• Master Class:

    UNIT 1: Ensemble building

    Tu 9/3: Brainstorm and Dream what Master Class should be this semester

    Warm-up: Play “Rack ‘Em Up… and break!” whose objective is to divide the class based on differences and bring them together based on similarities.

     

    Th 9/5:

    Warm-up 1: Play “class knot”. Shake hands and stick. Repeat until everyone has connected with two other people and then untangle. Decompress and discuss how this represents a metaphor for theatre.

    Classwork: Play “embodying teachers” first with worst teacher, then best. For each pose, allow one member at a time to unfreeze and inspect classmates. Then, after best, return to worst and each member unfreezes to transform one thing (posture, gesture or face) from worst teacher to best. Decompress and discuss the game, feelings, and purpose. Then talk about how to create the best ensemble possible.

    Numbers game. Trust Falls
     

    F 9/6 OR M 9/9

    Blind Walk. Choose a partner. Partner A will guide B, whose eyes are closed around the room for 1 minute. Trade and do the same.

    Exploding chairs. Round 1- untimed. Round 2- timed. Round 3- timed with distractions. Round 4- no words. Decompress and discuss.

     
    Tu 9/10

    Warm-up 1: Silent line up by birthday.

    Warm-up 2: Game 1- Whoosh.

    Everyone will pass the energy around the room with different motions:

    “Whoosh” Pass to the right doing a body wave.

    “Wow” Stop, left

    “Zap” Pass the energy across the circle

    “Groovelicious”- Everyone waves up from the floor to the ceiling.

    “Freakout” Everyone Runs and switches spots

     Classwork: Explain that today is a very focused and quiet environment. Pair up and do trust falls. Then trust circle. Then trust circles from a chair or table. Decompress and discuss. Then Psychiatrist

     

    W 9/10:

    Warm-Up: Wanna Buy a Duck?

    Classwork: Game 1- Assassin. Each student chooses an assassin and a bodyguard, constantly trying to keep the bodyguard between themselves and the assassin without telling anyone who’s who. Try to guess at the end. Game 2- Detective. Tap the detective twice and the murderer three times. Then the murderer taps his victim once, one victim per round, with people guessing. Detective gets one guess while the townspeople sleep and doesn’t reveal himself until wise.)

    Classwork: Psychiatrist. (If it doesn’t take the whole period, play another round with new rule.)

    Homework: Research an ensemble play. Be prepared to talk about it next Tuesday.]

     

    Th 9/11:

    Warm-up: Bill, the Fireman game.

    Classwork: Building a machine. Round 1- Begin to make a full class machine, each person interlocking with another person (and eventually 2 or more) using a motion and a sound. Speed the machine up. Slow it down. Take a person out. It breaks. Round 2- Everyone writes down a machine on a slip of paper. Small groups of 3-4, pull a machine out of the hat and build it for the other teams to guess.

    Homework: Journal 1 due Tuesday. 1. What did you like and/or dislike about this unit? 2. How will this unit help you craft your own art in the theatre? 3. Please comment on anything you think the teacher or a classmate did well in this unit.