Drama Games & Activities for Kids, Teens & Adults PART 2

Theatre Games, Activities & Trust Exercises for Kids, Teens & Adults [PART 2]

PHOTO CREDIT: Aliana ~Theatre Lover~ & http://flashmobsintheclassroom.blogspot.ca/2013/04/how-to-unite-cast-of-your-high-school_3.html?showComment=1391724459155#c7817831197284516316

 

Before you can play, rehearse, learn or build a production/performance - you need to build trust. 

 

These activities are some of my personal favourites whether I'm working with children, teenagers or adults in pairs or groups.

 

Before starting any activity - always state the purpose of the exercise (ie. voice warm-up or letting go of inhibitions) and conduct a quick "check-in" with members. After introducing the activity, ask each participant to briefly express how they are feeling and the kind of day they had. This is important to do in order to have a sense of everyone's mind space before starting. If someone had a bad day, they might not be as energetic or enthused where someone having a great day may have difficulties focusing and paying attention.

 

I hope these games and activities will help you in building trust amongst team members, classmates or a production cast & crew.

 

#7. PROPS/ quick-thinking, creativity, imagination & thinking outside of the box

• Form a circle either sitting on the floor or in chairs
• Place one or two identical but random objects (ie. gloves or fridge magnets) in the center
• Go around the circle having each person go up to the objects and use them in a scene as something else (ie. gloves as shoes)
• Encourage everyone in the group to get up and approach the objects quickly and come up with something on the spot.
• Change things up by having people get up and approach the objects in a random pattern rather than taking turns going around the circle.

#8. MYSTERY SHOPPER/ acting in the moment and using body language to express intent

• This activity works best in pairs
• Person A pretends to be a cashier at a store
• Person B portrays a customer
• B approaches the counter and speaks to the cashier about purchasing a specific item
• THERE'S A CATCH! - B can only speak in gibberish
• A needs to try and understand what it is B is looking for
• The scene is over when A correctly guesses the item and cashes the customer out

#9. WALK! WALK! WALK!/ situational comedy, group work, imagination and warm-up

• In this activity, the entire group follows one leader
• TECHNIQUE #1: the Leader walks around the room and everyone else copies their walk
• TECHNIQUE #2: the Leader specifies that everyone should walk like someone or something (ie. the Terminator or a duckling)
• TECHNIQUE#3: the Leader asks the group to walk around the room as if they are walking on a specific surface (ie. glass, ice or fire)
• In all these instances, the leader could be a student, group member or instructor

#10. FORTUNATELY-UNFORTUNATELY/ teamwork, pairs & improve

• Divide the group into pairs
• The scene begins with one person starting a sentence with "Fortunately...."
• The second person responds by saying a sentence starting with "Unfortunately..."
• The scene continues with one person always saying "Fortunately" at the beginning of everything they say and the other person always saying "Unfortunately"
• After awhile, switch up who says which word
• (ie. "Fortunately, I caught the bus on time." "Unfortunately, the bus got a flat tire." etc.)

#11. BETWEEN THE LINES/ writing exercise, self-exploration, trust-building & group support

• This exercise requires each individual to have a notebook or scrap paper and something to write with AND music that can be played helps in creating a safe atmosphere
• Have everyone sit someone in the room in their own space
• Each person has the length of one song to write a note or letter than is specified by the instructor.
• These may include: Things I Like, Dear Self, I'm Afraid of..., I Wish, I Hate, I'm Sorry..., etc.
• As soon as the instructor delivers the starting line or subject, the song is started and the participants have until the end of the song to write.
• Encourage everyone to continue writing until the song ends.
• This is a great exercise to get people out of their minds and opening up to others
• Writing in a way that is not "judged", or checked for grammar or ideas of right & wrong is freeing. Ensure everyone feels safe to write away without holding back.
• This is a "rambling on" activity done with a pen instead of talking

 #12. SNAKE/ touching, trust, body movement & body language

• Establish a starting point and finish line (ie. this wall to that line or vice-versa)
• Have the participants form a line
• The first person touches the starting line with their body somehow and creates a shape with their body
• The next person touches the first person somehow and creates another shape that is different in levels, shape, silhouette, etc.
• This continues until a person on the "snake" touches the finish line
• This can be done with small groups and the last person leap-frogs to the front when it is their turn again
• CHANGE THINGS UP - give the participants a word they can use as inspiration for their shapes (ie. water, fire, monkey, Summer, etc.)

FOR MORE GAMES & ACTIVITIES ~ CHECK OUT PART 3!

(coming soon)

My obsession: Community Theatre - I must be CRAZY!

"There are 2 major differences between Professional Theatre and Amateur Theatre:
1 - Professionals have more training and are paid more
2 - Amateurs do it ONLY for the love of Theatre"

Community Theatre in London, Ontario is competitive yet very supportive.
Actors work for many theatre companies at a time and most local companies network
- it's not what you know all the time but WHO YOU KNOW!
You've heard this all before I'm sure but it's true!

Time and time again, I see young actors walking into an audition and they have not combed their hair, they have not read the script, they have not researched the theatre company they're auditioning for AND they're wearing jeans or spandex with holes in the knees.
Welcome to Community Theatre!

It is so refreshing when an actor comes into an audition who has not yet had much stage time/experience but they are eager and willing and you can see that they are passionate about the arts and about learning more.  Nine times out of ten, a director and/or production team would rather work with someone who has no theatre experience but who took direction well in an audition and who appears eager, friendly and dedicated than some experienced diva who thinks that they are going to be famous one day, who cannot take direction and who no one can imagine spending one evening with for drinks let alone 3 months in rehearsals!!!

It takes a certain person to be able to survive and thrive at a Community Theatre level. 

As an actor, you have roughly 3 months to memorize your lines, rehearse each moment of the show and put on a one or two week long performance WITHOUT getting paid or expecting payment.  Honourariums are always a nice treat and they remind actors that the show could not have gone on without them. 
Did I mention...it is also expected that Cast & Crew are also (more often than not) expected to "strike the set" meaning that after the final performance (finishing between 10 and 11pm) they are expected to stay back or come into the theatre early the next morning to tear down the set.  SO MUCH FUN! 

Having said all this, when I think of Community Theatre, I do not think of the long hours, the transporting to and from rehearsals, finding the spare time to memorize my lines or all the political "fluff" that goes on behind the stage. 

Instead, I think of the friends I will make knowing that the fellow actors will need to depend on me as much as I will them. 
I think about all that I can learn from a director who is passionate about the script, the stories between the lines and the unforgettable characters within the tale.
I think of all the connections I will make and the people I will be able to learn from.
I think of the satisfaction of going from the initial read-through (which is usually crap), through the blocking of the individual scenes (who stands where and when), droolingly long evening rehearsals right up to the opening night!  It brings such joy to be able to look back at the work done, all the time spent and all that you have accomplished individually and as a member of a team.

There is no other job satisfaction than that which one recieves while taking a bow after a performance.
More than likely, it was a job you were never paid to do.