Unit Three Movement and Pantomime Unit Three For

Unit Three Movement and Pantomime

Unit Three • For our next unit we will begin to focus on how to move ourselves while performing. • The biggest mistake you can make as an actor is to simply stand there. BORING! • Instead of simply standing while performing, you are going to learn how to use your body as a tool for acting. • It is much more fun to watch an actor who knows how to move!

#1 Rule in Stage Acting • Never turn your back to the audience!

Backs are Boring! • It is so boring to watch an actor’s back. • Here and there you may have to face backwards, but remember, face the front at every possible moment! • Let’s take a look at the difference.

Definition • Pantomime – The art of showing emotions and actions by using gestures instead of speaking.

Warm-Up: Mingle Qualities • Actors will mingle about in the mingle zone, as if they are entirely alone. Actors may not engage with one another. • The teacher will call out certain qualities, and actors will act out the situations, without speaking or voices. • The teacher is looking for strong movements and physical acting.

Cheating • Cheating or Cheating Out- Cheating in acting has nothing to do with cheating on a test. Instead it means to turn your body in such a way, that the audience can see the front of you while you are acting. It feels a little weird when you first try it, but it looks great from the audience perspective…

Definition • Cheating -To 'cheat' is to turn your face or entire body out to the audience to be seen better. Cheating helps to avoid undesirable ‘profile’ scenes.

Activity: Cheating Out Movie Charades • Actors will work in groups of 4 -6, mixed gender. • Each group will think of a very famous movie: Toy Story, The Lion King, Finding Nemo etc. . Do NOT spend more than 60 seconds picking your movie. • The groups will be given some time to design the three main scenes (beginning, middle, and end) and how to act them out without words or dialogue. • As you prepare, cheat out your body and keep your belly forward! You will need to determine where your audience is seated. • The class will guess which movie each group is performing. Performances will be about 2 minutes.

Warm Up: Have a Seat • Actors will sit scattered about in the mingle zone, facing the teacher. • The teacher will call out an activity such as, “brushing your teeth. ” • Each actor will show each step of how this is done in a physical way, without words. • Start with getting the toothbrush and toothpaste, applying the toothpaste, adding water, etc. . • Go slowly, taking care of each detail.

Activity: Machine • This is one of my favorite acting lessons! • One actor will volunteer to be the first moving part of a machine. The moving part must also include a machinelike sound. • The next actor will join the first moving part with his/her own moving part and noise. The two parts must somehow work together. • A third actor will join in, and then a fourth, and so on. • At the end, there will be a group of actors, all working together, in one cohesive machine. • We will extend this activity into small groups; each group will ‘turn on’ for a performance.

Machine Example • http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=S 971 K 3 Sb. T K 8 • Pinball • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=a. COh. Ld 9 u XBs

Variation Machines • Actors will work in teacher selected groups of 5 -6. • Each group will think of a common machine: a carwash, a typewriter, etc… • The group will design all the moving parts and sounds, then put the entire machine together so it flows properly, making all the movements and noises in unison. • No roughhousing allowed. • The audience will guess the machine at the end of class.

Warm Up: Dirty Dollar • Actors will form a circle in the mingle zone, imagining they are in Central Park. • A dollar will be placed in the middle. • Actors will volunteer to enter the circle, taking the dollar for themselves in a creative way, and without words.

Central Park

Warm Up: 8 Count Shake Down • For this activity, students will stand in the mingle zone. • Students will shake each arm and leg, counting down loudly from eight. • This is meant to help students to physically and mentally get ready to pantomime.

Pantomime Conversation • Many scenes require actors to have silent conversations. • If there is a main conversation happening, other characters can pretend to talk without interrupting the main part of the scene. • I call this pantomime conversation.

Definition • Pantomime Conversation- When several actors are in a scene talking silently. They may do this when other actors are speaking out loud, or when creating a mood of busy conversation, without actually disrupting the scene. • Actors should never speak at the same time. It is very confusing for the audience!

Staging • Staging a show is very important. The director must decide where to place sets and furniture. • The best way to do this is to place chairs and furniture at an angle, rather than facing one another or straight ahead. • Why do you think this is the case?

Staging Example-Sketch This

Activity- A Cafe Scene with Two Tables • Actors are going to work in a group of 6. • Actors must incorporate both pantomime conversation AND correct staging (with angles). • Each group will decide which characters are speaking out loud and which are having a pantomime conversation. • Create a conversation taking place in a café at two separate round tables. • The conversation will last about 30 seconds. • Meanwhile, the remaining actors will also have a side conversation that is completely unheard. These actors will be placed at a separate table.

Pantomime Conversation Extension • Students will work in a group of 5 or 6 • Students will establish a setting, and prepare a scene that has one group pantomiming a conversation, while the other students are speaking out loud. • The group will then switch parts, and group two will speak out loud while the other pantomimes.

Warm Up – Object Imagination • Actors will stand in a circle in the mingle zone. • An object will be passed around the circle. • Each actor will invent a function for the object and show its function in pantomime.

Relations Without Words • You will work with one partner. • Your teacher will assign a relationship. • You and your partner will act out your relationship and circumstance in pantomime, without words. Add lots of physical details to your scene to make it very interesting. • The class will guess your relationship. • Your scene will be 60 seconds long, so time it. No improv allowed. • (Pg. 151).

Walking Warm Up • Students will walk about the classroom, starting in neutral. • The teacher will call out a variety ways to “walk” and the students will change the style of walk again and again, to match the description. • PG. 165

Definition • Mime – An actor who specializes in pantomime.

A Mime

A Well Designed Contrast

Mime Example • http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=e. Og 9 w. JFFb w. Y

Staggered Walk Out • When actors enter or exit a scene, or even move within a scene, it is best to stagger the walk out. • This often looks like the formation birds make when they fly. • Actors should never walk out shoulder to shoulder. • Why?

Staggered Walk Out

Upstaging • Upstaging occurs when an actor stands too far behind another actor, causing the first actor to look away from the audience. • Upstaging should be avoided while performing.

Definition • Tableau- a representation of a painting, statue, or scene, by one or more people who are posed and completely still.

Pageant of the Masters: Laguna Beach

A Tableau

Example of Tableau

• http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=2 cf. Bwn. P 81 r Y

Activity: Advertisement Tableau • Actors will work in groups of 5 -6. • Each group will decide upon a recognizable product they would like to advertise. • Actors will enter the stage in a staggered walk out and, upon hearing ‘action, ’ enter into a frozen tableau, marketing the specific product. Pay careful attention that no actor is upstaging another. • The scene will represent an actual ad in a magazine or on a billboard….

Warm-Up: A Mime Example • http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=FPMBV 3 rd _h. I • Driving a car….

Questions to Discuss • 1. What was particularly good about this performance? Be specific. • 2. Name three activities the mime performed. • 3. Why do you suppose the mime is wearing white gloves? Why a white painted face with dark brows and outlined eyes?

Activity – Driving a Car • Students will work in a group of four. • They will create a rehearsed scene (not improv) that is comedic in nature. • There will be one driver and three passengers. • The scene will be 45 seconds long and will establish at least FOUR incidents in pantomime. • The incidents need to be clear for the audience to understand. Cheat out the entire time. • Please remember chair love!

Warm Up: Pantomime Alphabet • Actors will work in groups of 5 -7. • The teacher will call out a letter and the team must make that letter, using their bodies, without speaking. • The letter may be upper OR lower case. • If any team member speaks, the team is out and that student will be omitted. • The best formed letter will be announced.

Activity – Village Path #2 • Actors will enter the mingle zone. • The teacher will describe a scene, with an actor walking down a village path. • As the teacher continues to describe, the actors will create the scene, entirely in pantomime, demonstrating a strong ability to perform without speech.

Unit Three Quiz Review - Friday • 1. Mime • 2. Pantomime • 3. Costume and make-up for mimes • 4. Pantomime conversation • 5. Staggered walk out • 6. Cheating Out/upstaging • 7. Tableau • 8. Staging furniture and sets 9. Pageant of the Masters

Warm-Up Walk Through • Actors will scatter about in the mingle zone. • The teacher will call out specific circumstances and the actors will demonstrate the circumstance with pantomime. • Pg. 29 TGP

‘Song Story’- Assessment for 30 Points • You and your two partners are going to create a scene acting out the plot to a song you choose. • Feel free to create props to help your scene. • You are not dancing, rather you are acting out the story/plot in the song in pantomime. • We will listen to the song as we watch you perform. The song must be rated G. • Please use the YOUTUBE version! • Students must act out the ENTIRE song. • Plan your movements and facial expressions very carefully before our big ‘show day. ’ You want to be very well rehearsed and prepared!. . .

www. Lyrics. com • • • • When Will My Life Begin? If I had a Million Dollars Happy Working Song Hard Knock Life Let it Go What Makes you Beautiful Under the Sea Love Story Twenty-Two Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Firework Can’t stop the Feeling I’ll Make a Man out of You

Example "When Will My Life Begin? " 7 AM, the usual morning lineup: Start on the chores and sweep 'til the floor's all clean, polish and wax, do laundry, and mop and shine up Sweep again, and by then It's like 7: 15.

For Today’s Practice • Begin to plan the movements to your song. Remember, this is not dancing, but ACTING out the plot. No lip syncing needed. • Add in strong characters and interesting facial expressions. • You must act the entire song, from beginning to end. • Use the Youtube version. • By the end of class, you should be near finished.

Pantomime Rubric: 30 Points • ______ /10 Actor cheats out while performing and does not lose focus. Actor does not break the 4 th wall. • ______ / 10 Actor uses his/her body, and many facial expressions as tools to create a story. • _______/10 Story is interesting and entertaining. Each student creates a character within the song. Actor uses the lines in the song to create a plot. Scene goes entire song. • • Total _____/30