FREEZE! Improvisational Acting
Today we will be engaging in an activity called “freeze” to practice our improvisational acting skills. To begin the activity, I will choose two volunteers to draw from my jar that contains slips of paper, on which various topics are written. For example, one slip of paper may read, “preparing to jump out of an airplane.” The two students I have chosen will then begin acting out this scene. After a minute or so has gone by with them acting out this scene, anyone else may shout out “freeze!” The original two students must then freeze, and allow the student who shouted out to join them on the stage, and change the topic. The student who shouted “freeze” will join the other two students and create a new scene on his own. For example, the new student may begin a new scene by deciding that instead of putting on their parachutes to jump out of a plane, the other students are preparing for their first day of school. The new student in the scene must, through improvisational acting, indicate to the other students that the new scene is now preparing for school, and the other students should join him in this scene through improvisational acting. After a minute of so has gone by with this scene, another student should shout out “freeze!” and continue the process.
There should only be 4-5 students involved in each scene, so after the third or fourth round, I may select a student to come join the audience again. If I choose you, it does not mean that you haven’t done a good job, it simply means that you have had your turn and other students need a chance to participate. We will play 3-4 games (meaning once everyone has participated, I will let two volunteers draw a new topic from the jar and we will begin again) of “freeze,” and I will participate in the first round to help show you guys the skills for which I’m looking. Every student needs to demonstrate the skills listed on this rubric (pass around rubric for students to view) to receive a high grade on this activity.
Elizabeth Thomas
Fall 2009
Creative Dramatics
OBJECTIVE: The students will help develop their monologues by doing improvisational exercises.
MATERIALS: Character personality worksheet. Whatever furniture is in the room will be fine. A copy of their monologues.
STEPS:
Day 1:
1: Explain to the class that in order to have an effective monologue, a better understanding of their character is essential.
2: Hand out the worksheets. Have each student fill out each section (Favorite color, favorite music, favorite pet, etc…).
3: Now bring four students to the front of the class and explain to them that each of them are portraying their monologue characters, and put the four characters in a situation together. Have them portray their characters in this situation while keeping their character worksheets in mind.
Day 2:
1: Have the students individually expand on their worksheets; if their character’s favorite color is green, make them say why. Have them do this for 10 minutes. Walk around to each person and get an idea of their monologue while they do this.
2: Introduce the “before and after” exercise. According to each monologue, have students come up to reenact with that character the moments just before and just after their monologue. This may spill to the next class.
RESULT: The students will learn to build their characters through the use of creative dramatics.