I like to show the students excerpts from Bill Irwin and David Shiner productions (you can find some on YouTube). We then talk about how they make the pantomime work - what is clear? How was it executed? How does emotion play into it? We work first on expressing emotions with the face. Now add the body to that facial expression. Now dial it up to 10.
We then work on the three things I think are important to pantomime - size, shape, and weight (and a strong belief in the imaginary). We start in a circle and we all hold an imaginary ping pong ball. Feel the weight, how big, close your hand (can you?), bounce it, toss it up. Now add the action and emotion of tossing it really high, it disappears, it reappears and you have to catch it before it falls into the lava, etc. Now it's a golf ball, etc. When we get to tennis ball, everyone gets a tennis ball. They bounce it, they toss it, they pass it to a partner, etc. Now I take away the actual tennis balls and they do the same thing, pantomiming the tennis ball. We try volleyball, bowling ball, beach ball, balloons with a partner (keep it in the air, hit it with a different body part), etc. It's fun and active - switch partners, etc.
Next - students have "Magic Clay." They must mold it into an item and use the item, without speaking. Once they have finished creating and using the item, students may guess what it is. I side coach to get the students to be more specific and active with their choices. If anyone is having trouble, if the item is in the room, I ask them to use the actual item, then put it down and pantomime it. Muscle memory works.
Exercise
With a partner, students create a pantomimed activity. They may use furniture, but no props. There is no talking, whispering, mouthing, etc. There must be a beginning, middle, and end. They may use music to enhance what they are doing (this gets them thinking about sound design). I give them notes and suggestions along the way as they rehearse in class. They then present to the class for self-evaluation and peer review.
Games
Pantomime Recreation
4 students leave the room. They choose who will be 1, 2, 3 and 4. One student creates a pantomimed activity, with the class suggesting things along the way. After all is decided (about 1 to 2 minutes MAXIMUM), student 1 comes in. Student 1 watches the pantomime, knowing that she will recreate EXACTLY what she sees for student 2. Student 2 comes in and student 1 does the same pantomime she just saw. Student 2 performs the same pantomime for student 3. Student 3 performs the same pantomime for student 4. Student 4 performs, then must guess what she was doing. Thens student 3 guesses, student 2 guesses, student 1 guesses. Finally the original student performs the original pantomime so students 2, 3, and 4 can see it. I side coach so the student remembers everything.
Galactic Kitchen
Stage left is the door to enter. Stage right is the door to exit. One at a time, students enter the "Galactic Kitchen", perform one simple, single task, and exit. So, if student one establishes the door to open a certain way, it must always open that way. Did she close it or is it still open? Where was the door knob? The task may be as simple as getting a soda from the refrigerator. Whatever is established is true for the rest of the class. Each student, entering one at a time, may establish ONE new thing. This is all pantomimed - no talking. It's great for observation as well as pantomime. When I have students try a second time, they may add words, a reason to be here, a relationship to the space, etc.
The most important thing is a belief in what you are doing. If you see it, feel it, react honestly to it, we (the audience) will as well.
Bes wishes,
Rob