MEISNER START- From Jimmy Carrane & Liz Allen
Two players sit across from each other. They begin the scene by saying what they really notice. “You look tired.” They respond by taking it in “I do look tired.” That exchange goes back and forth until they notice something else. “You look suspicious” or whatever. When it starts to feel like a scene, the coach says “Make this a scene” and it can become more scenic.
SWITCH INTERVIEW – http://www.withoutannette.net/games.php?Name=Switch%20Interview
Two people conduct an interview on a topic supplied by the audience or director. Yell “Switch” to end and switch players.
NAMES ONLY SCENE – from Craig Cackowski
Each line of dialogue for the scene is only the characters names, said once:
Player 1: Peter!
Player 2: Janet?
Player 1: Peter...
The emotion and physicality of the scene tells the story for us, and the players have to connect with each other.
THE GIFT (THE BOX) – from Johnstone, described at http://www.transactors.org/Thinking%20Inside%20the%20Box.html
The director says “I have a present for you” and hands the student a mime box. The student opens it up. The director asks them questions to make them explore the what's inside. What's in the box? What does it smell and taste like? How big is it? Whatever questions they want. There's a note on it, what does it say? What's underneath it? What noise is it making? Unzip it, what's inside? If they say they don't know, assure them that they do know.
EVERYBODY GO
In a circle. One student jumps in the middle, says “Everybody go” then does a sound and action. Everyone says YES! and repeats that sound and action. There's no order, anyone can jump in at any time.
FINGER THEATER – from Jill Bernard/Keith Johnstone
Two person scene acted out with your fingers walking around like legs instead of your bodies. Give an action movie location suggestion. Recommend 3rd person entrances by other students or their other hands as environment. Fascinating is how scenes tend to be more active and intimate.
STATE THREE THINGS, TURN & SCENE – from Joe Bill
Two characters stand on the edge of the stage. They take turns stating information about their characters. Then they pivot and start the scene.
PLAYER 1: I have constant indigestion
PLAYER 2: Shadows scare me
PLAYER 1: I'm deeply religious
PLAYER 2: I scratch myself, constantly
PLAYER 1: I'm a steelworker
PLAYER 2: I wish I had a friend
[They pivot and start the scene]
INFORMATION BOOTH Acting in Commercials Camera by Joan See
The teacher or another student sits at the information booth of a mall or store. The player enters as a character and asks the location of a specific item. They have a brief interaction. The player leaves and enters again as a different person seeking the same item and has a brief interaction. They leave and enter again for a total of either 3 or 5 characters depending on your needs.
YAY/BOO Comedysportz
One player makes a statement, everyone goes YAY! A second player makes a statement, we all go BOO! We go around the circle alternating YAY! and BOO! to illustrate how any offer can yield a big reaction.
LOSER BALL – Jill Bernard
We stand in a big circle, with a pretend or real ball. There are only two rules to loser ball. #1 You cannot catch the ball. #2 You must be unbelievably supportive of your teammate's inability to catch the ball. The ball is thrown, missed, the person who misses it shags it and throws it to someone else.
SOUND CIRCLE
In a circle. One person turns to the person next to them and makes a sound. That person turns and makes the same sound only BIGGER! They turn and make the same sound EVEN BIGGER! It goes around and around. “Bigger” can mean volume, adding more gesture, intensifying the emotion, making it last longer, any vector you see fit.
PASS THE PHRASE quoting http://storyrobot.wordpress.com/2007/05/18/the-copy-circle-game/ who learned it from me, I learned it from Joe Bozic
“-Students in a circle
-First player walks towards another player in the circle. First player says a line of dialouge and has some specific style of movement or action. (eg walk with a limp, finger formed into hook, shouting “arrrrr, there’s treasure enough for all, me hearties”)
-Player one takes player two’s spot in the circle. Player two walks towards another player and tries to copy player one as exactly as she can.
Play continues, which each player trying to copy the last player as exactly as possible.”
CHARACTER WALK AROUND adapted from Susan Messing and Viola Spolin
Everyone walks around the space. The coach calls out different body parts for them to lead with. “Lead with your hip” or whatever. Let them take a moment to figure out what kind of person this is, then call “Make a noise for this person.” Then call “Make up a catch phrase for this person” or “Greet the people you pass.” Do this with several body parts. You can also coach them to feel an emotion they're actually feeling, and grow it a little larger, and work it through their body, bottom to top. Then the same procedure, call “Make a noise for this person.” Then call “Make up a catch phrase for this person” or “Greet the people you pass.” Repeat with the opposite emotion.
CHARACTER INTERVIEW
Have three students onstage, assign each a character, like “Angry Plumber” or “Bored Step-dad.” Interview them about their lives.
TWO EYES - Les McGehee/Johnstone
You need pieces of paper that already have two dots drawn on them. The dots are eyes. We're in pairs. Without speaking we create a face together. Player 1 may draw an eyebrow, player 2 draws a bow-tie, or whatever. When we feel the drawing is done, we write the name of it one letter at a time, one player writes A , the other player writes N or whatever, and they spell out the name of the creature.
SCENE ONE/FINAL SCENE
Show us the first scene of a story. Then show us the last scene of that story. Example: the first scene is a kid wishing he could join the Olympic bob-sledding team. The second scene is the kid at the bottom of the hill, his leg broken, his coach bringing him a medal for effort.
SPRING TRAINING – Susan Messing
One student leads us in spring training. It can literally be anything, we will copy them and follow their lead. When that student is done they tag someone else and we follow them. This continues until everyone has lead us.
TWO LINE HIGH FIVE – adapted from the Idle Erics
Two players step into the circle and do a terrible two-line scene, then high five each other and step back. If three players accidentally step in at the same time, two of them must say their lines together.
