Distance Ensemble Experiences for Theatre Educators and their Students Session One
March 22, 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.
*1. Breathing together- Breathe: inhale with closed mouth, roll tongue back, touching tip to top of soft palate, inhale; open mouth, flatten tongue and exhale.
**Note to educator-after a few breathes, you can guide your group to try to breathe together with an established rhythm. You have articulated the objective. Ask some students to mention some obstacles; then explore some tactics.
*2. Sigh 5 times-Students stand; upon direction they sigh 5 times, encourage a vocal sigh. Once they have sighed; direct students to sigh with voice, activating full face with expression. Then progress down the body with face included, sigh with face, voice and neck; full arms; upper body; hips; one foot, another foot; one leg, another leg; full body and 5 vocal sighs.
3. S.O. Standing Ovation-Objective: Ensemble Members, stand together at the same time; all students sit; articulate Objectives, Obstacles; Share some agreed-upon tactics. Implementing some of the agreed-upon tactics, try. Allow students to try it several times after sitting in between; talk about adjustments; try it again and again;
4. Birthday Take A Stand-Nonverbal Experience-Instruct students to think of their birthday (month and date, not the year); think about a way to communicate to others the birthday month and date. The Objective is to stand in order of their birthday months and dates. *It is imperative that students can see one another for this experience. Direct them for the Creative Inquiry asking questions about Obstacles, then Tactics.
Direct them to begin standing from January to December and within each month standing in numerical order within the moth.
After the experience, talk about the process as part of the Reflective Inquiry.
4. Tony Award Performance of your Birthday As If Your Birthday Were a National Holiday; Using Body and Voice-Direct students to stand one at a time and announce their birthday month and date. Precede the announcement with an arm movement.
Direct the group to replicate the movement and announcement of birth month and date imitating movement, voice quality and attitude.
Direct students for the Creative Inquiry asking about what Obstacles they might envision; then to articulate the tactics.
Educator-you might give them adjustments and have them try it a second time.
Talk about some reflections about having all students follow their action and vocal work.
5. Tony Award Acceptance Speech-Instruct students on your signal to give the one minute most emotional Tony Award speech thanking everyone they know, generate tears of joy. Upon your signal they are to wrap it up.
More postings this upcoming week.
Gai Laing Jones
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Gai Laing Jones
gai.jones@sbcglobal.netwww.gaijones.comwww.gaijones.com------------------------------