In my second level performance class, we do a "block through" of Our Town. After the students read and analyze the play on their own and in groups, we spend 2 weeks blocking through the entire show - I set up traditional parameters of the houses, and leave it to the students to decide how and when they move and express. Different students play different characters each day, and everyone gets up for ensemble scenes like the wedding and funeral. We take our time going through each scene, so the students are learning to make strong blocking decisions as actors, and to analyze them as scene-mates, audience members, directors. When there are discrepancies about how different scenes could be blocked, we play it both ways to see the differences. How does the scene change if Mrs. Gibbs' pantomime kitchen is facing downstage, vs. stage right? What different emotions does she feel the morning of the wedding and how does she express them?
After this project, the students creating directing concepts for the play - we've explored it in a pretty traditional manner, now come up with something entirely different (referencing David Cromer's recent production). How would you incorporate props? Differences between acts 1/2 and act 3? etc.
As this unit follows an entire semester of improv, they are accustomed to making big choices and trusting their decisions.
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Abra Chusid
Theatre Director
Lake Villa, IL
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-01-2014 11:51
From: Jessica Harms
Subject: Blocking Activities or Games
I enjoy having the students create scenes in a few ways. I start with a deck of index cards with locations where you find people on them: circus, concert, library, park, school, etc. For the first few rounds I elect a director to tell people where to stand only using verbal stage directions, what they are doing, and they are responsible for making sure everyone is seen. It's up to you if this is an action scene or a tableau. I prefer also for the director not to reveal where we are, and allow the students in the scene to guess upon completion. In the second level of the game, I have one student pick a card with the location without revealing it to the remainder of the class. They then chose a spot on stage, and identify what they are. (You can make a rule that they can only be things, or can only be people, or both. Changing the simple rule like this can allow you to play it three different times.) The rest of the class will add in one by one guessing where they are. When they join on stage they identify who/what they are. When you as the teacher call them in, you can gave them area restrictions, like "Johnny, you may join in down stage right." The final version of the game is one where the original student picks a location, does not reveal it to anyone, takes his or her place on stage but does not identify who or what they are. I tend to ask everyone to join in in tableau then ask them to bring it to life once everyone is on stage. This can be quite humorous as many times there are many different ideas of where you are.
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Jessica Harms
Tewksbury Memorial High School
Tewksbury MA
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-06-2014 22:40
From: Stephanie Schultze
Subject: Blocking Activities or Games
I am teaching basic blocking to my performance I class and feel your frustration. Blocking is easy to teach in lecture format but the students today need on their feet learning to reinforce. I have given mine open scenes and had them block for different goals or objectives. We are also working on student directed 10 minute shorts so the student directors can block and then receive feedback. I go over areas of the stage that are strong and areas that are weak, different types of entrances and exits, types of crosses, levels and planes and body positions. My kids seem to respond to the weak versus strong viewpoint. Who is in the position of strength? Who is weaker, etc? Again, this is just a starting point for us. Hope this helps. I would love a good resource with activities for teaching beginning blocking!
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Stephanie Schultze
Drama Teacher/Director
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-04-2014 11:58
From: Amy Learn
Subject: Blocking Activities or Games
I am looking for some fun, short technique focused games or activities to strengthen blocking or justified movement concepts.
I teach Acting studios and would like some short activities to refresh and strengthen skills. I'm tired of yelling "stay open" and was thinking that more on-your-feet refreshers across the course of the semester might minimize this.
Ideas?
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Amy Learn
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