Student: Trust

Unit One - Introduction to Drama
Module 1: Basic Skills
Lesson 1 - Trust

Introduction:
Trust activities are designed to help all actors develop relationships within their acting group. These activities create physical trust in others, strengthen communication skills, and enable us all to learn to relinquish control.

Activities:

Activity 1 - Falls:
You should form groups of two, with both people approximately the same size and weight. A stands directly in front of B, and both A and B face forwards. A will fall backwards and B will catch A. B should keep his or her hands ready to catch A and brace well. At first, A should stand very close to B, so that it is easy for the catching to occur. As confidence and trust increase, A and B should be able to create larger and larger falls. You should switch roles when you have completed the exercise.

Activity 2 - Supports:
You should form groups of two, with both people approximately the same size and weight. A and B stand back to back, with A bending his or her knees slightly, so that A's bottom is below B's. A and B link arms at the elbow and A bends at the waist slowly. When A is bent 90 degrees, and B is balanced well, they slowly let their arms go. B should be laying balanced on A's back. This position should be held for 15 seconds, then A and B link arms again, and B is lowered gently back to the floor, reversing the original lift. Actors should switch roles when they have completed the exercise.

People with back, ankle
or knee problems should
not attempt this exercise

Activity 3 - Chair Sit:
All the actors in a location perform the chair sit as a group. One actor starts by pretending to sit on a chair. The upper body is straight, but the waist and knees are bent 90 degrees. Actors add on in front of and behind the original person, repeating the posture, so that eventually the entire group will be a big circle of actors sitting on each other's legs. Each individual in the group supports the others, so no one is strained and no one falls.

Activity 4 -
Human Chain (Knots):
The actors form a circle of up to eight people (the more the better up to this point). You reach across the circle to grab the hands of two other people. No actor may hold the hand of a student beside himself or herself. Everyone must be holding hands. Now the tangle must unravel itself into a circle again, but it must do so with no verbal communication.

Photograph by Kurtis Hamel.

Activity 5 - Blind Walk:
You choose a partner you have not yet worked with (if possible), and label yourselves A and B. The Bs go out into the hallway and put on the blindfolds. The As rearrange the space so that there are many safe objects to interact with, but the Bs cannot anticipate where the objects will be placed. Each A then goes into the hallway and returns holding the hands of his or her partner. This can be a very scary way to relinquish control, so A must be very careful to ensure that B is never hurt. The space is explored for two minutes by all the partners simultaneously. Then the blindfold is removed and you debrief with your partners for a minute.

A and B agree on a shared word. It can be anything school appropriate, but no two groups should have the same word. The As go into to the hallway and put on the blindfolds. The Bs rearrange the space. When the Bs go to get the As, you do not hold hands. Instead, you stand directly in front of your partners and use the shared word to call them. You may discuss how the pitch or pace of that word will mean different things (for example, "When I say Fred really quickly that means stop right now"). However, once you get into the classroom, you may only use the shared word. The space is explored for two minutes by all the partners simultaneously. Then the blindfold is removed and you debrief with your partners for a minute.

Reflecting:

When all trust activities are completed, join together as a large group and conduct a talking circle. Everyone sits in a circle. An object is chosen to symbolize permission to talk. You talk only when you are requesting the object or holding the object. Use the circle to discuss how the activity went and how successfully you were able to trust your partners.		When the circle is complete, you should write a journal on the following topics. How easy is it for you to trust? Why do you find it easy or difficult to trust? What conditions have to be met for you to give trust? The journal article should be a minimum of 1/2 a page in length.

Evaluation:
You evaluate personal progress through reflection (journal, talking circle).

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