Workshop Creation tool
Use this comprehensive guide of activities to create and host your own workshops.
Legend:
♦ – Easy ♦ – Intermediate
♦ – Difficult
Warm-ups:
♦ 21: As a group without any communication between each other count to 21. If anyone says the same number at the same time. The entire group starts over.
♦Walk Around: Utilize the space, have everyone move around in spontaneous directions, changing the style of movement as you please.
♦Bus Stop: An improvisation game where 2 people will be up at a time. 1 person is on stage already and the next person will come up and sit down next to the first person, this person then must think of a creative way to get the other person to move while in character.
♦Buzz Word: An improvisation game in groups of 3 – 6, one person who is leading the activity will throw out a random word and it is up to the groups to create a still scene that is based on that word.
♦Melting Pot: A focus exercise where everyone gets into a circle, the leader begins with one word and then everyone says another word it makes them think of, they then say another word as fast as they can that the previous word makes them think of.
♦Sam is an Alley Cat: A word game. The leader chooses a letter from the alphabet, you then go around the group with each person saying the phrase “Sam is a ________ alley cat” The word used to describe the alley cat must start with the letter chosen. If someone takes to long to come up with a word or uses one already said then they are out.
♦Zip, Zap, Zop: Arrange the group in a circle, go from person to person saying zip, zap or zop in a special way either vocally or physically to another. That person then must do the same to another person and add, change or copy the way the first person said it.
♦Haunted House: Nominate one person to be the security guard. Choose a theme for the game, and everyone freezes in a position related to the theme. The guard comes back in the room and tries to catch people moving; if they catch someone moving then they are out.
Core Activities:
♦Movement to Character: Split into smaller groups. Every person without thinking will create a random movement. They then use this movement and become a character that would create this movement. Vocal, physical and emotional changes are all possible.
♦Freeze: Using only 2 people at a time create a backstory beforehand, the scene will then play out with improvisation. The scene continues until someone yells freeze, this person then goes and takes place of one of the 2 people and creates a completely new scene from the position they were in. This keeps happening with different people.
♦Analyzing a Character: Using a whiteboard, draw a character or the name of that character on the board, then draw ideas around them about why they are the way they are e.g.- Superman is Selfless
♦Exploring Emotions: Create a list using everyone ideas of different types of emotions and a quick show of how they would act that emotion. This can be made more difficult by talking about how words that mean similar things can change how that emotion looks (Intensity, twists) e.g.- Furious vs. Annoyed
♦Ex-Changing Words: Use a simple phrase and try to create as many different ways of saying that phrase as you can trying to use pauses, tone, and emphasis to change what it means.
Example Phrase: “Most of the time travelers worry about their luggage” (Moving the pause in this sentence changes its meaning)
♦Long Form Improvisation: Groups of however many (Recommended 2-4) create entire scenes with improvisation. Experiment with different character types and stories to put your wit to the test. Base the first scene on a word and then actors move in and out of the scenes as they see fit.
♦Ventriloquist: 2 groups of 2 go on stage at a time, one will be speaking and one will be acting. Using improvisation the speaker will begin the dialogue with a background created by the leader, the speakers partner will then act our what the speaker is saying with the groups other actor and speaker. This means that the 2 speakers will create the actors actions with their words as the actors silently act out what their partners are saying.
♦Voice Features: Technical discussion about what changes the way we speak. Demonstrations of the change are recommended.
Aspects of the Voice:
- Tone
- Color (Dark or light)
- Inflection
- Diction
- Dialect
- Pauses
- Rhythm
- Accent
- Placement of voice
- Volume & Intensity
Standard Work
Any work that involves working and presenting monologues or scenes. You can find scripts online with some of the sources provided or even create your own. You use the skills learned in other activities to get better and better as you practice and perform.
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