Physical theater is an approach to the stage that doesn’t start from a scripted play, but uses movement and character interaction to create scenes and stories that come from the actors’ own ideas. By starting from the experience of actually being onstage together, instead of reading through a script, students get a playful introduction to the building blocks of performance and theater. We look at entrances and exits, action and reaction, stillness and rhythm as well as audience engagement and group awareness. We use theater games and exercises to teach performance that uses the full body. Students will learn how to act and communicate in a way that is engaging and goes beyond just delivering lines. This physical approach also develops stage presence, and focus in performance. By improvising and playing together students become experts at listening to each other, paying attention to their scene partners, and staying on their toes. We find that when students learn how to play together, they discover how to write together. Our approach to improv theater lets students use their own imaginations and storytelling muscles to invent scenes and scenarios that they’re excited to perform. Collaboration exercises develop the communication skills to share those ideas with a group and build off of each other’s suggestions to create clear scenes.
