflict or problem. Allow the characters objectives to lead them through the scene. Exchange scenarios. Partners act them out.
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30. Listen to music to create a sense of place. Write out a description that includes a character’s entrance and exit.
The above games/exercises are some of the means used to develop the student’s sense of theatrical space and to stimulate imagination, confidence, and organic growth. Furthermore, the games allow and promote the student’s ability to play with various roles. All the activities start or develop the playwriting process. Note that we will make use of costume pieces, hats, handprops and other materials listed above in Preparation and Strategy. The following lesson plans are from the Period of Starting Points, but I can also derive lessons of the third and fourth periods from the activities listed above.
