Transcript Powerpoint - Charles Tiger

Theatre Strategies with
Charles Tiger
Professor Kim Morin
Summer 2014
“The art of drama is a way of
learning and knowing about the
self and the external world . . .
It is the process of imagining and
forming characters in action by
applying universal principles.”
-Geraldine B. Siks
Space Bubble
1. Players stand in "self space" either by their desks or
around the room.
2. Have players create an imaginary bubble around
themselves. The bubble extends all around them as far
as their arms can reach.
3. Have students define their bubbles by stretching
their arms as far as they can all around their bodies,
without moving their feet. Stretch as high, low. and to the
sides.
4. Explain that the "bubble" is like a space suit. You can
see out a little - but just enough to keep from running
into anything. However. you cannot talk to anyone and if
you touch someone else, your bubble will pop.
Space Bubble - Slow Motion Walk
1. Begin doing movements in slow motion. Ask students to mirror
your movements as you lead them through some simple
stretches, again without moving their feet. Use your own
modeling and verbal cues to create a fairly uniform sense of
“slow motion”.
2. Now, have participants move around the room in slow motion,
making sure that their bubbles do not touch.
3. Explain that when you say “Freeze”, all participants should stop
moving and hold their current position. Ask them to freeze all
parts of their bodies, including their eyes and faces.
4. Ask students to gradually increase their speed until they are
walking at a normal pace. You could give examples if needed.
5. Freeze. Ask students to gradually increase their speed until they
are walking at a fast pace, but not running. Remind them that
their bubbles must not touch.
Walk About
Students "walk about" the classroom in their
space bubbles.
Try walking in different environments.
They can be real environmentspine needles in a forest; cool water in a brook; hot sand
on a beach; deep snow drifts
Or imaginarySpaghetti, jello, plate of pancakes
Narrative Pantomime
Someone "narrates" the action
while the players act it out through
pantomime.
• Magic Paintbrush
• Giant's Breakfast
Narrative Pantomime
Narrative Pantomime can be read directly
from a story.
Example:
Runaway Bunny - Margaret Wise Brown
Players line up to face partners. One line plays
"Mama Bunny" and one line plays "Baby
Bunny."
Generate Dialogue
Interview a character from a story.
Example:
Runaway Bunny - Margaret Wise Brown
Whole Group – Teacher (in-role) interviews
Little Bunny – “How will you hide from Mama
Bunny?”
Partners – Aunt (or Uncle) Bunny/Mama
Bunny – “Little Bunny is missing. Where should
we look for LB?”
Tableau
DEFINITION: A silent and motionless
depiction of a scene created by
actors, often from a picture. The plural
is tableaux.
http://profesorbaker.wordpress.com/2011/03/07/a-dramatic-approach-toreading-comprehension-tableau-dr-rosalind-flynn/
Tableau Strategies
• 1. Clay Sculptures
• Players work in partners. Choose Partner A and
partner B. Partner A is the sculptor and B is the
clay. The sculptor molds Partner B into a
“Statue” or pose.
• VARIATION: Expand the size of the group to
have one sculptor and 3 bodies of clay. Give the
sculptor a theme to keep in mind (EG – bullying)
Tableau Strategies
• 1. Start with a Picture
• Players work in partners or small groups. The
group represents the picture as closely as possible
with their bodies and facial expressions.
– These can be created by a director or as a group
collaboration.
• Variation: Act out the picture before and the
picture after.
Adding Dialogue to a Tableau
Simple Techniques for adding
dialogue
1.Freeze and Justify
2.Tapping Out
3. Add a Line
Theatre Strategies with
Charles Tiger
•
Builds theatre skills simply
and quickly.
•
Allows creative response
within a structure that
provides a “safe
environment.”
•
Older students can use a story
like this to perform for a class
in a lower grade.
Theatre Strategies with
Charles Tiger
• Pantomime Vocabulary/Word Cards
• Find a Partner Pantomime
• Tableau
• Count and Freeze
• Turn and Freeze
• Collaborate in partners
• TPT Scenes (Tableau-Pantomime-Tableau)
• Silent “Roar”
• Narrative Pantomime of a Circle Story
Pantomime
Vocabulary/Word Cards
• Teacher hold up word cards with animal images
• Students pantomime the animals at their seats
– May use “Imagination Bubble”
Find a Partner
Pantomime
1.Leader prepares cards with pairs of
words.
2.Leader hands out the cards and instructs
students not to show them to anyone else.
3.Students pantomime the action until they
find their partner.
4.Partners stand together in a circle.
5.Partners share their pantomimes as the
rest of the class guesses.
Tableau
1. TURN AND FREEZE - Players stand in a
circle facing out. On a count of 1-2-3-Freeze
– players turn into the circle and freeze in a
pose.
2. COUNT AND FREEZE - Count from 1-5.
Players begin in neutral and grow from small
to bigger to biggest and freeze on 5.
Tableau
1. Collaborate with partners or small groups
to create a tableau or pantomime of an
animal from the story.
2. Each group shares their tableau as the rest
of the class guesses the animal.
“TPT” Scenes
• TPT Scenes (Tableau-Pantomime-Tableau)
1. Divide lyrics, story, or script into parts.
2. Students develop a Tableau based on action from
their part of the story.
3. Students break their tableau freeze at appointed
times to act out or pantomime their assigned parts.
4. The scene ends in a frozen Tableau.
Silent “Roar”
• Pantomime Vocabulary/Word Cards
• Find a Partner Pantomime
• Tableau
• Count and Freeze
• Turn and Freeze
• Collaborate in partners
• TPT Scenes (Tableau-Pantomime-Tableau)
• Silent “Roar”
• Narrative Pantomime of a Circle Story
Narrative Pantomime of a
Circle Story
• Teacher reads the story while the students
pantomime the actions of the characters
• CPR (Create-Perform-Revise) Process
• Play again with revisions
• Continue CPR process as time allows
– Variation- add animal sounds
– Variation- add simple dialogue
Quick Tableau Checklist
Different Levels- High, Medium, Low
Different Body Shapes- Open/closed
Effective use of physical space/ Able to
see everyone
Focus (eye contact) is clear and visible
Emotions shown through body language
and facial expressions
Use CPR!
•Create
•Perform
•Revise
Side coaching Tips
• How long can you stay in place?
• If you find yourself off balance or in
pain, make adjustments.
• Make adjustments so you can stay still
for a long time.
• Where are the eyes looking? Are they keeping true
to the pose? (no roaming eyes like the Haunted
Mansion!)
Extensions:
Use pantomime/tableau to reinforce
language arts concepts
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Compound words
Sentence structure - subject/predicate
Reading words from left to right
Synonyms
Homonyms
Word differences (big/bit; hopping/hoping)
Keep in mind:
1.Students can perform tableaux or
pantomime vocabulary words, characters
from a story, adjectives, emotions, etc.
2.This work is silent - no verbal cues allowed!
3.Allow students to finish a pantomime before
the class guesses.
4.Try to limit the number of guesses to about
three, then let the student tell what it is.
Theatre Terms
• Unison- Simultaneous play. Everyone
plays at the same time
• Solo- Everyone plays as an individual. No
interaction between the participants.
• Tableau- A silent and motionless
depiction of a scene created by actors,
often from a picture. The plural is
tableaux.
Taken from CA State Content Standards Glossary
http://www.cde.ca.gov/BE/ST/SS/thglossary.asp
More Theatre Terms
• Gesture- An expressive movement of
the body or limbs.
• Creative Expression - Encourage
responses to be unique and exploratory
• Ensemble- A group of theatrical artists
working together to create a theatrical
production.
Give them ROOTS and WINGS…
ROOTS - a sense of where we come from
WINGS - to set us free.