HowtoPutonaShow

8/11/2019 HowtoPutonaShow

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Drama Notebook

Ready to Perform 2009 Drama Notebook, Janea Dahl

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How to Put on a Show

You may have arrived at this site wanting to print out a script, hand copies to the kids and startworking on a play. But what Ive learned is that putting on a full-scale play poses somesignificant challenges, and is not always a good experience for kids.

The downsides to an elaborate play:

Stressful auditions Hurt feelings due to big parts and small parts A lot of learning by rote

Too many kids in one show

Pressure to make the production perfect Extreme budget constraints

Unrealistic expectations from administrators and

parents

My drama organization, The Young Players served thousands of kids at over a hundred schools.One year, I visited 85 PTA groups,to present a fun and engaging alternative to the traditionalplay experience. I was shocked by the overwhelmingly positive response I received. Parents

unilaterally agreed with all of the points outlined above. When it came right down to it, theysimply wanted their children to have a positive experience of performing.

Consider this:

What if you were able to relax and stop worrying about how your show will come off?

What if you were able to let the kids pick their parts rather than assign them parts? What if you were able to enjoy the process and focus on making it a fun journey?

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So, what do you do instead?

I would like to invite you to experience something more magical. Instead of staging one big play,consider creating

A them ed show tha t f ea tu res a se r ie s o f shor t p i eces

Believe it or not, parents and school administrators prefer this! Here is a comment that a parent

wrote on a feedback form after a summer camp in which the kids created their own show:

Amelia has often expressed a distinct lack of interest in performing, so I was

surprised when she agreed to do this camp. She doesnt exactly experience stagefright, but close. However, in your camp, she was clearly focused and engaged allweek. I think what I loved most about your approach is how much creative licensethe kids were allowed to have. This is how it should be! Ive been subjected to loadsof drama classes where the kids just do what theyre told and much of the creativity

is lost. Thank you for choosing the h ighe r pa th .Robin Caldwell, parent of MadelieneSchool 4thgrader

Here is a quick outline of a themed show

A theme is chosen, such as: winter tales; at the circus; kids news broadcast, etc. Students are presented with options for things to perform

Kids choose what they want to perform

Every player gets a meaningful colorful role with no leads Drama activities are mixed in with rehearsal time

Students create their own simple costumes, or the entire cast wears matching t-shirts

and black pants The set is either simple or imaginary

The entire cast is onstage for most of the show The production at the end is charming and deeply satisfying for parents and students

The process of creating a show from scratch can feel daunting for a teacher who was at first, just

looking to find a script and make a play. But it is actually much easier and more fulfilling. In thenext few pages, I will show you exactly how to do this, giving you valuable tips that Ive learned

after years of doing this work. Everything you need to get started is right here on this website.We have an example for each printed item you need: sign-up flyer; kid contract; medical releaseform; and play program. In addition, there is a list of ideas for shows for kids to create called,Show and Camp Themes!

2013 Update!I recently learned that this concept is being validated by Rosalind Flynn, a leader in drama

education and a Kennedy Center professional development expert. She calls it Theme Theatre.

Here is an excerpt from her blog:

Theme Theatre is one dramatic production that features a variety of scripted pieces thatshare a common theme. These pieces may be poems, short scenes, songs or song lyrics,monologues, scenes based on childrens picture books, jokes, or quotations. Themessuch as friendship, school days, growing up, heroes, or wishes and dreams work

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well and offer many possibilities for scripted pieces. Schools can often request a

particular theme to build a production around.

A productions theme is determined by the purpose and content of the performance.Theme theater performances can focus on holidays (Martin Luther King, Jr.s Birthday,Christmas), historical events (The Civil War, The U.S. Westward Movement), groups of

people (Influential American Women, Famous Writers), science (Butterflies, SpaceTravel), foreign countries (Japan, Ghana), ideas (Cooperation, Perseverance, CharacterEducation), and many other topics.

Click here to read her blog in its entirety:

http://dramaticapproachestoteaching.com/post/14286967704/one-production-many-students-little-time-or-money

Keep reading to learn exactly how its done!

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Ta da

Here is how to put on your show:

Spread the Word

1. Announce that you are going to have a workshop, or put on a show that the kids aregoing to create themselves.

2. Communicate clearly in the flyers and newsletter announcements that this will be asimple piece that kids will have ownership of. (There is a sample flyer for you to look atin the Ready to Perform section of this website.)

3. Announce that kids may also join as prop-masters, costumers, set designers, etc.

4. Let parents know that everyone is welcome regardless of any prior theatrical experienceand that there will be no auditions, but that there are a limited number of spacesavailable. Every actor will receive a meaningful, colorful part.

5. Include in your announcement that certain behaviors will be expected of everyone. Kids

who are consistently disruptive or who will not follow directions will be excused (withoutrefund if you are charging a fee).

Prepare to Start Rehearsals

1. Decide how many kids you can realistically handle in your show. I suggest a limit of 25with at least one director and one assistant director. This keeps the process joyful for all.

2. Put kids on a waiting list if they sign up after you already have 25.

3. Set a realistic rehearsal schedule. A good rule of thumb is one hour for every minute ofperformance time. If your show is thirty minutes long, that would mean thirty hours of

rehearsal.

NOTE: If you are working in an after-school setting and only have a few hourswith the kids, you can still put on a show. Rehearse a handful of simple pieces,making sure that every student has at least one line. On performance day, startyour show by demonstrating some of the drama games that the kids learned

before the actual show starts.

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4. Create a roster complete with all contact information for everyone and save parents

emails in a special place so that you can e-mail everyone easily.

5. Send an email as soon as you have your cast, including details of the times, dates andcredentials of the show directors. Remind parents that you will be creating a showtogether with the kids and that they may be invited to help make costumes or set pieces

at home. Attach a kid contract, and a medical release form found in the Ready toPerform section of this website.

6. Invite parents to volunteer. Parents can help organize the room, take care of minoremergencies, help backstage, bring treats, and more! Let parents know that each personin the room becomes a participantno sitting and observing!

Gather Your Players

1. Bring together the cast and spend some time getting to know one another. (See the 325

Games section of this website and open up Ensemble Building Activities.)

2. Decide as a group what kind of show you want to put on. If the kids are younger, youmay decide on a theme and present it to them. (See Show and Camp Themes documentin this section of Drama Notebook).

3. Give the cast options for what to perform. This will vary from show to show, but somebasic ideas include: short scenes; monologues; pantomimes; poems; songs; tableau

stories; dramatic readings; etc.

4. Cast the show. (See How to Cast Your Show document in the Ready to Perform sectionof this website.)

An alternative to having the kids cast themselves is to have everyone inthe workshop try each activity, and then the director picks the groupthat he/she thinks would be the best fit. For example: if the kids worked

on creating original skits about winter during class, and one groups skitwas really funny or interesting, that skit would go in the show. With this

method of casting, every single student gets to play each activity, andthe show creates itself organically. The director just has to make surethat each student is in at least one piece and that no single student orstudents are featured too often.

5. Work with the kids long enough to know if there are going to be any kids who are notquite ready to be in your show. You have already stated behavioral expectations and had

kids sign a kid contract. At this point, if there are any actors who are consistentlydisruptive or who refuse to follow directions, they need to be excused and asked to waituntil next time to try again. This is crucial to the success of your project. In all likelihood,that child will eventually benefit from theater, but he/she needs to be in a moreimmersed situation with perhaps more one-on-oneinteraction, OR he/she needs a few years to mature.Please do not keep a child in your show who is not

ready because it will be at the expense of the other 24kids who are.

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Hold Kid-centered Rehearsals

1. Be sure to have opening and closing rituals for your

rehearsals (See Opening and Closing Rituals in theTeaching Basic Drama section of this website).

2. Spend time bonding your group at the top of

each session.This can be as simple as passing atalking stick around the circle and doing a feelingscheck-in. Each player offers one word describing how

they are feeling at that moment. This nurturing and trust-building time is invaluable, as itcreates a feeling of connectedness within your group. If you have chosen to work with amanageable number of actors and have allowed for plenty of time to create your show,you will have the time to do these very rich, rewarding activities.

3. Alternate play rehearsal with skill-building games and set/prop building projects.

4. Stage your show so that everyone is onstage the entire time! If you are working with agroup of 25 kids, you may choose to put on two shows of twelve kids. If you read theShows for Kids to Perform lesson plan, youll find a menagerie of ensemble shows whereall the kids are onstage at once. This keeps your cast members engaged the entire time,and gives them a feeling of fulfillment that they didnt just have one little walk-on line.Even if they only have one solo line, they will likely have many ensemble lines, and arepart of tableaus and movement pieces throughout the show.

5. Only rehearse as long as the kids are into it. If you have removed any repeatedly

disruptive kids, this could be a good long time!

Stay in Communication with Parents

1. Send regular short notes home to families updating them on your process of workingwith the kids and the progress of the show. This reinforces the idea that you are takingkids on a journey, rather than focusing on a destination. It also helps guide parents into

thinking about the overall effect on their young actor, not just how he/she performed onthe final day.

2. Send home activities for the kids to try with their families. Use any number of games youcan find in the 325 Games section of this site. Ive received many letters of thanks for

bringing families together without the TV.

3. Ask families for certain items, or specific help, such as bringing pizza to dress rehearsal.

This reinforces the idea that it is a show put on for our village, by our village.4. Keep reminding parents and friends of the players about the performance so that

everyone can make room in their busy lives to come support the players.

5. Have the students make hand-made invitations for their parents, relatives and friends aweek before the show. Invite families to bring treats for a celebration after the show.

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Honor Everyone

1.

Make simple programs that list the entire cast and those who assisted you in any way.(An example of a program is included here in this section of the website.)

2. Give a curtain speech before your show in which you talk a bit about who you are andwhy you chose to direct this show. Say a little about what it was like working with theactors. Thank everyone who helped create the show. Remind everyone that the kidscreated everything themselves and how proud you are of what theyve accomplished.

3. Afterward, invite parents to stay and have cookies and to also help tear down by takinghome parts of the set/props as souvenirs!

4. Thank yourself.When you put on a show this way, it doesnt matter if everything goes

perfectly. In fact, the most charming parts of a show are often the mistakes and thesimplicity. Parents dont care about rhinestones and sparkle. *They care about how muchyou love their kids and how much you helped them. Most humans have a tendency to

beat themselves up over little things. Please do not do this right after the show. Parentsand kids are going to want to come over and hug you and tell you all kinds of nicethings. If youre too busy obsessing over a missed cue that happened a half an hour ago,

you will miss all of the delightful good energy these people want to share with you. Youcan think about what you learned from the experience later. In the moments after theshow, just relax and let parents and kids thank you.

*Unless you are in a school environment in which appearances are more important than anyactual benefit to the students. In that case, I would suggest you look for work elsewhere,because thats not what theatre is all about.

Keep reading for ideas on what kinds of shows to perform and how to do it!

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Examples of Themes

This list is virtually endless, but here are a ton of ideas in no particular order to get you started.

Remember, that the theme is simply the overall concept for the show. Next, Ill give you a list of

ways to dramatize your theme!

LoveBeatrix Potter

FearFriendshipShel Silverstein

Dr. SeussWarAncient GreeceBugsMonsters and Nightmares

Circus

Fairy TalesShakespeareBullyingFablesWild, Wild WestEdgar Allen PoeWinterStories from Around the WorldTall TalesFamily

RecyclingWhen I Grow UpOuter Space

InventorsVaudeville

PuppetsRacismVillages

SuperheroesTrickster TalesThe RenaissanceSeven Wonders of the WorldMother Goose

Native Americans/TribesBarnyard

PiratesEqualityMyths and LegendsTime TravelersUnder the SeaCommunity

StorytellersLeadershipEgyptian TalesDesert Island

MagicSafari AdventuresRock StarsNews BroadcastAt the Zoo

Celebrating our DifferencesWealth

ExplorersMad ScienceWitches and Wizards

AtlantisKids do ImprovGlobal Warming

The White HouseOlympicsAmazing Talent ShowFreedomGhost Stories

SeasonsVikings

Famous ArtistsResponsibilityKids in the CityLost at SeaTechnology vs. RealityOur EldersShort Stories and plays of Roald DahlWeatherIn the Future

Stuff we Made UpMythical CreaturesHow wed Change the World

HealthCelebrations around the World

The RainforestBraggingHistory Makers

Dinosaurs

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What to Perform?

Below is a list of ideas for things to perform. Each one can be adapted to fit the theme of your

show. There are ideas for independent performances as well as small group and whole group

pieces.

MonologuesAsk if any of the students are already familiar with monologues. Explain that a monologue is a

speech given by one character. A monologue allows an audience to learn about a charactersinner life in a short period of time. It tells a story within a story, and has its own beginning,middle and end and a main conflict with high stakes. A monologue usually happens at a point in

a play when a character needs to share his/her perspective. It usually heightens the dramaticaction because the character reveals internal tension.

Here are the steps to writing monologues for your show:

Identify Potential Characters

Talk about your theme. Are there interesting characters connected to yourtheme? If so, have a group brainstorm and write down all of the relatedcharacters they can think of.

Narrow it Down to the Strongest CharactersAsk the students to identify the characters who are most likely to havesomething interesting to say and put those on a shorter list.

Brainstorm Main ConflictAsk the students to think about the most exciting thing that happens to each

character. Have them think about problems or challenges that the charactersface, and identify the key moments where the characters make decisions or takeaction to change their fate.

Get in Their Heads

Ask the students to tell you what they think that the character is feeling as theygo through a crisis or face a problem. This is really the moment that the studentscan use to create a one-minute stream-of-thought. Take it one step further and

have kids imagine that the character reveals some surprising information aboutwhat the character is feeling as he/she goes through the crisis, something wewould not expect to hear! This is the essence of a good monologue. In themoment the character faces a crisis, he/she surprises us.

Come up with Opening LinesImpress upon students that the opening line is important to the success of the

monologue. Share some examples of strong opening lines, such as:

I never thought Id wind up here, but here I am. It all started whenShe kept calling me stupid. Over and over until I just couldnt stand it anymore.I wish I could take it all back

Ive never been more scared than I was that night and when I tell you whathappened, youll understand why.

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Give examples of weak opening lines too:

My name is John and I was born on December 21st, 1904.I guess I should start at the beginning.The dictionary defines bravery as

Have the class brainstorm a list of strong opening lines for the characters youve

chosen.

Invite Students to Choose a Character and Write a MonologueThis can be a homework activity. Invite anyone who would like to write amonologue to choose a character to dramatize during the next rehearsal or classmeeting. Remind students that they need to incorporate the crisis and surpriseelements that were brainstormed by the class.

PoemsHave the kids brainstorm a list of different types of poems, such as: limericks; haiku; free verse;rhyming; song lyrics; etc. Talk about the different tones of the different types of poems, and then

ask kids to think about the theme. Ask, What kind of mood is our show going to have? Whatkind of poetry do you think goes best with that mood? It may be that many types of poems are

a good fit, but its good to point out that its important to choose pieces that actually fit the toneof the show. For instance, if you are putting on a show about ending war, you probably wouldntput in a humorous limerick. You may choose the lyrics to a John Lennon song instead.

Find PoemsAfter the tone is decided, invite students (as homework) to either write or find

poems that they believe would enhance the show.

Select the Most Compelling PiecesDuring the next rehearsal, have students read their poems out loud and have thegroup decide which ones really stood out as good for the show. Remind students

who were not chosen that there will be plenty of other opportunities to perform!

Decide how to Perform the PoemsRather than having one student stand center stage and recite his/her piece, askthe group to think about creative ways of presenting each poem. For example,some poems lend themselves to being read by a pair of actors, giving the piecean almost echo effect. Other pieces may be performed by a whole group ofkids, each actor saying one word as the words of the poem float between them.Some poems can be sung, chanted, or recited in unison by a larger group; andsome poems lend themselves particularly well to adding music or movement.Encourage the kids to think of creative ways to perform the selected poems.

SongsInvite the kids to consider their theme, and to think about what kind of music would be

appropriate.

Ask!

If the theme were turned into music, what would it sound like? Fast?

Slow? Classical? Country? Does the theme involve a time period, such as: the middle-ages; modern

times; the future? What kind of music was played during that time?

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What kind of instruments did people play?

Is there music already in existence that we could use for our show? (Ifthe group thinks there is, invite students to find some music ashomework to share with the cast during the next rehearsal.)

If we wrote our own songs, what would they be about? Is there a prominent character in our theme who we could write a song

about? An event? A phenomenon?

After the group brainstorm, allow the kids who are interested most in the music component to

start writing songs or researching music to go with the show. Students may work in small groupsor pairs if they prefer.

Moving Slide ShowsA moving slide show is a series of tableaus (or frozen pictures) that tell a story. Here is a link toan instructional video on creating a human slide showhttp://vimeo.com/36767443

This technique can work with virtually any theme and any number of players. Moving tableausset to music, with narration can be a great opener for a themed show. Coach kids to be asexpressive as possible with their bodies and faces! Make sure that someone narratesthe images

as they move along. Decide as a group how the images will transition. There is an example in thevideo above, but players may also want the narrator to name the image, then count down fromfive as the actors take their positions.

For a story-based theme, all you need to do is to break down a story into five frozen images.Some stories may require a different number of images, so this is not a hard and fast rule.

Here is an outline for depicting a story:

Slide One

Powerful image that tells the beginning of the story.Slide Two

Something happens that changes everything.Slide ThreeComplications arise.

Slide FourCharacters solve the problem.Slide FiveHow it all works out.

For example, lets take the story Hansel and Gretel:

Slide OneTired and hungry, Hansel and Gretel are lost in the woods, while the parentswho abandoned them are sneaking away.

Slide TwoThey come upon a house made of gingerbread, a nice looking old lady beckonsthem inside.Slide ThreeHansel is locked up; the witch is getting the oven ready and Gretel is terrified.Slide Four

Gretel pushes the witch into the oven.Slide FiveHansel and Gretel sit down to enjoy a great feast.

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Moving slide shows tend to work best with stories, but they can be applied to subjects or topicsas well. This entails a different structure that can be tailored to the theme.

For example, if your theme is seasons, your slide show may look like this:

Slide One-WinterKids sled down hills, build snow men, ice-skate and have snowball fights.ORStudents become a winter forest; trees laden with snow; rabbits searching forfood; and snowy owls perched in the branches.

Slide Two-SpringKids play baseball, hunt for Easter eggs, pick flowers and play hop-scotch.ORStudents become: flowering trees in an orchard; robins pulling worms from theearth; baby chicks hatching; flowers springing from the ground.

Slide Three-Summer

Kids swim in the ocean, sunbathe, fly kites, build sandcastles, eat ice creamcones.OR

Students become: trees laden with fruit; the sun burning hot in the sky; beesbuzzing from flower to flower; butterflies floating above a field.

Slide Four-FallKids rake leaves, play football, go trick-or-treating, carve pumpkins.ORKids become: trees that are withering and dropping their leaves; squirrelsgathering nuts; mice scurrying about in the fields; hawks soaring above,

searching for mice.

Skits/ScenesIf your theme involves characters, invite the students to identify the key people related to thetheme.

For non-fiction/historical characters:

Make a list of the important people related to the theme.

Identify key moments in their lives, particularly moments that involve conflict.

Ask!

Who are the important characters in this scene? What does each character want?

Where does this scene take place?

When does this scene take place? Are there any famous quotes related to this scene?

Why is this scene important, or how does it relate to us today?

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For fictional characters:

Make a list of the potential characters related to your theme. Identify situations or problems that the characters could face.

Create some initial ideas for interesting scenes.

Ask!

What kind of personality traits does this character usually have?

What kinds of situations could he/she be in?

What does this kind of character usually want? Does this character have any flaws?

How could their flaws hold them back from getting what they want?

What strengths does this type of character usually have? How could their strengths help them achieve their goals?

If your theme centers on history, an event, or a concept, identify the central ideas youd like toconvey.

Create a list of the most important information that youd like to include in your

show. Think about ways to dramatize the information in order to make it more interesting.

For example, if your theme is independence and you wanted to include theAmerican Declaration of Independence, the cast could come up with a scene aboutthe signing of the document, complete with interesting dialogue.

Ask!

Are there any interesting characters connected to the event/theme?

What are the most interesting events surrounding our theme?

Within those events, what are the most compelling moments?

How does this event/concept impact or relate to us today?

Divide players into small groups and give them a few minutes to create and rehearse their

scenes. (Each group could work on the same scene, or each group could choose a differentscene.) Finally, invite the groups to perform their scenes for each other. As a cast, decide whichscenes would be the most interesting to include in the show. Invite the cast to give feedback on

ways to improve the scene. This can include: adding music or narration; creating props thatsupport the action; working on a more powerful beginning or ending; etc.

An example:if you are working on a circus theme, one group could choose to create ascene or skit involving the ringmaster. Ringmasters announce each act as they come on,

comment on the action taking place in the ring to heighten the experience of theaudience, or fill time in-between acts with jokes and entertainment. Problems could ariseif no one enters the ring after he proudly announces the act or if an act that is supposed

to be exciting is actually falling apart.

Scene Idea-A Bad Day for the RingmasterThe ringmaster announces that the Great Daphne is about to burst into the tent riding anelephant. He boasts of Daphnes beauty, and her command of the beast! She does notenter. He keeps going, improvising more exaggerations of how well shes trained theelephant. Still nothing. He shouts an even more wild description toward the entrance ofthe tent. Silence. Suddenly a sad-faced clown enters the tent, scurries over to the

ringmaster and whispers something into his ear. What do you mean, he wont move!

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the ringmaster blurts out. Realizing his mistake, he covers, Ladies and

gentlemenweve decided to save the best for last! Id now like to turn your attention tothe other end of the tent. Brace yourselves for the entrance of the King of the jungle,under the command of the Mighty Duke Main! No one enters. I said, the King of theJungle! Still nothing. Oh for Petes sake, I quit. He tosses his top hat in the sawdustand storms off.

Stories Based on a ThemeHere are the steps to creating a performance based on a story:

1. Arrange students in small groups and pose a question that relates to the theme. For

example, if your theme is bullying, you may ask, Think about a time when you felt

bullied, or saw someone else be bullied.

2. Give students a few minutes to think of their story.

3. Have kids share their stories. Give each teller two minutes to tell his/her story as

descriptively as possible.

4. Instruct the listeners to listen as attentively as they can, paying attention to details

and images that stood out.

5. After everyone has shared his/her story, the group must decide which story was the

most interesting, and lends itself to performance. (Actors cannot vote for their own

story.)

6. Invite students to spend fifteen minutes deciding how they will act out the story.

(Who will be the narrator, who will play each character, etc.?)

7. Students perform their stories for each other at the end of class and audience

players give constructive feedback.

8. The class votes on which story (if any) they would like to share on performance day,

and the groups cannot vote for their own story.

9. After the stories have been chosen, give the players the task of adding elements to

their scene such as: more powerful opening or ending; a quote from a famous

person that relates to the story; abstract or interpretive movement.

Famous Quotes or SayingsIn class, or as homework, invite your group to gather famous quotes, sayings or proverbs that

relate to your theme. This works best for more general themes such as: love; courage; seasons;astronomy; etc. For example, if your theme is fear, your group could come up with a collection

of quotes related to being afraid.

Here are some ways to work quotes or sayings into your show:

BookendsStart and finish your show with powerful quotes related to the theme.

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Bridges

Have actors perform quotes/sayings between each piece to tie everythingtogether.

FinaleEnd your show with a whole-group performance of powerful quotes related to

the theme. This could be staged in a variety of ways. Actors could be assembledin a tableau onstage, coming to life one at a time to recite their quote or part ofa quote. One player could recite the quotes as the entire group onstage shiftsfrom one tableau about the theme to another. Players could be assembled inmini-tableau groups scattered about the stage. Each group recites a quote whileforming a tableau or a visual picture that reflects the concept.

Story Gifts

Divide students into pairs by some organic means such as find someone who has the same color

eyes. If there are students who cant match up at the end, thats okay. Blue can go with brown.

If there is one odd person, have the class assistant be his/her partner.

Invite kids to sit down with their partner and take turns telling a story that relates to your showstheme. It can be something that happened to them or a story that they know. Let the storytellers

know that their job is to tell their stories with as much detail as possible. The listeners must

listen very attentively.

After a few minutes, ring a bell and switch roles.

Once both partners have had a chance to tell a story, let them know they will have five minutes

to create a story gift for the other person.

How to Make a Story Gift

Each actor acts out the story he/she heard by creating:

a starting pose that has to do with the beginning of his partners story

one movement that has three parts-this movement shows something that

happened during the story

one line of dialogue that stood out

a last pose that has to do with the ending of the story

You may find it helpful to write down the Story Gift elements at the front of the room.

NOTES: It is helpful to demonstrate this yourself before sharing it with the class. Thethree-part movement and the line of dialogue may be repeated as many times as

necessary. The end result is a little like moving art. There are no right or wrong answers.

Try this yourself with a friend beforehand if it feels confusing, but its very simple. It is

the essence of the story condensed down to frozen images, movements and a few

words.

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Actors share their Story Gifts with each other. They may also choose to share with the

class.

Ask:

Which story gifts stood out? Why?

How did it feel to have your story told back to you in this way?

What was your intention when you were making a story gift for the other person?

What was most important to you when you were telling it?

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