MIME preparation for Drama with Early Years and upwards

Mime

Adapted freely and edited from  http://drama-in-ecce.com/2012/05/11/mime-workshop-for-all-ages/

Main objective of workshop: Mime encourages confidence and awareness of self and of others. It encourages physical control, simplicity of thought and movement and more importantly it stimulates the imagination.
Sub aims:

• To introduce relaxation exercises and understand their role in a drama class.
• To promote group work and co-operation.

Relaxation exercises in Large Room 
Be a star: Lie sown on your back and spread your arms, palms up to the side and open your legs. Stretch the limbs all together. Feel you are making a four pointed star. Suddenly the star collapses. Feel the tension disappear.
Be Hercules: In the same position, imagine that the body is being pushed down by a heavy weight so that all parts of the body are being pressed into the ground suddenly the weight is removed. Feel yourself float on the ground.
Shake off the ants:  In the same position, imagine you are tied to the ground but you can wiggle. A colony of ants finds and begins to crawl over you. Commence to wiggle the body until the last ant leaves you. Then collapse.
Be a rubber puppet: Imagine you are made of rubber and there are strings attached to your shoulders which someone can pull from above. You are being pulled up and you find your limbs fly out in all directions. Even the feet can be pulled off the ground at times, finally the strings are cut and the body relaxes.
Mime Activities in classroom or large room
What’s in the Box: Early yrs upwards All the students sit in a large circle. The teacher asks them to imagine there is a magic box in the centre of the circle. The teacher can ask what size is it? What colour is it? Ask can everyone see it. This is a fun mime game. Everyone sits in a circle. Ask the children if they can see the box in the centre of the circle. Ask them what colour it is? What shape it is? Tell them it can be a different shape and colour, depending on where you are sitting in the circle. This is because it is a magic box.  The teacher goes into the centre of the circle first and mimes opening the box and taking out an object. She then mimes holding the object and the class must guess what it is. When the children guess correctly the teacher mimes putting it back in the box and closing it. The child who guessed correctly takes a turn at taking an object out of the box.
Pass the object: Early years upwards This is a follow on from the Magic Box game. The teacher mimes taking an object out of the box, for example a mouse, a rotten egg, a cream cake, chewing gum, lipstick or a puppy, and the children guess what it is. When they have guessed she passes the object around the circle. The children should react as if they were holding the actual object in their hands. Eventually the last child in the circle gets rid of the object and the teacher goes to the box and takes out a new.
Locomotion: Large Room  Get the students consider the ways that people walk. The teacher gets the children to walk around the room. Then call out different ways of walking
Walk like  a …..
•           Toddler
•           child in high heels
•           child wearing heavy wellington boots
•           child splashing in a puddles
•           child stuck in mud
•           child walking on stony beach
•           child walking on hot sand
•           someone walking on fire
•           someone walking wearily
•           an old frail person.
 Here are some more  suggestions for mimes:
•           Riding a horse
•           Skiing
•           Washing dishes
•           Eating hot food
•           Counting money
•           Telling someone you love them
•           Eating spaghetti
•           Singing
•           Playing tug of war
•           Washing your dog
•           Ballet dancing
•           Moon walk
•           Playing basketball
•           Singing opera
•           Walking in the desert
•           Playing tennis
•           Making pancakes
•           Opening a present that you do not like

Basic Situation: Middle to senior  Divide the class into small groups and they  try to remember what it felt like when they were in the  following situation. NOT facial expression which is imitation but remembering past experience which is is authentic
•           Cold
•           Hot
•           Surprised,
•           Frightened
Meetings Middle to senior 
The class gets into pairs. Each pair stands back to back. When the teacher calls out go they must turn around and pass their partner if
•           They were strangers
•           They were a casual acquaintance
•           Meeting some one they haven’t seen since they were in playschool together
•           Meeting someone that owes them money.

Starting  to use mime in a Drama session; Middle to senior 
Start beginner groups on occupational mimes and later move to emotional mimes. Mime starts within and is then portrayed by the body. Never forget that through mime is that art of movement it is also the art of stillness.
Occupational Mimes: lift a bucket, box, brush. Place the same objects on a shelf or table, place them, carefully on top of each other. Use scissors, shears, pickaxes, fishing rod. Use activities such as sewing buttons, cooking, putting on clothes, painting, cleaning windows.
Character Mimes: Portray different types of character, the young girl, the old woman, the rich lady, beggar, clown. Watch people around you.
Emotional Mimes: These are the hardest to portray. Feel, understand, convey happiness at receiving a gift. Sadness at hearing bad news, shock, horror, love etc..,

What’s the Chair? Middle to senior
Place a chair in the centre of the circle and participants take turns to mime what they imagine it to be:, for example:  a post box, a kitchen sink, a dog, a naughty schoolboy, a new car.
The person who guesses correctly takes their place in the middle.
Take over
•           in a circle, walking on the spot
•           leader makes a gesture, in time, that the everyone else imitates
•           continue for 8 beats or so, then calll  the name of a participant and they must change or add to the action
 What’s my job? for middle to senior
All sit in a circle.  Give everyone an job (e.g. Garda, astronaut, postman, teacher).  Use each occupation twice, and make sure the occupations are kept secret.
Students use the space to mime their own occupation.  Their task is to spot the person with the same job  as them.  When they have done this they should approach their partner, and without speaking, check that they are both miming the same job.
They should sit down in their pair when they think they have found them.

The game continues until everybody is sitting down.  The teacher should check they are all correct at the end of the game!

Devising with Images

Devising with Images in Drama

Colm Hefferon

Setting the scene

1. PHYSICAL FOCUS:  Organise large group into   groups of FOUR through use of Titanic game.

In 4s give each a number – 1,2,3,4. Show image (the Arrival by Shaun Tan, available on Google Images.   Examine the image in various ways.

2. VISUAL FOCUS: (ask pupils to write ideas down as we go for their own records.) Give each numbered pupil a specific task.  Each report back under category: Big thing, small, hard, soft.

3. SENSORY FOCUS: In numbered sequence:  All evens are man all odds are the woman. I am afraid I see…I think I hear… Write down in copies.

Development

4. TENSION FOCUS:  On Letter. It could be the cause or have an effect. Teacher wonders aloud.  “I’m just wondering….” What sentence in the letter is causing him to think of leaving  ?  (Letter written by someone outside the home.) Option two:  I’m just wondering…what effect of the letter (written by him) will be on those left behind?  Then ask pupils too do same in their small groups.

4b.SENSORY VISION: Choose  an concrete visible thing ( big, small, hard, soft again)  in  picture. Go for deep description ere.  E.g. ” I am the old battered  spade in the corner  and last night I saw/heard/felt/smelt….”. If time allows, repeat with an unseen object( e.g. a note in the woman’s pocket.

5. STATUS QUO: Recreate the image, or if there are more people in image than are in group, show an image of the most important part of the photo. Show in carousel. Comment on LEVELS in groups showing.

5b.STATUS QUO ANTE: Using the idea of SLOMO ( slow motion) Show a moment  from recent past that led to Image 5. In small groups. (CAUSE). Move from image one to two- Neutral  position/Freeze/Move/Freeze

5c.STATUS QUO POST: Show the same people some time later where the full effect of the images 1 and 2 are explored and shown. (EFFECT). SLOMO between images one, two and three. Really slow. Show in carousel.

For home work : Write the dialogue for each scene in copies  if desirable. Focusing on the departure scene. Ask pupils what you think they are saying. What do you think is not being said here?

Write the dialogue in four lines only in small groups of four. Each person contributes one line. Keep same groups.

NEXT SESSION or later : Place dialogues on the floor. Each group of four takes one dialogue up (not their own) and practises it. They show this in carousel, with music behind if desirable.

Reflection

FINALE: Ask pupils how they think the story finished. Explore in same groups what Christmas day/ birthday  the following year was like for each character.  To avoid possibility of tragic outcomes being dominant.  Organise that every   ending scene is slightly  different e.g.  Happy/ Sad/ Mysterious/ Revenge/Hero returns/Best possible ending for all concerned. The reason for this is to lift the mood, and also show pupils that problems can be solved. That we can influence the outcome of our lives and change what we don’t like with a positive approach. At this stage, we don’t dwell on the problem itself, but on the options the character has to solve it.

Circle time:  discussion of themes of  “ Coping with Change” should reveal  a variety of  perceptions and skill levels. These ideas may be captured in a poem written in the voice of the character  (My Dream…) or Images in art of one thing they would like to achieve to foster a positive attitude. Remember you will go further and value more if the pupils use the characters’ voices ( “Martin Tan should talk to the village chief…” as opposed to” I would do this”). You may choose also to go into role as a Grandmother character very worried about your grandson, looking for advice from his friends (the pupils). This often reveals a maturity of engagement not always evident in the       classrooms.

END

 Colm Hefferon.

October 2012

TEACHER IN ROLE LESSON From Literacy activities to Teacher in Role: Forest Child as resource

Mime Cards

Please send a bowl of noodles to my room.
How much does it cost to use the swimming pool?
Can you change this Five Euro  note into One Euro  coins?
I have lost the key to my room.
What time is breakfast served?
If my husband (wife) calls, tell him (her) that I have lost my voice.
Can you please book two tickets for the rock concert tomorrow night.
I have to catch a train tomorrow morning. Please wake me at 5:30am.
Please send 3 kilograms of chocolate to my room.
There is a crocodile in my bath. Please come quickly.
The person in the room next to me is playing drums, and I can’t sleep.
I have dropped my glasses in the toilet.

Introduction to Drama for the first time to young people

Purpose:

1. To lead pupils safely into role and to show the
   
   value to them of concentration and collaboration.
2. Develop Pair work organising skills for initial teachers.
3. Develop Verbal fluency among pupils in non-threatening environment.
   
   
   
   
   
   First section of session is the preparation for working in groups.
   
   
   
   The structure used in this section is known as the

P-V-C STRUCTURE

1. Physical Exercise - to create an energetic atmosphere of collaboration



2. Verbal Exercise - to begin to create closer focus in pairs



3. Concentration Exercise- to bring out the theme and create readiness for stage two

1.Titanic: Lifeboats. Large group randomly walk and when teacher calls out the number all must get into groups pf that number. Stragglers may be "saved" or be put into the hold( bench at side of room). End with 2's. This is the purpose of your exercise- to achieve pairs. Then "helicopter " into a safe place. Face each other at hands length.


1a.If you prefer to work in pairs immediately: Three Irish duels.[thanks to A.Boal] Pairs face each other. Clear brief to achieve desired objective/outcome
-Pairs Stepping on toes.
-Slapping knees.
-Swords in Backs.
2+3. Counting in pairs.A+B . A counts for 100 -1 without being stopped by B. B must try everything to stop A. Eye contact a must. No other contact allowed. In 1.a,2 and 3 the participants should sit on ground when finished to allow you to see who has yet to complete. Participants are then ready for guidance into the next task .

What am I doing?

To train pupils in

1.       Close observation

2.       Eye – hand coordination

3.       Signing

Start with a Magic bag of objects. A child reaches into the bag and feels an object.

Where am I?

Where am I?

We behave in different ways in different places, e.g. a church or a Football match.

To establish place we can do so without the use of props by adopting a typical stance, attitude, or mood. The ability to do this greatly supports taking a role later on.   We will look at people in places and the purpose is to guess where they are by what they are showing to us. Teacher models the activity first.  A suggestion is to use the expanding model of places to do with home, neighbourhood, school, town/city, country. Again the roles are types. Going from what pupils know to what they do not in terms of experience and lesson content.

Who am I?

Who am I? Prep for Role Cards

Group Role Play in Pairs

Working in Pairs to prepare for  Group  role play in Drama

Teacher says: We are going to do an exercise to get us warmed up for the drama

Vary groups so that friendship group do not dominate.  Ask for agreement and assign by number or lots.  These short games (and improvs which follow) are usually   based on the pupils’ experience.

Pupils decide who is A+B. Teacher decides first positions and signal for start also   what final position and finish will look like.  Should pupils fold arms /sit on floor when finished?  Then do warm up   game.  Themes of warm up games  fall into categories such as:

§  Description (my hobby/ holidays/weekend)

§  Dreams (what I want to be…)

§  Wishes (what I’d like to see happen)

§  Persuasion (what I want from you is…)

Role-play preparation in Pairs

Clarify Desired outcome with participants.

1. A wants to go out for the evening. B does not. (Peer status)
2. Busy city street , an  apartment. A wants sofa by the window. B does not. (Peer)

Clarify External   Motive (my reason for my desired outcome: Why I want what I want?). This can be supportive or antagonistic.

Clarify Internal Motive which  can be hidden or open. Try both to see the difference in Tension.

3. Holiday: A wants to  go seaside, B wants to go to mountains.
4.  A wants to eat one dish.  B wants something quite different.
5. A wants to try foreign food. B wants the same as at home.
6. A wants to travel overnight. B wants to travel by day.

Clarify Status as power related, not economic.  High, equal, low .

7. An old person wants to live in cottage, B is social worker who wants her to move into   a new apartment. (High and low status)
8. A thinks football ( ballet)  is boring.  B thinks its great . Equal. Then high/low
9. A wants to join in the football row. B thinks its waste of time. Low /high

Clarify Attitude. This may be conscious  and behavioural. It may work against the character. 

10. A wants to play on Saturday in an amateur game. B wants to watch a professional game on TV. ( Leader)
11. A thinks there is life on another planet somewhere.  B does not.

12. A thinks its bad to  put wild animals in cages at the zoo. B does not.
13.  A and B are two crooks. A wants to break into bank at daytime .B wants to break in at night.
14. A and B are just out of prison.  A wants to go straight wants to commit another crime.
15. A is father/mother.  B is child.  A is complaining about the state of B’s room.
16. A thinks there are flying saucers B does not. A is scientist. B is journalist

Now that pupils have the idea, the teacher can make the improvisation more challenging by -

For a Pair Mime exercise, it can be helpful to give outcome at beginning.  Eg, two people see a coat on floor.  Each sees it.  A want s to pick up but is afraid they will be seen and accused of stealing.  B wants to pick up and see what is in the pockets.  In this example, both know that they will pick up the coat.  Later examples can dispense with this, but the structure of knowing the ending allows pupils to work on the motivation and intention without having to be too concerned with Spontaneity.  That can come later when they are less anxious.

Another take on this is to give the first  [or last] line of the Improvisation.

Intention Motivation Moral alibi: Parent takes teenagers savings.  Child is upset.  However, if Parent builds up the role with information that he was going to replace it and that he reason he took it was to pay deposit on a family holiday.  This constraint on the argument deepens the conflict so that it is not just slanging match.

Using Time to focus pupils in pair work .

Restrict the focus of time so that the drama on The Rising takes place in a safe    house which is being watched by the enemy on Good Friday.  

Never do fait-accompli events: E.g. - the gang robbing the bank scene.  Go back in time to where they are deciding to do this and one-person objects.  Possibility for change is at the heart of Improvisation.

Avoid fight scenes in the now time

When starting out, show three photos of stages in the fight (prior, during, after) or use time to go back and uncover the main reasons for the particular fight.

Put a time limit on the improv- 30 second video can help concentrate on salient facts.  Other possibilities- Use no word, no contact.

Two Pairs one speaking words of characters ' the other pairs speaking the real thoughts of the same character

Show the circumstances in the past, which led to an unlikely person to   commit a crime in the now –e.g. steal a wallet.

Pairs rehearse their piece.  Show the high point (approx four sentences) to whole group.

Pairs-Fours- Whole group.

Whole group in pairs talk about the effects of some rule or law that is causing hardship.  In fours, they talk about what should be done about it.  In whole group, they prepare a meeting to submit their suggestions with TIR as mediator.  The group is refused an audience with the power figure- so what do they do now?  Finish in small groups with role-play of the same groups in one year’s time.  Might be used   with History or Geography themes.

Whole group work

Now the group are ready for whole group work where they will play multiple roles independently and with teacher.

 

Under TIR as “chief” can work well when its use is setting the context for and ABC [ A Big problem we all Care about]. This use of the class one group can communities the problem and create  need to solve it. Pupils then in two’s take on a variety of roles [ in pairs often] of those being investigated. They return to whole group with TIR as chief to report findings and conclude. The whole group acts as bookends for the pair work in between.

Role for Teacher	Role for Pupils
Director of Hospital	Specialists
Police  chief	Detectives
Village Elder	Villagers
Chairperson	UFO  Committee

E.G. an ailing fishing community has a problem with whale landing on the beach that is still alive. What do they do about it? Some  want to make a tourist attraction and others want to kill it for blubber to sell. Interested parties would be politicians, unemployed fishermen, whalers, fish oil factory, and government employment specialists.

Colm Hefferon