What a Drama Teacher Does in the Summer — Missoula Children’s Theatre Fine Arts Camp Part 3

December 1st, 2010

Pantomime exercise for student actors

First of all, I want to apologize for being so delinquent in updating my blog. My only answer is to say that I’ve been busy — have just been appointed program chairman of our Osher Life Long Learning Institute at the University of Montana.  My committee selects the teachers and classes that will be taught for the over 50 crowd who take these enrichment classes just for the joy of learning.  I’ve also been cast in White Christmas as Martha, the innkeeper.  Lots of lines to learn, and believe me, my brain isn’t as it once was, so I have been struggling. Anyway, enough about my excuses and on to this fun activity.

While your students are working on pantomime and doing their exaggerated emotions, also have them thinking of performing in front of a camera.  We will now put these emotions to work.

Silent Movie

We are going to use mime to create a short “chase and fight scene.” Begin by going on YouTube and finding either an original silent movie or a modern one and show it to the class before you begin this activity. There are many great Keystone Cops clips to give your students a feel for slapstick.

Explain that when performing this short scene the only way of communicating with the audience is through movement and expressions.  That was why the students worked with overdone expressions. Now they need to add “over-the-top” gestures as well.

Divide your class into groups of three. The scene must have a policeman, a thief, and a shop owner. The story line must have a beginning, a middle, and end, hopefully with the thief being caught by the policeman. Your students need to think how they can make their characters and the situation obvious. What gestures can they use?  Again, use exaggeration — but with total believability.

To show the fight, your students are to create three different still images to show the action. There is to be no physical contact! Encourage them to add slapstick movements. (Jumping up and down like a boxer, doing a wind-up windmill hit, etc.)

Each group has 2 pieces of card stock and a broad black marker to create placards. Remember, those two cards are to help tell the story. Remind them that they must be used appropriately.

A great addition would be silent movie music, which you can find free at http://incompetech.com/.

As this is the beginning of December and we’ll be doing a three-week run of White Christmas, I will say Happy Holidays and we’ll see you in 2011.