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Theater games

Theater games. AND EXERCISES. PURPOSE. In any theater environment, there needs to be a sense of play. Foundation exercises: Provide focus Develop basic skills for theater performance.

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Theater games

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  1. Theater games AND EXERCISES

  2. PURPOSE • In any theater environment, there needs to be a sense of play. • Foundation exercises: • Provide focus • Develop basic skills for theater performance. • “In order to create and perform satisfying theatre, we need to be in touch with how our bodies work as communicative systems…[and] understand the power of voice, space, time, gesture.” (Taylor, 2006)

  3. The living circle • Foundational exercises create a “living circle.” • The living circle is created when everyone is aware of the space need and works together to ensure there is equal space. • The circle is living because it: • Adjusts to members leaving or joining • Always maintains equal space for participants • It takes practice to create the living circle, so we will work on it daily.

  4. Hard work • Each person will have his or her own “hard work” in this class. • No one will master all of the activities to the point of not making mistakes…including me. • Exercises increase in difficulty as we increase in skill. • Avoiding “hard work” undermines your growth and learning, and deprives you of the feeling of triumph when you find it easier.

  5. Post-performance • Post-Performance Discussion is designed to allow participants to process how intentions played out on stage and learn what does and does not work in performance. • NOT designed as a time to critique skill or compare to each other. • Begin with positive affirmation (what was done well) • Constructive criticism • Do not put each other down. Do not belittle one another.

  6. Foundation 1: breathing • Calm minds and bodies to focus on task. • Get in touch with bodies and begin awareness of space. • Control breath and how it affects “inside space.” • Breathe into diaphragm to support actions with breath. • Connect voice to breathing to support and increase vocal range. • Character work: how breathing affects physicality, mood, and affect. • There are many levels of breathing we will work through this year.

  7. Stage I breathing • Sit in your chair with both feet flat on the floor. • Straighten your back to open airways. • Place one hand on breastbone, and the other hand on lower stomach (just below navel). • Breath into your diaphragm – you will know that you are because your lower hand will move in and out. STOP if you become lightheaded and resume normal breathing.

  8. Foundation 2: stretching • Releases nervous energy from sedentary state. • Makes performers aware of areas of body to take care of. • Increased blood flow and flexibility, reduced muscle tension, relief of headaches.

  9. Basic stretching • Gentle rolling of head • Stretch arms around chest • Quad stretch • Bending at waist with knees slightly bent • Roll down: releasing body one vertebrae at a time. Pause at any place of extra tension. STOP if there is pain. Focus on controlled breathing while stretching.

  10. Facial stretching • Warming up the face and mouth for speaking and expression. • Opening eyes and mouth as wide as possible (think of yawning or showing surprise. • Making face as small as possible. • Stretching all facial muscles and massaging them. • Vibrating lips.

  11. Foundation 3: walking the space • Explore room and interaction with others. • Basic Form: Observe floor, walls, trying to take in anything you see. • Do not merely walk in a circle, but explore how you can change direction and tempo. • Focus on keeping breath engaged and upper body relaxed as move.

  12. Walking the space II • Practice eye contact with one another. • Improvisational walking: emotions, as if different locations, through various substances. • Hold position, freezes. • Using body as expression. NO TALKING HERE.

  13. Stage II: rhythmic breathing • Rhythmic breathing helps you to control your breathing and your physical space. It is also very useful in vocal performances for controlling voice and maintaining focus and tranquility. • Follow counts: “Breathe in, two three, four. Breathe out, two, three, four. • We will increase difficulty over time. (Hold in between in and out…longer time counts, etc.)

  14. Name games • Hello, I Am • Introduce around circle, “Hello, I am (name),” maintaining eye contact and shaking hands. Followed by “Nice to meet you, (name).” • Names Around the Circle • Say your name, using a body gesture. The rest of the group will mimic tone and gesture.

  15. Ball games • Fun, energizing and require you to focus on rhythm and ensemble. • Passing Around the Circle – Think “Hot Potato, but Cooler” • Purpose is to maintain rhythm and focus on action. • 1. Around the circle, handing to one another. Switch direction when instructed. • 2. Across circle, using underhanded tosses. • “Alphabet ball pass”

  16. Energy games • Theater defies Physics: You always get more energy out of it than you put into it. • Blind Counting: Focus • Eyes closed! Leader starts the count. Only one person may follow or restart. Say one number at a time only. How high can we count together without opening our eyes? • The Ten Game • Shaking left hand, right hand, left foot, right foot. Start on 10 count and count down to one, shaking limbs, increasing speed while moving.

  17. Energy games II • Buzz, beep-beep • In circle, “buzz” one direction; “beep-beep” to change direction. • Zip, Zap, Boing! • Match one another’s energy, make eye contact, use good vocal skills. • Pass imaginary ball of energy using one of three commands: zip, zap, or boing. • Zip: energy passed to someone adjacent to you. • Zap: pass to anyone in the circle two or more people away. Use eye contact and clap. • Boing: Returns the energy to the person who just sent it. Throw hands up and throw with palms out (as if making a wall).

  18. Physical interaction • Purpose: Become aware of how you affect the space and people around you AND to work toward common goal while increasing communication abilities. • Mirroring: Partners. • Stand facing each other with about a foot between you (closer than a single arm’s length. One is leader, one is mirror. • Leader chooses movements, facial expressions and the mirror must do the same. • Switch roles after about a minute.

  19. Physical interaction 2 • Mirroring: Groups. Same as partner exercise, but with one head of the circle to be the leader. • Sculptures: Small groups (3-4) • Choose a director and decide on a scene to depict. Show the essence of the scene with a single pose (without acting it out or talking). • Human Puppet: Pairs • One puppets the other using gentle pressure. Nonverbal/Verbal. What is the specific task?

  20. Advanced breathing • WE ARE HARDCORE BREATHERS NOW. • Staccato OR Sustained • Ha, Ho, He • F, L, M, N, R, S, V, Z • Explore pitch and tone • Breathe out sirens to explore range of voice. • Remain connected to breath and focus on it coming from the diaphragm. • Vary mood and intentions (joyful, angry, peaceful, melancholy) – character in mind

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