Activities

REHEARSAL AND CHARACTERS CREATION

Number of participants

5 to 25 participants

Objectives

● To explore and express a range of emotions and characters.
● To encourage creativity and character development.
● To develop skills in improvisation and storytelling.

Where does the activity take place within the process (beginning, middle, end)

End

Duration

75 to 90 minutes

Material needed

Paper
Pens

Preparation

Prepare the room/space so that it is as spacious as it can be, without obstacles.

Step by step description

1. Ask participants to present the plays they worked on.

2. Take a look at the play once from the beginning until the end without stopping it.

3. Ask participants to perform again and while performing, stop each character while doing their activity and ask them the following questions:
“ What does your character do? How does he/she feel? Who is she/he? How does your character feel in this situation – sad, angry, hopeless, confused? What kind of words or phrases can you use to exaggerate it?”

4. Ask participants to play along once again and incorporate these changes, trying to exaggerate the feelings and attitudes in order to become clear what the conflict is.

5. Ask the public (the other group sitting) to give suggestions and reflect on what is happening on stage and how it can be clearer what the conflict is.

6. Once you have finished with one group, do the same with the other or others.

7. Remind participants that characters should be complex and have history themselves (who they are, what they do in life, what needs, hopes and fears they have).

8. Conclude the activity by presenting both plays.

Closing up

You can reflect jointly with the group on this exercise asking the following questions:

● How was it – easy or difficult?
● What was easy/difficult?

Resources

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Comments / hints for facilitators

Be prepared to guide participants and help them develop their characters and interactions, stopping them from time to time and giving instructions.