What a Drama Teacher Does in the Summer — Missoula Children’s Theatre Fine Arts Camp Part 2

October 21st, 2010

Acting exercises for large groups

I would like to share more activities I used in my summer drama camp.

After we did Group Stop and 8 Various Walks and discussed pantomime, we continued with the following four games.

Statue

Have your students move about the room, swinging their arms, jumping, bending, or anything very active, and then call “freeze.” One by one, have your students use their frozen pose to perform an activity they think the pose represents.  You will know what they are doing by the way the movement is executed.  After each student completes his/her action, discuss what everyone saw. Sometimes suggestions can be given of how to improve, but most of the time your students’ actions are very clear.

Picture Game

This game works best with a group of 8-10.  With a larger group, divide them into two-three teams.

The group(s) stand outside a designated performance space. One person runs into the space, forms his/her body into a statue, and announces what he/she is.  For example, "I'm a tree."

Instantly, the next person runs in and forms something else in the same picture, but not saying what he/she is, and so on until the whole picture is complete.  It should be clear to everyone what/who each addition is to the picture. If there is any confusion the actor can say what they are, such as:  "I'm a bench under the tree," or "I'm a bird on the bench."

Start again. And again.  This game needs to go very, very fast.  There is no time to think — just go! If there are two or three teams, they alternate.

Acting Out Emotions

Give each student one of the seven emotions from 8 Walks: agitated, angry, athletic, confused, enthusiastic, frightened, or jumpy (you can add more if you like). Yes, there will be repeats, but the students don’t know that. Ask your students to walk into the acting area, sit for 30 seconds, and then leave, acting out their specific emotion without a word being spoken.  Explain that when performing mime the only way of communicating with the audience is through movement and expressions; therefore, it is important to make all gestures, thoughts, and feelings bigger than in normal life but caution them about portraying stereotypes and overacting. You want to see real emotions. You want to believe! They have to think about not only how to walk, but sit, wait, and leave. Again discuss what worked and what didn’t. Helpful suggestions are always welcome.

Overdone Emotions

Now you will repeat Acting Out Emotions but this time your students are to think exaggeration! You want them to do everything they just did but 10 times bigger, not forgetting they, as actors, still must believe! Again remind them to use facial expressions and movements. Have them think of this exercise as playing to a camera.

With this last exercise I am leading you to a great fun mime presentation!  Until next time, have a great fall and Halloween.