From the Prologue
It is
the nature of theatre games to transform and change shape as they
pass through hands and cultures and decades. Theatre games stay alive
via the oral tradition, through action. Who knows what the “true
original” is any longer or where or when it was conceived? (I
imagine many of these exercises can probably be traced back to Viola
Spolin.) What I do know after relying on these games for so long is
that they work. These games inspire laughter, spontaneity, ensemble
building, physical and vocal expression, concentration, self-discovery/reflection,
self-esteem, and, ultimately, I believe, good health. They get adults,
and teenagers too, playing again, which is no small feat. I wrote
down these activities on paper (finally) because students and colleagues
have repeatedly asked me to. My hope is that Zoomy Zoomy
will serve as a resource for anyone who works with groups as well
as encourage us all to keep playing….
The
art of teaching games
Teaching a theatre game to a group has its own skill set. It is an
intuitive art first and foremost. One has a “lesson” but
to find a satisfying flow and groove with a group, we need to tap
into our felt sense. It is also true that the teaching happens in
both directions: from teacher to student and from student to teacher.
In the end, as Spolin says, it is each person’s own experience
that becomes the main instructor, or “informer.” In addition
to tapping our intuition, there are other important considerations.
Each warm up has an objective. There is a reason for using a particular
activity at a particular time--we are not pulling games out at random
only because they are fun. A good facilitator stays attuned to the
group’s pulse and rhythm at all times; in other words, she listens
to what the collective need is while keeping in sight the session’s
curriculum objective or main lesson. It is like the captain of a ship
whose destination is charted but who has to navigate through ocean
waters and various weather conditions to get to the distant shore.
In addition to curriculum, for every class or workshop there will
be considerations about group size, demographics, skill level, energy
level, stage of the group’s development, and time constraints
when choosing the appropriate warm ups and games. Here is a list of
nine factors I consider important when facilitating a group or workshop—whether
a one- or two-hour workshop, a five-day training or a multi-week college
class.
Exercises
from Zoomy Zoomy
Beat
poet
Teams of two
For this exercise you will need a beret (or flamboyant hat) or two,
a pair of sunglasses or two, and a drum. Each actor takes a turn at
being a “beat poet” (reminiscent of the 1960s Soho beat
poets) donning the beret and sunglasses and making up the worst poem
imaginable on the spot. It need not make sense in the least but it
is physical and dramatic and often an embodied piece of free association.
A “musician” accompanies on the drums offering “beats”
to the poem. The poems often resemble pieces of performance art. This
is a liberating exercise for most people because you cannot do it
wrong. There is absolutely no pressure in having to create a “good”
poem. Just put on the sunglasses and follow your imagination. (Robin
Aronson)
10-15 minutes.
Bodypart
alive
Solo
This is an exercise that raises awareness in different parts of our
body and warms a group up to the idea of embodying emotions/ideas/inanimate
objects (a key component of Playback Theatre acting). The facilitator
cuts up small pieces of paper and asks students to write down 1) a
body part and 2) a feeling. The pieces of paper (two from each person)
are put into two separate hats. Each person, one at a time, picks
a piece of paper out of each hat (an emotion and a body part), and
then this person “moves” this emotion across the stage
with the assigned body part. So the person might be articulating “anger”
with her knees or “joy” with his pelvis. You can have
people write down ideas instead of emotions.
30 seconds each person.
Engagement
ring
Whole group
Also an endowment game as well as a great way to brainstorm metaphorical
uses for the Playback fabric. (In Playback Theatre there is often
a collection of colorful pieces of fabric on stage, which the actors
use intermittently throughout a performance to symbolize certain aspects
of the story.) People pass a piece of fabric around the circle endowing
it as different things (abstract not literal), such as: tension between
lovers, the lost engagement ring, family ties, someone’s crippling
guilt, the burden of a child (parent) on a parent (child), the light
at the end of the tunnel, instrument of flirtation, someone’s
sharp tongue. Each actor shows and then explains each idea. You can
go around the circle a few times.
30 seconds each person.
Wah
Whole group
One person in the circle claps once, pointing with his hands to someone
else in the circle and saying “Wah!” The recipient responds
(on the next beat) by raising her arms overhead with her palms together,
also saying “Wah!” Finally, the people on either side
of the recipient bring their palms together and swing their arms towards
the mid-section of the recipient, as if about to “slice”
her in half (their arms become like a baseball bat and they are taking
a swing towards the recipient without touching her) together in unison,
also saying “Wah!” The Wah’s are happening on a
beat and the rhythm is moderate. So it sounds like “Wah! Wah!
Wah!” After the recipient person gets “sliced” by
her neighbors, she sends the Wah out to a new person. (Student)
4 minutes.
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