Distance Ensemble Experiences for Theatre Educators and their Students Session Five
April 6, 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.
Theatre Quotes
When someone does something good, applaud! You will make two people happy.
Samuel Goldwyn, American producer
The thing about performance, even if it’s only an illusion, is that it is a celebration of the fact that we do contain within ourselves infinite possibilities.
Daniel Day-Lewis, actor
**S.O.-Standing Ovation
Invite the students to think about what they bring to your ensemble. Direct the students to listen, really listen without distractions. With all students seated, direct students to stand when they want to speak sharing what they contribute to the ensemble. Determine how each will show that they heard the speaker (jazz hands, coffee house snap, silent thank you; sign language thank you)
Objective: Take an inventory about the way/s they contribute to making the ensemble solid, loving and supportive.
Obstacles: When more than one student stands, others sits and listen to the speaker.
Teacher, can contribute about each student during the experience.
Tactics: Invite the students to create ways to get attention, when they wish to speak.
After 5 minutes, invite any student who has not contributed to do so.
When time is finished, congratulate the group.
** Circles-
Thanks to Augusto Boal for this next experience. It was fun to learn it from Boal himself.
Give an overall brief explanation of the experience.
Objective: Each actor sits individually.
1. With the right arm begin to make a circle using the right arm. Do that for 30 seconds. Then stop.
2. With the left arm, make a plus sign; after 30 seconds, stop.
3. Now with the right arm make a circle and at the same time with the left arm, make the plus sign +.
Do for 30 seconds, then stop.
Conduct a brief discussion as to tactics each employed to perform the action above.
4. While seated, keep your arms to your sides, with right foot and lower leg, makes a circle for 30 seconds, then stop.
5. Still seated, have your left foot and lower left leg, make a plus sign + for 30 seconds, then stop.
6. Seated, activate right leg/foot into a circle, and left leg/foot into a plus sign.
Conduct a short discussion about the legs’ action.
7. At the same time, activate steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
After 30 seconds conduct a reflective discussion about the process. Ask why this process might be valuable for actors/technicians.
**Red Ball, Thank You.
This experience requires that each student can sit in a chair and stand, and all participants can see each student. And that each student and you, the teacher knows each other’s first name.
Objective to toss a mimed Red ball to another participant, by getting the other actor’s attention by standing, calling the actor by name, announcing the color of the Red ball, i.e. (“Recipient’s Name, Red Ball”) tossing the mime red ball; the catcher mimes catching the ball and announces “Red ball, thank you.”. The second actor then calls a third actor by name and tosses the mime Red ball, until each participant has tossed and caught the 1st Red ball.
Teacher, assign numbers #1-how ever many students you have in the experience, so #1 tosses to #2, #2 tosses to #3, 3 tosses to #4 . . .until the last one tosses the ball to you, the Teacher.
Discuss some obstacles, then tactics. The one tactic which is important is that the thrower must announce the recipient’s name and the color of ball. with clarity and diction.
After completing the tossing and catching of the Red Ball, you, the teacher add a Blue ball; same rotation, then teacher then add Purple ball.
Final round; Anyone can toss a Red, Blue or Purple to anyone, announcing the student’s name and color of ball; recipient answers with, “Color of ball and a Thank you.”
Take time to debrief the experience and ask how to relate it to “juggling numerous balls (challenges) during performances.
Congrats to all.
More Experiences to be Shard This Week.