Improvise, Write, and Perform Scenes

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Develop a greater understanding of world theater history and performance.
• Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas.
• Develop collaborative creative decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Develop writing and storytelling construction skills.
• Practice communication skills.
• Learn and use the essential vocabulary and processes of theatre.

Resources:

Materials

For the whole group:

• A large room or outdoor space to seat a class-size audience in front of a small playing area, as well as 4–5 corners or niches for rehearsal space. An optimal space will have carpeting and will not have desks to interfere with creating a flexible working and playing area.
• Smartboard, chalkboard, or chart paper (for directions and tips)

For each student:

• Comfortable clothing
• Flat, flexible shoes
• Minimal jewelry

Resources:

Pantomime

Preparation

• Cut up the PDF into strips of paper with locations; fold and place in a hat or paper bag.
• Prepare the spaces for students to plan and perform.
• If available, prepare a computer monitor, tablet, or other device to show a few minutes of the pantomime video in the Resources section.
• Preview and, if time and technology allow, share with students the "1-2-3 Pantomime with Jamie Hipp" by The Kennedy Center Education Digital Learning. 

Resources:

1-2-3 Pantomime with Jamie Hipp

Activity Steps

1. Have students gather around you as an audience.
2. Tell students they will learn something about the origins of theater, and have some fun performing short nonverbal scenes that are a lot like the game Charades.
3. Provide Context: Tell students that street mimes have become a joke in many movies, but miming is a difficult skill that comes from a long tradition of world theater. In pantomime, you use your body and face to express emotions and tell stories. Tell them this particular version of the tradition originates in Europe. Explain that it was highly developed in Italy and the Mediterranean region during the Middle Ages. It is the basis for many circuses today. Let them know that it was also used in the silent film era. These performances can have a serious side but are often comic.
4. Show the first short video clip to remind them what pantomime is and how it can tell a story.
5. Count off students into pairs or groups of 3.
6. Students will choose a location out of a hat but not tell any other group what their location is. Then they will plan a short mime performance using only movement and facial expression to meet 3 challenges between 1 and 3 minutes long.
   • Act out a few details that let the audience guess the location.
   • Do an activity in that location that can only be done in that location.
   • Tell a short story with a recognizable beginning, middle, and ending.
7. Give an Example: After students are sitting in their groups, give them this example: The location you get is a horse farm. You start the scene by acting out opening gates and large doors to go into a barn. You go into a horse’s stall and put a bridle and saddle on a horse. Then you walk the horse outside, where your partner is waiting to ride the horse. But your partner is afraid and can’t get up on the horse. You try to help by holding your hands so your partner can get up. Instead, your partner pushes on the horse and the horse runs away across the fields. Your partner decides not to try to ride the horse and waves goodbye. You call the horse, and when he comes, you pet him and walk him back into the barn.
8. Ask students:
   
   • What is the location? (a horse farm, barn, yard)
   • What is the activity? (getting a horse ready to be ridden, helping someone ride)
   • What is the beginning of the story? (coming in through gates and doors to a barn)
   • What is the middle of the story? (trying to help someone get on a horse to ride but failing)
   • What is the ending of the story? (giving up, calming the horse, and taking it back to the barn)
9. Tell students it can be a really simple story and it does not have to have conflict. The goal is to be clear enough for people to guess where you are and what is happening.
10. As students plan, circulate and help them make timely decisions and get on their feet and practice. Ask students questions, such as:
    
    • If you were writing this story, how would it begin? What is the weather? Who are these characters?
    • Where is your scene? What objects are only in this place?
    • What details are you using to show the place? How can you show that?
    • Is there conflict? Do people make an agreement? How does it end?
11. Give stage manager “calls” at 10 minutes left, 5 minutes left, 2 minutes, and time!
12. When the time is up, gather students into an audience. If they say they are not ready, remind them they can improvise if they know the beginning, middle and ending.
13. Remind students in the audience to be supportive and show respect for all performers. They should not continue planning in the audience. Tell performers that, if people guess incorrectly, they should not get annoyed, but rather they should think of ways they can make their stories clearer. Think of it as a challenging but fun game and do not worry too much.
14. Ask for a volunteer group to go first. Then ask for volunteers to guess what is happening in the story and where. Allow time for each group to perform.
15. If time allows, gather as a whole group and discuss the activity and watch the second video clip of the famous mime, Marcel Marceau.

Resources:

Variations

1. Students can perform again and expand the story and the pantomime into 5-6 minute performances. Next, they can add a few props and costume pieces.
2. Two groups can work together to direct and help each other develop a stronger revised scene.

Resources: