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Unit 3 - Character
Module 3: Developing Character
Lesson 3 - Improvisation

Introduction:
The purpose of this lesson is to give students the opportunity to explore their characters through improvisation.

Objectives:
- to convey relationships to other characters in a scene
- to use improvisation to contribute to the creations of work of dramatic art
- to use improvisation to explore characters and situations
- cooperate with others
- to feel secure in the class
- to reinforce previously developed dramatic abilities and understandings

Resources:
(pdf) Improvisation Scenarios; simple costume pieces

CELs:
C, CCT, IL, PSVS

Components:
Creative/Productive

Activities:

Note: Students should have a pretty well developed character by this point. The monologue is written and the background and personality of the character has been established. The purpose of this lesson is to encourage them to stay in character and to explore the parameters. They need to have some fun with the character and try new things. Surprise themselves - and you perhaps.

 

Activity 1 - Gesture Pass
Students stand in a circle, one begins by making a gesture with a sound to the person on the right. That person must repeat the same gesture and sound back to the first person. Then they turn to their right and pass a new gesture and sound, which is repeated back. And so on around the circle. The idea is to become loose and spontaneous, follow impulses and do not judge responses.

Activity 2 - Walk About
Begin with a group stretching session. Use yoga to keep flexible and loose. Stretching also helps focus the mind and connect the body to the mind. Once loosened up, students are to begin moving about the room in a random pattern. Play some soft music to set a quiet, focused mood. They are to pay attention to movement, tension and flow in response to certain words called out. For example: smooth and loose; smooth and tight; sharp and quick; sharp and slow; swirl and high; swirl and low; etc. Use a variety of combination of words. Ask students to also focus on certain body parts for the movement to originate - such as the hand, the hips, the nose, etc.

Common Movement Verbs:
* THRUSTING * FLOATING * PUSHING * SLASHING
* GLIDING * WRINGING * DABBING * FLICKING

Continue the warm up exercise into movement representative of their character. Move about the room as their character would move. Call out various instructions, such, "get yourself a beverage - what kind is it and how do you drink it?"; or "waiting in line at the bank - how patient are you?"; or "buying a vehicle - how old/new and what kind?".

Activity 3 - Whole Group Improv Scene:
Using the suggestion for place as decided upon by the class, set up a space for the improv to take place. Some guidelines to remember include:

  • at any point your character may enter or exit.
  • try not to have too many in the scene at once, or too many story lines, as it gets too confusing.
  • listen carefully and respond - advance the story.
  • stay in character at all times.
  • at any point, the teacher or students may call Time Out and everyone must stop and listen. Suggestions may be given to help advance the story, or implausible actions questioned, or new conflicts presented.
  • if the scene is not working, just stop it, discuss it and come up with a new scene.

Activity 4 - Spontaneous Inner Monologues:
Assign unlikely characters into small groups of three or four. Give each group a location for the scene and a problem (or let them give scenarios to one another) - such as: a minor car accident, with 2 drivers, and 2 witnesses; or in a hospital waiting room and the TV keeps losing reception; or standing in a long line up to see a movie and some one lets in a friend.

Once the groups have been formed and scenes given, tell the students that as the scene is played , at any point an audience member can call "I.M. Bob" (use someone's name) and the others go silent while that character says the inner monologue revealing their true thoughts. Characters must remember that whatever they hear revealed, they cannot respond - it is "inner thoughts".

Instructional Strategies:
Improvisation, role play

Evaluation:
Participation in improv exercises, journal entry.

Alternative On-line Activity:
The activities above may be performed with a partner in the remote location. However, there are also ways students can accomplish the same goals within the context of a normal day. For example, students might try to stay in character while doing something with friends like eat lunch or going to movie. Another exercise might be phoning another on-line student in character. The phone call can be arranged in advance, and students can identify the conflict, then stay in character as they have the conversation.

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