More Theatre Games for Young Performers: Improvisations and Exercises for Developing Acting Skills

by Suzi Zimmerman

Overview

Written especially for those who coach tween and teenage actors, this delightfully fresh workbook tells you the how, when, what, and why of theatre games for young performers. Starter scenes allow first-time performers to ease onto the stage in baby steps. Spontaneity is encouraged along with etiquette and basic acting principles. The concepts of pantomime, improvisation, character development, voice, and body control are all presented in game formats with exercises. Nine chapters include: Before You Begin, Preparing, Starter Scenes, Exercises, Games, Improvisation, Pantomime, Non-Acting Theatre Games and Activities, and Developing Your Program, plus an Activities Index. Anyone working with young actors will find this theatre book exceptionally helpful, and you'll love that it's written by Suzi Zimmerman, author of the best-selling Introduction to Theatre Arts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781566080965
Publisher:	Meriwether Publishing, Limited
Publication date:	04/01/2004
Pages:	250
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Suzi Zimmerman is no stranger to performance. She attended Kilgore College, home of the Texas Shakespeare Festival, on an acting scholarship and continued her education at Texas A&M University in Commerce, Texas. Zimmerman eventually founded Theatre Off the Wall, a small acting company, which evolved into her hometown's community playhouse. She found her true love in teaching, but at that time, there were few resources available for middle and high school drama teachers. To bridge the gap, she began collecting and designing her own creative, hands-on lessons and organizational forms and has published them into a collection of books. She has directed and appeared in over two hundred plays and has also appeared in dozens of TV commercials and industrial videos. She retired from teaching in 2008 but continues to influence young people through her extensive volunteer work.

Table of Contents

	Introduction	1
Chapter 1	Before You Begin	5
	Spotlight on Mark Lunsford	5
	Topics for Discussion	6
	Getting Started	6
	Terminology	7
	The Foundation of Improvisation	10
	Understanding Improvisation Worksheet	15
	Making Use of What You Know	16
	Redirecting	19
	Evaluating Games, Improvs, and Exercises	19
	Examples of Positive Comments Students NEED to Hear	20
	Evaluation Activity	22
	Game and Improvisation Evaluation Form	23
	Scene Planning	24
	Generic Activity Planning Guide	26
	Discussion Strategies	28
	Spontaneous Acting Journals	29
	Lesson Plans and Semester Syllabus	29
	Sample Lesson Plans	30
	Suggested Semester Syllabus	31
	Is It a Game, Improv, or Exercise?	32
	The Importance of Gaming and Improvisation	34
	Spontaneous Acting Projects	35
Chapter 2	Preparing	37
	Spotlight on Dr. Len Radin	37
	Topics for Discussion	39
	Getting Started	39
	Safety	39
	Establishing Rules	40
	Monitoring Prep Time	40
	Monitoring Content	41
	All the Bells and Whistles	41
	Gauging Time	43
	Props	44
	Grouping Students	44
	Deciding Performance Order	44
	Audience Etiquette	45
	True, Unbelievable Stories of Good Audiences Gone Bad	46
	Taking an Audience Grade	48
Chapter 3	Starter Scenes	49
	Spotlight on Peggie Boring	49
	Topics for Discussion	51
	Introducing Scene Work	52
1.	Just Kidding - Basic Introduction	53
2.	Just Kidding - Creative Introduction	54
	Just Kidding Planning Guide	56
3.	The Story of My Life	58
	The Story of My Life Planning Guide	60
4.	Ta-Da!	62
	Ta-Da! Planning Guide	64
5.	What a Mess!	66
	What a Mess! Planning Guide	68
Chapter 4	Exercises	70
	Spotlight on Levi Curtis	70
	Topics for Discussion	72
	Introduction to Exercises	72
	Acting Tools	73
	Voice	73
	Movement	75
	Other Tools	76
6.	Relaxation	76
7.	Vocal Warm-up	80
8.	Samurai Warrior	82
9.	Taking a Walk	83
10.	Near and Dear	85
11.	Honey, I Love You	86
12.	Find Me!	87
13.	Huggie Bear	88
14.	Junk Yard Drill Team	89
	Junk Yard Drill Team Planning Guide	91
15.	Character Wars	92
16.	The Middle Man	93
17.	Sit, Stand, and Bend	94
18.	The Bridge	95
19.	Evolution	96
20.	Electricity	97
21.	Passing the Whoosh	97
22.	Frames	99
23.	I Am!	100
24.	A Perfect 10	101
25.	Concentration Circle	102
26.	Pioneers	103
27.	Headlines	104
28.	The Hot Air Balloon	105
29.	The Mirror	107
Chapter 5	Games	108
	Spotlight on Dan Morrow	108
	Topics for Discussion	110
	Introduction to Games	111
30.	The Three Energies	112
31.	The Backwards Selling Game	114
32.	Kitty Wants a Corner	114
33.	Snake Tag	115
34.	Bang!	116
35.	The Buzzer Game	117
36.	Touch On/Touch Off	118
37.	World's Worst Things to Say	119
38.	The ABC Game	120
39.	The Question Game	121
40.	Killer	121
41.	Copy Cats	122
42.	The Dating Game	123
43.	Forgot My Own Name!	125
44.	Garden of Statues	126
45.	Mafia	127
46.	You Started It!	130
47.	Styles Tag	130
Chapter 6	Improvisation	132
	Spotlight on Diane Matson	132
	Topics for Discussion	134
	Introduction to Improvisation	134
48.	Scenes for Dealing with Social Issues	136
49.	Key Words	138
50.	Switch	140
51.	Telling Pictures	141
52.	Zap	142
53.	Dubbing	144
54.	Party Crashers	145
55.	Whose Line Is Next?	146
56.	Movie Styles	148
57.	George Is Late Again!	149
58.	Old Job, New Job	149
59.	The Beauty Experiment	151
60.	Superheroes	152
61.	The Bus Stop	153
62.	Mannequins	154
63.	Getting Around	155
64.	Two-ringed Improvisation (or Square Dance Improvisation)	156
65.	Murder Mystery	157
Chapter 7	Pantomime	159
	Spotlight on Brian Turner	159
	Topics for Discussion	160
	Introduction to Pantomime	161
	Top Twelve Pantomime Do's and Don'ts	162
66.	Simple Pantomime	162
	Simple Pantomime Planning Guide	164
67.	Forced Pantomime	166
	Forced Pantomime Planning Guide	167
68.	The Garage Sale	169
69.	The Letter	170
70.	The Machine	171
71.	Charades	172
72.	Musical Pantomime	174
73.	Expert Olympics	176
74.	Robot Assembly Line	177
75.	What Are You Doing?	178
76.	Mystery Catch	179
77.	Pantomime Race	180
78.	Silent Scene	181
Chapter 8	Nonacting Theatre Games and Activities	182
	Spotlight on C. William "Bill" Klipstine	182
	Topics for Discussion	183
	Making Learning Fun	184
79.	Getting to Know You Bingo	185
80.	Not Just Another Board Game	187
81.	Stage Maps	188
82.	Prop Scavenger Hunt	189
83.	Ticket Pre-sales Contest	190
84.	Poster Design Contest	193
85.	Newspaper Costumes	194
86.	Character Collage	196
Chapter 9	Developing Your Program	200
	Spotlight on Carla Ford-Rich	200
	Topics for Discussion	202
	Theatre Classes	202
	Improv and Mime Troupes	203
	Improv and Mime Clinics, Workshops, and Camps	204
	Drama Club	208
	Perform for Area PTAs	209
	Suggested Activities for Improvisation Performances	210
	Teach Teachers to Use Games in Their Classrooms	211
	Host an Improv and/or Mime Competition	211
Appendix A	Helpful Starters	213
Appendix B	Glossary of Target Areas	216
	Target Areas Index	221
	Resources	225
	About the Author	227