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Archive for March, 2009

100+ Idea for Drama by Anna Scher & Charles Verrall

Friday, March 27th, 2009

100plus

Product Description:

A source of drama ideas from the directors of the Anna Scher Children’s Theatre, Islington.

Editorial Review:

I was bought this book as a Christmas present one year from a friend and fellow drama teacher. It’s a great book with a “wealth of lively and practical suggestions for all teachers, producers and anyone engaged in drama at any age.”

The introduction is particularly useful for new drama teachers as it gives advice on discipline, high standards and the structure of a drama lesson. It then has separate chapters on Games, The Spoken Word, Warm-ups Mime and Movement, Characters Props and Costumes, Situation Drama and Improvised Plays, and Technique.

I found the technique section to be extremley useful when preparing my students for their Trinity Guildhall examinations.

To purchase this book from Amazon.com or co.uk, click below:



				Tags: Body Language, confidence, Creativity, drama, Drama Games, Drama Rules, Education, exercise, Facial Expression, games, Intro Games, Mime, movement, Performing arts, Spoken Word, theatre, Warm Up Games
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				Theatre Games and Beyond: A Creative Approach for Performers by Amiel Schotz
				Friday, March 27th, 2009

				
					Product Description:
A teacher’s handbook of over 140 theatre games designed to stimulate creativity in students of all ages. More than just games, the book is bursting with lively ideas to make a class or workshop a memorable experience. The games progress from Orientation (”Face to Face”, “You and Me”) and Trust (”Catch Me Falling”, “Lead the Blind”) to more advanced games that develop the senses, coordination, and spontaneity. A section on characters and stories builds improvisational acting skills. All of the essential elements of acting and character development are explored. Sample workshops provide a guide for using the games. Anyone working with young (or old) performers in schools, colleges or community theatre will find this book a valuable resource.
Editorial Review:
I have owned this paperback book for a number of years and I find it really useful to dip in and out of when I am in need of a new game or idea. The book is divided up into units, such as Trust, Developing the Senses, and Sensitivity and Communication so it is easy to find something that is relevant. It also provides a useful section of example workshop ideas which bring various sections together. I think this book is particularly good for using various creative acting skills to engage and stimulate the creativity in your students.
“When we play we become personally involved and such involvement is essential to education, for true learning requires the discovery of meaning rather than the mere acquisition of knowledge.”
To purchase this book from Amazon, click below:






				

				Tags: Body Language, confidence, Creativity, drama, Drama Games, Education, exercise, games, Intro Games, Mime, movement, Performing arts, theatre, Warm Up Games
 Posted in Book Reviews and Shop |   2 Comments »

			

				
				Traffic Lights Warm Up Drama Game
				Thursday, March 26th, 2009

				
					
Image via Wikipedia


Traffic Lights is particularly good for your younger students and is a good warm up game in terms of memory and physicality.
Your students should get into a space in the room and walk around as a simple pace.
You then have 3 commands: red, yellow and green.
You simply have to attach a simply movement or action to each colour. For example, green could mean touch your toes, red could mean run on the spot and yellow could mean do 3 star jumps.
Extension: You can obviously make the actions more complicated-they could maybe correspond to a number of dance moves that you plan to use later in the lesson. You can also add more colours if you wish.

				

				Tags: Dance, Dance move, drama, Drama Games, exercise, games, Intro Games, Traffic light, Warm Up Games
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				Stop Go Warm Up Drama Game
				Thursday, March 26th, 2009

				
					



Image via Wikipedia



Stop! Go! is great for a giggle and gets your students warmed up physically and mentally.
Students stand in a space in the room and begin to walk around as at easy pace filling the spaces and not simply following one another and becoming sheep!
When you call out the word ‘Go’ your students must stop still like statues and when you call out the word ‘Stop’ your students must keep walking around the room. When they have got the hang of this, you can add other commands; such as ‘Crouch’ and ‘Stretch.’
You can add as many as you like dependent of age and ability. It’s great for warming up both sides of the brain so they become focused on the next task ahead of them. Plus it’s funny to try and catch them out!

				

				Tags: drama, Drama Games, exercise, Intro Games, mental warm up, movement, Statue, Warm Up Games
 Posted in Warm Up Games |   No Comments »

			

				
				Fruit Salad Drama Game
				Thursday, March 19th, 2009

				
					
Image via Wikipedia


A true favourite!
Students sit on chairs in a circle and each student is given a name of a fruit (banana, apple, pear, orange etc etc.) One student (or teacher) stands in the middle (they don’t have a chair.) They shout out a fruit EG pear. All the ‘pears’ have to swap places with another ‘pear’ and the person in the middle tries to get to a chair. This game can go on forever!
Add an element of surprise by calling out ‘fruit salad’, this is where everyone has to swap places.

				

				Tags: drama, Drama Games, fruit salad, games
 Posted in Intro Games,  Warm Up Games |   No Comments »

			

		
		
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