7-Improvisation Exercises and Other
Preparatory Exercises
This unit (mostly for its improvisation and preparation components) could be done in the preparatory part as well – very often in shorter versions of Forum Theatre curriculum is being done like that and less time allocated to it.
The reason why in this structure it is here, is because the outcome of this session can be applied immediately in trying out the performance and it will make a change in the dynamic of the session as the last ones were mostly based on discussions.
The exact structure of this unit should be adapted based on the observations from the other exercises (preparatory or not)- to focus more on getting into the roles, emotions expression, voice, etc.) as well as on the cultural background of the group.
Structure of the unit
2-Forum Theatre Story Line Review – 10 minutes (or more-depends on the group)
Aim- to explore the impressions and views (in relation with the forum theatre draft) of the group members after they had some time for incubation; to have the final agreement on the structure of the play
Description-The group is reminded about the outcomes of the last session and in terms of the draft for the performance. They were requested over the break in between the sessions to think about it and to reflect more on the structure. They are asked if they have any new ideas or comments regarding it – to upgrade it, to change it or even if it has to stay the way they agreed last time. Based on their comments the final structure of the script will be drafted and will be used as a reference point for the next steps in the process.
3-Hey (voice and emotions)– 10 minute
Aims- to warm the voice and diaphragm of the participants, to support the participants to develop a variety of expressing various emotions;
Description- The participants stand in a circle. They are instructed that one by one they will all have to say out loud the same sound but every time with a different intonation, emotion and gesture. It will be a different sound for a full circle – then it will be given a new one. The sounds could be: Hai, Hei, Hepa, Hi, Huho, etc. (feel free to be creative in this sense). The letter H is usually vocalized by using diaphragm and if the participants will use it more while talking their voices will be louder.
4-AEIOU- voice-10 minutes
Aims - to continue the work with the voice by warming it up and activating it for acting; to help the participants to control their breathing;
Description – The participants will stay in a line and they will work one by one with the vowels – A E I O U. The whole group will have to pronounce continuously one letter and the facilitator will act as a volume marker. He faces them and he will walk from one side to another and he will make stops as well. As the facilitator get closer to one side of the line those people will have to say the letter more and more loudly (never shouting – just more loudly) and as the facilitator will go away from one specific part of the line those people have to say it lower and lower. It will be repeated for each of the letters.
5-Market time – voice and expressing different roles - 15 minutes
Aims- to prepare the group for acting, to stimulate imagination and creativity, to stimulate the participants to talk more loudly.
Description- The group is instructed that they will become sellers in a street market; they need to imagine a specific market in which they want to sell , to decide what kind of product they want to commercialize and where they want to place their stall. They are invited to go to their location (they will not use any real props) getting into their roles and stay as a statue thinking about their task as market sellers. The facilitator will touch a couple of sellers-once touched they are able to move and talk and they have to promote their stall and their products as best as they can. If they will be touched a second time they will have to freeze again. It is their choice if they want to move from their stand and promote their products or they stay in one fixed location all the time – they just have to make sure they will promote them as best as possible. It doesn’t have to be an interactive exercise – each participant is free to take it as far as he/she wants. The facilitator will have to make sure all the participants are activated at least 2-3 times during the exercise.
At the end of the activity you can address 1-2 questions to the group
6-Imaginary balls-10 minute
Aims- to develop the imagination and creativity of the group; to increase the focus and concentration in the group
Description – Participants are informed that they will be playing with balls in this activity – imaginary balls! They will have to decide for themselves with what ball they want to play with – bigger or smaller – it’s their call. They need to actually play with it and to decide on a sound associated to the ball – for example somebody decided to play with an imaginary ping - pong ball, and while this person is playing with it he is also making a sound like that (splash splash) –which is made continuously. The participants are all requested to decide on their ball, to play with it and to make the sound. After everybody practiced for a while and got used with their ball they will travel around in the room (and continue to play with their ball) and find another person. They will have to exchange balls and also the sounds associated with that ball. They will continue to do that a couple of times – changing as many times as possible. At one signal they will be requested not to make the sounds anymore (although they do continue to play with the ball they have at the moment) and to make a few more exchanges. The final task given is to take their ball back so they have to find the person that has it and exchange in order to take it back.
7-Different space-same actions-15 minutes
Aims – to develop improvisation skills among the participants, to stimulate their creativity and imagination, to increase the flexibility,
Description – Participants are asked to walk around the space and several instructions will be given to them. They will be told that they are in a supermarket and they need to find themselves a role – what are they doing there? Why are they there? Are they alone? With somebody? Where in the supermarket are they the moment?
In the meantime the participants will start doing different actions related to the context of the supermarket and when they are more into their roles from the supermarket the facilitator claps and ask them to freeze in the position they have in this specific moment. After they became statues, they remain as statues and they are informed that now they are actually in a forest.
The facilitator can go around and ask people (as a sort of interview): What are you doing here in the forest? Why are you doing this? Why are you carrying that? etc. After a couple of interviews the participants don’t have to be statues anymore and they continue with the same actions (knowing now that they are in a forest and that they have a reason for what they were doing).
After some seconds the facilitator will give another context – after the participants accommodate to it they will freeze and the context will change but their actions will be the same. The facilitator could make a couple of rounds in this way and increase the complexity of contexts. Suggestions in this sense: bottom of the ocean, in the bathroom, in prison, on the beach, in the elevator, on the bus, in the graveyard, in an animal farm, etc. Impressions from the activity could be requested at the end.
8-Imaginary objects – 10 minutes
Aims- to develop the creativity, imagination, to contribute to development of improvisation skills, to encourage the participants to express themselves publicly, to connect the group
Description- The group will be standing in circle. The facilitator starts by introducing a certain object just by miming it with the hands in order for the group to understand what the object is; then the facilitator will pass the object to the person next to her/him and that person will take the object and will have to transform it and demonstrate that with the hands, when he/she is done once again the object will be passed to the next person. The object will continue to be transformed and changed in the group from one person to the other. Depending on the time there could be 2 full complete rounds (2 circles) done.
Impressions from the activity could be requested at the end.
9-Complete up to 3 – 20 minutes
Aims- to develop the creativity, imagination, improvisation skills, to encourage the participants to express themselves publicly, to connect the group, to energize and warm-up the group;
Description – The group will be standing in a circle. The facilitator will demonstrate with the help of 3 volunteers how the exercise goes. One person comes in the middle of the circle and makes a statue representing for example a tree – and says out loud: I am a tree (and then freezes), the second volunteer will come and attach himself/herself to the tree statue –saying for example: “I am an apple in the tree” – trying to show that in some way with the body and freezes. The third person does the same and could say something like : “I am the worm in the apple” and freezes in a relevant posture (the third person has the choice to attach himself/herself to either the first or second person – it doesn’t matter). In this moment the first person (in our case the tree) says: “I am a tree and I take with me the apple” and they go back to the circle (from the other 2 one is chosen - it is the decision of the first person). After that the person remaining says again what she/he represents (I am an apple)…and then anybody in the circle can continue. They are free to make any kind of links possible with the images from the circle (abstract or concrete). The facilitator should encourage every participant to get involved and participate and should give reminders more often if just a few people are mainly participating. Impressions from the activity can be requested at the end.
10-Forum Theatre play – first improvisations-60 minutes
Aims- to make the initial role division in the team, to make the initial steps in character development, to improvise the first scenes
Description- The group is referred now to the Forum Theatre play storyline (which should be written on a big paper where the all the group members can see it easily) – with characters and each scene shortly described.
The group is asked to think about the roles and to mention what role they would like to play. Here they are reminded that each person has to think for him/herself strictly on what role they want-and not for the others and what roles could fit them and here the facilitator should be very firm in making sure the group understands this.
The group is informed that this is just an initial role division and that once they start acting that role based on how they feel it changes could happen at a later stage (and very often they do). The participants are asked to say what roles they would like to try out for a first try.
If there are 2 people who want the same role (sometimes this happens - but not very often)– then some reasoning discussion is advisable in which they can say why they want that specific role etc. If neither one is willing to make a compromise after hearing the other person’s arguments – you could give priority for the first try to the person who hasn’t done FT before or any kind of theatre-if this is not the case in the group then you remind them that it’s in their hands – you are not going to decide for them (or impose) and if we need to talk more about it until we have some decision from their part then that will happen.
There are some important remarks (and reminders if they were mentioned before in other discussions about the method)
After the initial role division has taken place the next exercise can be implemented to help the group get into their roles. They are invited to walk around the space and the facilitator will guide them to reflect, think and get into their character.
Allow enough time for people to reflect on each question. After you finish all your questions inform the group that when they hear a clap they have to find another person and talk with that person about themselves (as roles). Allow a couple of minutes and then clap again. Make enough rounds so that everybody talks with everybody.
After the last clap ask the characters who appear in scene 1 to remain together and the others will observe them. These characters will improvise now the first scene-no planning-just improvisation. After the first trial the whole group is invited to comment on how it went – how realistic it looked, if there was enough information presented in the scene, how it can be made more clear, more realistic. At this stage every person is encouraged to provide their input and opinion – the detailed development of the script is based on the group’s feedback, ideas and suggestions.
Then you can try the first scene again based on the comments provided and talk again.
Depending on the time left in the session, you can also try out the other scenes (with the same process of feedback from all members which will be constant) if not it will be continued in the next session.
At the end of the session it is important to talk a little bit about what happened in this session so do not take out the final circle (which is included in the unit structure).
