Position:Home>Theater & Acting> Ideas for my drama class please!!?

I've had some nice personal breakthroughs in my acting classes with exercises that involved a lot of imagination and role-play!. One was pretending we were in a narrow tube, and my teacher talked us through the scenario of trying to wiggle our way out!.

Another was just lying on our backs with the lights out or dimmed, and exploring emotions!. Started imagining sitting on a beach alone at sunset, feeling the saltiness in the air!. Look over and see someone you deeply love walking towards you with a smile!. Let them feel that for a while!. Then imagine that person you love holding hands with someone you hate!.

It's great to get deeply in touch with what makes them tick!. A lot of people don't explore themselves like that!.

Another thing we did was find a newspaper article of something tragic or outrageous or just very interesting that happened to someone, and then replacing the person in the article with someone close to us!.

As far as imagination goes, I remember some actress said that she can only kill off her mother so many times before it stops working to get her to cry!. But starting off with that I find can be very helpful!.

also, picking a line or phrase in a scene, and asking how that makes them feel or what they think about it!. I had an exercise with a partner, and I had to repeat a line over and over again because she didn't believe that I meant it!. So I would deliver the line, and she would tell me that she didn't believe me until she really did!. It can be really frustrating, but I think it helps make your characters more genuine!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Many different exercises you can do:

The Letter:
A person enters from "offstage" (outside the classroom or whatever) and is carrying a letter!. They open the letter, react to it's contents, and leave the stage never saying a word!. The object is to have the class understnad exactly what was in the letter through action and reaction alone without the use of language!.

The Cup:
A cup is passed around, completely empty, and each person pretends to drink whatever liquid they like!. They react to this liquid in various ways, maybe they really enjoyed it, maybe it was too hot and burned them, etc!.!.!.

Before:
There is a set script that everyone performs to with one actor onstage with a straight set of lines!. The other actor comes from offstage with whatever back story they want or are assigned!. The goal is that whatever happened offstage is still affecting the person that enters (perhaps they just heard their father died or they got robbed)!. This obviously affects their attentiveness and their physical demeaner while reacting to the static text from the given script (preferably something simple and mondane like standard office talk or notes to start a shift at work or something)!.

Petty games are usefull for some things and I hope you realize this!. They can be good as a quick warm up, they can be good to teach improvitazation, they can be good to get a group more open and friendly!. If you need more "petty games" I recomend checking out episodes of Whose Line is it Anyway!. Many of these games can be converted into easy theatre games!. I can send you a list I made if you would like (just ask) though it may take me time to find it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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In my drama class we played several things, which helped a lot but might not be what you're looking for:
Sound Ball:
Pretend to hold a ball, make a weird sound (invented if possible, BOOMS and woofs get annoying), and "throw" it to another person!.
That person must "catch" it, say the sound the thrower said, and make up a new sound!. Throw the ball, repeat sound, invent sound, throw, repeat, invent, throw, repeat, invent, throw!.!.!.

Variations:
Word Ball: Same as Sound Ball, just with words!. Don't reuse words!.

Action Ball: Same as the others, just with actions!.

Action&Sound Ball: A mix of Sound Ball and Action Ball, move and say a sound that would go well with the movement!.

ASB 2: Action&Sound Ball but where you start by moving into the middle of a circle of people performing your action & sound, then (still performing) you move to another person!. Stand in front of them until they get the hang of your movements, then say 'Go' [anything will do] and take their spot in the circle!. The person moves to the middle performing your actions, then changes the movements and sounds and goes to another person!. Having several people do this at a time makes it very confusing!.

Hitchhiker:
One person is "driving"!. Another stands to the side of the "road"!.
First person must show a made up personality!. Second person also!.
Person 1 lets Hitchiker in!.
Start to talk!. Act according to character!.
Pick up more people, then lets them out in that order!. Have them make up reasons, etc!.

Timeslide:
One person wanders around, acts anythiing out!.
(four other people are in a line to the side, last person will be the 'freezer')
Last person calls 'FREEZE' at any time!. Person 1 freezes in position!.
Person2 goes in, and starts acting around person 1, using person 1's frozen shape!. (cant repeat acts)
Person1 unfreezes, and they act together!.
Freezer freezes them and #3 goes in, acts!.
Act together!.
Repeat for person 4!.
Then Freezer freezes them last time and joins in!.
All start acting, Freezer leaves for some "reason", make up something creative!.
All the acts were different: when Freezer leave, freeze then pretend #4's act again, but times has passed!.
#4 leaves somehow!.
Go to #3 act!.
#3 leaves, go to #2 act!.
#2 leaves, go to #1 act!.
#1 leaves!.

Presents: Pretend to hand out a present from a pretend stack!. Act as if present is bulky/slim/heavy/moving/etc!. Reciever "opens" and acts according to what he/she thinks she got!. (Reciever can say what they think they got, but can't ask giver)
Reciever becomes Giver, gets a present, acts, gives, acts, etc!.
Hope this helps!. :)
Www@QuestionHome@Com

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I should break it to you that petty games are what allow you to learn to act naturally or organically!.!.!.Method is all about games or acting exercises or 'playing'!.

A good actor knows what is around them, BEFORE they learn what is read to create and emotion!. I spent many a rehearsal laying on the floor listening to sounds and thought it was a total waste of my time!.!.!. That was 15 yrs ago!.!. Now, I Get It! You need to know what's natural before you know what's acted!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

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