20150102

Improv Drama exercise 2015.1

Write 2 pages of free-writing on a true story. It may be something that happened to you. Or something you heard of. But it should be a true story. It doesn't have to be the whole story. It can be a fragment. Whatever you remember.

Stop when you've filled 2 blank pages. Put your writing aside and close your eyes.

We are leaving our time now, we are leaving our time. And we are going back to the time of our story.

Imagine your self in the story. Perhaps you are not in the story but imagine that you can magically place your self in the scene where the story takes place.

Look around you with your mind's eye. Look for an object that catches your eye. You are doing all this in your imagination, not in our time but in your story. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Just look for an object in your story that calls out to you.

Now look for a gesture. Look around in your story. Is there anyone, perhaps even your self, making a gesture or movement that catches your attention? See the gesture or movement clearly, so that you can repeat it later.

We are leaving your story time now, we are leaving. And we are coming back to our own time. Now open your eyes.

Look around you for an actual object in the room that
a) matches the object in you story, or
b) somehow reminds you of your object through free association, or
c) has absolutely nothing to do with the object in your story.

Pick up the object if you can and see if you can practice the gesture from your story while holding or touching this object. Practice it till it becomes a gesture that you can repeat.

Carefully put the object down somewhere close to you and return to your writing.

Reflect briefly on your writing. Now underline 3 sentences that stand out for you. There is no right and wrong. You are simply playing. Finally, pick a total of 3 words from the 3 sentences and circle them.

Memorize the 3 words.

Share your 3 words, object and gesture in any way you like with the group, one at a time, in the form of an improvised 1 minute performance.

Reflect on the experience. 

May the pulse be with you!

Abhay

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