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  • 1.  Distance Ensemble Experiences for Theatre Educators and their Students Session Twelve May 26, 2020

    Posted 05-25-2020 20:03
    Distance Ensemble Experiences for Theatre Educators and their Students Session Twelve
    May 26, 2020
    The experiences detailed can be used for Warmups, Collaboration, Cool Downs. Students experience the 21st Century Skills-Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Communication and Collaboration (by distance). I do not teach Theatre Games, because games indicate a winner and loser. In Ensemble Experiences, each participant is a winner. We work with Objective, Obstacles, Tactics and articulating participant's thoughts and feelings with Reflective Inquiry.
    For Distance Learning, students need be seated so that you can see each. Later you will ask each to stand; they need to stand with some open distance for movement. It is great if students can view all of the participants.
    Educators, you have permission to tweak any experience to fit your needs. Enjoy.
    *P=P-I PERFORMANCE EQUALS POTENTIAL MINUS INHIBITORS

    An actor is invited to address any inhibitors prior to the experience.
    Ensemble based learning/cooperative learning/make your partner look good-even at a distance.

    ** Fortunately Unfortunately
    Objective-As a group build, the first actor begins with a sentence, "Fortunately, I (completes the sentence with some appropriate action verb and completes the sentence with descriptive words), such as "Fortunately, I fell head first into a vat filled with Jelly Bellies." The second actor begins the sentence with "Unfortunately, (and completes an unfortunate action involving falling into a vat filled with Jelly Bellies) Everyone listens to build with Fortunately sentences and Unfortunately sentences. This stream of story telling continues until the teacher feels that the subject is coming to an end. At which time, another actor begins a new story line with "Fortunately. . . "
    Obstacles-Story must build and keep on the track established by the actors.
    Tactics-Listening and visualizing what might happen if it were happening in a movie, on stage, in a mystery or children's book.
    Teacher may call "New Choice" at any time an actor does not keep it appropriate.



    **Getting to Know You-Check In
    Objective-Each participant is invited to talk for 30 seconds maximum about any topic which means something to them. The talk may be serious and/or have humor. This performance can be in the form of speech, monologue, rant.
    Obstacles-Some students may need some prompt suggestions. So presenting the following open ended sentences to all of the ensemble members to think about helps. Teacher can establish an order of speaking.
    To get in touch with the positive things about me, I. . . To handle peer pressure, I. . . To discover what my future life will bring, I. . . My biggest worry is. . . It doesn't matter to me, that. . . I need to do something about. . . I see myself as. . . Love is. . . What scares me most about life is. . . The thing I like about myself is. . . When I was a child. . . .My wish for the world is. . . I am innocently obsessed with. . . I hope. . . I wish. . . I fear. . . I want. . . Ten years from now. . . A proud moment in my life was. . .I value. . .Something that bothers me is . . .
    Tactics-Speak from the heart. The teacher will give you a five (5) second signal to finish.

    Closure-A Share Out about whose talk was memorable and why.

    **Two Minute Gibberish Story Telling and Acting
    Objective-Assigned groups of two or three work together to tell and act out an assigned familiar story. Teacher breaks the group into rooms for 2 minutes of planning on how they will tell and act out a familiar story.
    Obstacles-Working together in distance platforms, sharing the focus, telling and acting out in 2 minutes maximum. Forming gibberish words, so each word is a different sound, not just one sound, such as "da, da, da, da" instead sounds like "opma, diggna, fishas, ahhh tummm." and expresses the mood of the story elements.
    Tactics-In the planning, students decide who will take what parts, such as narrator, etc. Then talk through the story line elements including the climax and end. Then the narrator can say "The End," in Gibberish. Thinking the words in English or your native language and letting your mouth form silly sounds helps progress the story line; use character voices.

    Teacher you can pop into the various rooms and tell the actors what their story will be. Examples might include: THREE BEARS, LITTLE MERMAID, RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER, THREE LITTLE PIGS, CINDERELLA, FROSTY THE SNOWMAN, FROZEN, THRE BILLY GOATS GRUFF, MARY POPPINS, WIZARD OF OZ, FINDING NEMO, TOY STORY, STAR WARS (any or all), ALICE IN WONDERLAND, LION KING, GOLDILOCKS, HARRY POTTER (any or all), LITTLE RED HEN, JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, RUMPELSTILTSKIN

    After the 2-minute planning, the teacher establishes the order. Call time after 1:50. Ask the ensemble to wait until you say "Name that story," to call out the title.
    Celebrate by allowing students to share what was well done, surprising, etc.

    More Ensemble Experiences will be posted until the second week of June 2020.
    Gai Laing Jones.

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    Gai Laing Jones
    gai.jones@sbcglobal.net
    gaijones2013@gmail.com
    www.gaijones.com
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  • 2.  RE: Distance Ensemble Experiences for Theatre Educators and their Students Session Twelve May 26, 2020

    Posted 05-26-2020 10:02
    Thank you Gai!

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    Tracey Buot
    Performing Arts Dept. Chair
    Drama Director
    Cambridge High School
    Milton, Georgia
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