Creative Drama

What is creative drama? An improvisational, process-centered form of theatre in which participants are guided by a leader to imagine, enact, and reflect on human experiences. Improvisational – non-scripted and spontaneous

Formal Drama Theatre that focuses on a performance in front of an audience as the important final product.

Discuss How are creative drama and formal drama different? How are the two similar? Why is creative drama an important form of theatre?

Replaying Two step process Evaluate the creative drama activity focusing on items that were very good and ideas that could make the activity more effective or believable. Act out the activity a second time using the changes that were discussed.

DISCUSS What is the purpose of replaying? In what ways can replaying be useful? If a group chooses NOT to replay a scene, what could be the possible affects of this choice?

Side-coaching A method by which the leader talks you through an activity by making suggestions or giving ideas. Helps to provide an internal monologue Helps incorporated important actions or meaningful concepts that might be missed.

DISCUSS In what ways can side-coaching be useful? What qualities should a good leader have if they are expected to side-coach?

ACTIVITY #1 Reflections Partner activity Partners face each other. One partner reflects (mirrors) the motions and facial expressions on the other. Use slow motions and your peripheral vision to follow movements. Keep motions smooth. The goal is to move in unison– NOT to trick your partner

Activity #1 Follow Up In what ways was this activity difficult? How did it feel when you were able to be EXACTLY together with your partner? How did it feel when you noticed your movements were NOT together? Can you imagine a story that explains why two people are mirroring each other? In what ways could this activity be used in performance?

Activity #2: Dr. Smart Teams of 4 or 5 One team stands in line in front of the class. This team forms ONE PERSON called Dr. Smart, who can answer any question. Each team member helps answer the question– ONE WORD AT A TIME. When the answer is complete the last person says, “Period.” The goal is for the team to speak as ONE PERSON. Team members must listen carefully to the words said before their turn to speak. Team members must think carefully about where the answer is going. It is like predicting what the group will answer about a question. Team members must insert their word quickly, without stalling.

Activity #2 Follow Up In what ways was this activity difficult? How did it feel when you were able to give a good, smooth answer? How did it feel when you noticed you were NOT together with your team? In what ways could this activity be used in performance?

Activity #3 It’s a What? Sit in a circle as a class. An object will be passed around the circle (ex. Ball). Students pass object around the circle. Each student pantomimes using the object in an environment named by the teacher. Students must use their imagination to turn the object into something DIFFERENT when it’s their turn. The goal is to be creative and find new ways to imagine a single object. Class guesses what the object is based on the student’s movements.

Activity #3 Follow Up In what ways was this activity difficult? Why is it important to be able to imagine new ways to use something? In what ways could this activity be used in performance/theatre?

Activity #4 What are you doing? Stand in a circle as a class One student begins pantomiming an activity. The next student asks “What are you doing?” While still performing the activity, the 1st student tells the 2nd student a different activity. The 2nd student begins doing this activity. Go around the circle in this manner WITHOUT repeating an activity.

Activity #4 Follow Up In what ways was this activity difficult? Why is it important to be able to imagine new possibilities quickly? In what ways could this activity be used in performance/theatre?

Activity #5 Story Bag Table activity Teacher gives each table a bag of various items. One student draws an item from the bag and begins a story using that item. Student holds on to that item and passes the bag to the next person. Next person draws an item and CONTINUES the story and involves the NEW item. Story and bag go around the circle until all students have played. Last person finishes the story.

Activity #5 Follow Up In what ways was this activity difficult? Why is it important to be able to imagine possibilities and create a background for the new possibilities? In what ways could this activity be used in performance/theatre?

Activity #6 Dictionary Mania Groups of 4 or 5 Each group opens a dictionary to a random page. The group chooses 5 words ON THE SAME PAGE to create a improvised scene. DO NOT WRITE A SCRIPT. Team has 7 minutes to plan a scene with a beginning, middle and end that uses the 5 words. The class will guess which 5 words the team used. Do NOT stress the words in the scene. Make them fit naturally in the dialogue so that it is more challenging for the audience to guess.

Activity #6 Follow Up In what ways was this activity difficult? How can improvisation be useful?

Activity #7 Situation, Problem, Solution Large groups (about 9) Each group divides into 3 smaller units: Situation, Problem and Solution. 1st team, SIT, improvises a situation or challenge. 2nd team, PROB, improvises a problem for the situation. 3rd team, SOL, improvises a solution to the problem. Goal is to make the scene believable and smooth.

Activity #7 Follow Up In what ways was this activity difficult? Why is it important to be able to think of options quickly? How did you focus change when you were not in control on the ENTIRE scene—just your part? What strategies did you use to make your part fit with the others?

Narrative Pantomime A creative drama activity in which a leader reads a piece of literature while the ENTIRE class plays the action in unison without words. In unison- at the same time

Freedom to Interpret Interpret- act out a meaning of a selection and understand it in a unique way Narrative pantomime allows students to “get inside” the story and make discoveries about the character’s feelings. No right or wrong way to interpret a selection as long as you are trying understand it.

Literary Merit That quality of a story that gives readers a deeper understanding about the human condition and human spirit just through experiencing the story. Usually, the story’s protagonist must face and triumph over internal and external obstacles. Protagonist- major character in a story

Developing your own Narrative Pantomime Action is key. Must allow for continuous movement from beginning to end. Written in the order in which you want the action to happen (don’t skip around because it’s confusing to the listener). Use good description words to make the listener’s imagination come up with creative movements. Have an introduction, problem (a story without conflict is BORING) and solution.

Characters in Narrative Pantomime Give character internal characteristics Inner, personal qualities, invisible to the human eye Give characters external characteristics Qualities relating to a character’s outwardly visible traits

Activity #1 Narrative Pantomime Using a POEM Small group activity Select a favorite poem. Plan and act out a story using narrative pantomime. One leader from the group should read the poem expressively (with appropriate emotion). Be sure that reading matches the movements. Do not go too fast.

Activity #2 Narrative Pantomime Using a FABLE Small group activity Select a favorite fable (story with a lesson). Plan and act out the story using narrative pantomime. One leader from the group should read the fable expressively (with appropriate emotion). Be sure that reading matches the movements. Do not go too fast.

Activity #3 Replaying a Children’s Story Small group activity One person in the group chooses a children’s story to tell their group. The group acts out the story as it is being told. Discuss changes that could be made and replay the story again with a new storyteller.

Story Dramatization A playing/acting process to interpret and share a story by using improvisation rather than scripts

Choosing Stories for Dramatization Story should be Interesting Challenging (but not so difficult that you lose interest in playing it for others) Literary Merit Dialogue should be simple, yet interesting to act out Easy to remember or paraphrase ( put in your own words) Avoid stories with too much description. You cannot act out a description (like a place or person’s appearance) Well-developed plot

Using a Narrator A storyteller Used to introduce the story and provide transitions from scene to scene Describes what it is happening while the actors pantomime the action Needs to be very familiar with the story and should be capable of improvising dialogue

Success with Story Dramatization Evaluate the action that has been played ACTION is the focus of creative drama and the goal is to be clear and believable When evaluating, comment on the characters being portrayed NOT the actor playing the part.

Evaluating Creative Drama What was the best moment in the play? What is the most important moment in the play? Are there other important moments that lead up to the big one? What changes could be made to make the story and characters more believable?

ACTIVITY#1 Planning Story Dramatization: Research Small group activity Research and select a suitable story to dramatize in class. Take turns rereading the story until the story line and dialogue are familiar to everyone in the group (3-4 times)

Planning Story Dramatization: Acting Plan Plan characters, scenes and events to act out How should the space be arranged for playing? How will the scene begin? What does each character for the story want to do? In what order do the characters enter? How will each character sound and move? What events will be played out? What order? How will we end the story?

Planning Story Dramatization: Play and Evaluation Play the story Do NOT use a script, improvise using your familiarity with the story and the plan that you have created. Evaluate the playing using the guidelines from the lesson.

Replaying the Story Replay your group’s story with the changes you discussed earlier Did the changes enhance the story? The characters?

ACTIVITY #2 A Twist Ending Create a new ending for a familiar children’s story. Play out the scene with your group. Discus the process (to enhance the story and characters) and replay the ending again.

Activity #3: Sequencing Small group activity Class selects a familiar children’s story. Each group is assigned a part of the story to act out. Watch all the performances at random. Put the performances in order chronologically and replay the performances.