Drama Games for Exploring Shakespeare E-Book

Alanna Beeken

• Herausgeber: Nick Hern Books
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 180

Beschreibung

This dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book, part of the bestselling Drama Games series, offers dozens of games to help bring Shakespeare's plays to life in the classroom or rehearsal room – making them fun and accessible to actors, students, directors and teachers. Inspired by the work of leading cultural education charity Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation, this book offers a wide range of activities to tackle every aspect of the plays, including: - Warm-ups and General Games to establish an atmosphere of focus, connection, support and fun – all the conditions you need for a successful session - Story and World-building to explore the events, environments and societies of Shakespeare's plays - Introducing Shakespeare's Language to break down the text and allow participants to uncover the meaning through play and creative discovery - Activating Shakespeare's Language to liberate actors from the script through movement and voice-work - Character to help develop compelling, believable performances by investigating motivations and relationships, circumstances and emotions - Staging to help empower every member of the ensemble in moments that might be challenging to stage – such as big movement sequences, fights and battles and intimate love scenes Whatever your reason for exploring Shakespeare – whether you're directing a production, teaching a set text, or introducing his work to young people for the first time – this essential resource will give you the tools you need to demystify the language, take ownership of the plays, and find a connection to the words that resonates in our own time. 'This wonderful book will be an invaluable resource for anyone approaching the teaching or directing of Shakespeare, whether novice or veteran' Paterson Joseph, from his Foreword

Leseprobe

CONTENTS

Foreword by Paterson Joseph

Introduction

How to Use This Book

Notes and Glossary

Acknowledgements

Part One: WARM-UPS AND GENERAL GAMES

1. I Am…

2. The King’s Coming

3. The Clapping Game

4. Who’s the Leader?

5. Shakespeare Sign Names

6. Zounds!

7. Clap, Stamp, Shimmy

8. Venga Venga

9. Ban Ban Caliban

10. Character Swaps

11. Who’s the Boss?

12. Can I Stay at Your House?

Part Two: STORY AND WORLD-BUILDING

13. Round Here We…

14. Ten Events

15. Moodboarding

16. See It, Be It

17. Character Cards

18. Story Bag

19. Once There Was…

20. Tell It, See It, Map It

Part Three: INTRODUCING SHAKESPEARE’S LANGUAGE

21. Double Double

22. Diddly Dee

23. One-line Express

24. Tactics Circle

25. One Word Add

26. Iambic Pentameter Made Easy

27. Don’t Stress, Just Stress

Part Four: ACTIVATING SHAKESPEARE’S LANGUAGE

28. Mapping

29. Chair Swap

30. Punctuation Walk

31. Sentence Types

32. Antithesis

33. Most Rare Vision

34. Image-Makers

35. Ghosting

36. This is for You

37. Yes It Is, No It Isn’t

38. Punching the Line

39. Improv Layers

40. Barriers and Posse

41. Last Word Repeat

Part Five: CHARACTER

42. Mystery Party Guest

43. Archetypes

44. Wants and Fears

45. Leading with Body Parts

46. Role on the Wall

47. Floor Surfaces

48. Shakespeare Zoo

49. Shakespeare Status Games

50. The Court Makes the King

51. Reaction Box

52. Oh Yes!

53. Strings

54. Character Profiles

Part Six: STAGING

55. The Game of Power

56. Attract/Repel

57. Stop-Go

58. Three Gestures

59. Mirroring

60. Round, Across, Under

61. Join the Dots

62. Flock of Birds

63. Shakespeare’s Footsteps

64. Cat and Mouse

65. Sound Orchestra

66. Hot Spots

Appendices

Ten-point Summary: Macbeth

Character Cards: Macbeth

Index of Games

Skills

Alphabetical List

About the Authors

Copyright Information

FOREWORD

The first time I ever directed a play was for a television documentary called My Shakespeare. I had been asked to tackle one of Shakespeare’s plays in a place I knew well from my past. I chose Romeo and Juliet, and I controversially chose Harlesden in North West London, an area most known at the time for poverty, crime and social deprivation. As with almost all media assessments of places that are supposedly ‘notorious’, that picture, I knew, was altogether wrong, based largely on easy clichés and old tropes of urban degeneration.

And, true enough, what I found in those four short weeks of rehearsals and performance was quite the opposite of the myth. My band of eighteen brothers and sisters, all first-time actors and, most challengingly, first-time Shakespeareans, came through the period of introduction, rehearsal and eventual performance of Shakespeare at RADA with flying colours; as easily witnessed by everyone who watched the Channel 4 broadcast in 2005. This group of eighteen- to fifty-two-year-olds blew many people away with their commitment and understanding of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers and the world they inhabited; transposed to their own area and made real for them because it spoke to the issues of division and love that mirrored their lives. It was an experience that transformed a number of lives, including my own.

One of the missing ingredients at that time, however, was a blueprint for attempting what was an almost impossible task, freighted with many traps and snares. To teach people who were mildly terrified, a little hostile and deeply underconfident about their ability to understand, learn and perform the works of the world’s most important and influential playwright, that Shakespeare was for them, too. What I would have dearly loved was a book like Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation’s Drama Games for Exploring Shakespeare.

This wonderful book will be an invaluable resource for anyone approaching the teaching or directing of Shakespeare, whether novice or veteran. Whenever I’ve tried to introduce Shakespeare to a new group of people, I get out a file of loose leaves of paper with various exercises, notes and modifications. At last, here is a ready-made resource in one helpful package. CSSF manages to make the introduction of Shakespearean language and attitudes, stagecraft and themes seem effortless and simple for anyone. With the easy-to-read, at-a-glance format, CSSF has provided a survival manual for any teacher or director attempting to coax a shy group into letting rip on some four-hundred-year-old text. Quite the feat.

I can readily imagine using these easy-to-follow exercises in a setting that requires a lot of flexibility due to the players’ age and ability. It can be tricky getting children engaged in Shakespeare, for example, if they feel the language is beyond them; this book neatly swerves this potential obstacle by making the use of everyday phrases sound as if Shakespeare were our contemporary.

The sections where we are given the aim of each game is brilliant. So often what is already a daunting and seemingly mysterious world is made more, not less, scary by exercises that seem complex and equally obscure. That is not the case with this book. CSSF’s approach will allow anyone to tackle Shakespeare’s myriad themes and phrases, poetry and prose as easily as reeling off a list of things you had for breakfast. Iambic pentameter, caesuras, thought changes during long speeches and even the complex physicality of stagecraft, are so woven into these games that players will have mastered much of these previously alien concepts before they are even aware. And they’ll be laughing and most importantly playing while they do this. ‘The play’s the thing…’: an invaluable lesson that my rather glamorous mentor on My Shakespeare, Baz Luhrmann, reminded me during a tricky section of that rehearsal process.

Some exercises will make for hilarity, some will move us with their simple truth, but all of them will help ignite the imagination of the players, no matter what their ability and experience. I wish I had this to hand when I was first teaching students about the accessibility of William Shakespeare’s stories and words. But, better late than never, in my case.

Paterson Joseph London, 2023

Paterson Joseph is a Patron of Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation and is well known for his Shakespearean roles, including Troilus in Troilus and Cressida, Oswald in King Lear, Dumaine in Love’s Labour’s Lost and Brutus in Julius Caesar, all for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Paterson’s theatre credits include Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (The Old Vic), Tshembe Matoseh in Les Blancs (Best Actor, Barclays TMA Awards, Royal Exchange, Manchester) and Brutus Jones in The Emperor Jones (National Theatre). His TV and film credits include Peep Show (Objective), Green Wing (BAFTA Winner Pioneer Award, Talkback), Noughts + Crosses and Vigil (BBC), The Beach (Figment Films) and Wonka (Warner Bros).

Paterson is the Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University and his debut novel, The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho (Dialogue), was published in 2022.

INTRODUCTION

Shakespeare sticks. His words are more than four hundred years old, but his stories continue to be told on stages and in classrooms, on screens and in books across the world. No matter the time and distance between us and when he was writing, Shakespeare’s work says something about the human condition that keeps us coming back for more. He wrote characters grappling with life’s biggest questions and the myriad complications of relationships, emotion and power. He created language so beautiful, funny and interesting that it has been assimilated into our everyday speech – when is the last time you were in a pickle? Or on a wild goose chase? What about swaggering, puking or ranting? Since he first put quill to page, in every era, all over the world, Shakespeare sticks.

‘They started to love the Shakespearean language – lines like, “turn hell-hound turn” and “Out damn spot.” I think they liked that the language is a bit naughty. They enjoyed the way Shakespeare played with the language.’ Laura Hodgkiss, teacher, St Anne’s Catholic Primary School, Knowsley

Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation

Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation (CSSF) uses these iconic stories and brilliant words to inspire new generations. We are a cultural education charity that uses Shakespeare to empower children of all abilities through workshops, classroom resources and the unique opportunity to perform on a professional stage. CSSF runs the world’s largest youth drama festival, the annual Shakespeare Schools Festival. Founded in 2000 with just eight schools, we have grown to work with hundreds of schools across the UK each year, training teachers to direct abridged Shakespeare plays for performance in a professional theatre.

Shakespeare is an inspiration and an icon, but he is not the whole point of what we do. We use Shakespeare’s work as a vehicle for fostering the skills needed to survive in an ever-changing world – communication, resilience, confidence and teamwork. In my eight years of working with the charity I have borne witness to hundreds of young lives transformed by the challenge of performing Shakespeare.

‘Our school is situated in a hard community. There is gun crime, knife crime and problems with drugs. Children’s home lives can be chaotic and many of them see quite negative things. By taking part in the festival, children realise they can achieve. They aspire to greater things and have the ambition to pursue their dreams. The confidence and communication skills they gain equip them for life in the big wide world.’ Joanna Mously, head teacher, Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Primary School, Kirkby

Our Principles

Decades of working with students and teachers of every background and ability has shaped CSSF’s approach to theatremaking and learning, and given us a fantastic catalogue of games. We know how to use Shakespeare to inspire and challenge everyone. These are our guiding principles, which underpin the design of the games and exercises in this book:

1. Shakespeare is for everyone

‘All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.’ As You Like It

At the heart of our philosophy is our belief that Shakespeare is for everyone, no matter their age or culture, background or ability. In his time, Shakespeare wrote for all of society – his casts of characters range from commoner to king, and his words worked as well (if not better) for the groundlings at the actors’ feet as for the lords and ladies in the seats. CSSF has reimagined this spirit of inclusion for the modern age, working with a diverse array of people including those with profound physical and educational needs.

‘For children with life-limiting conditions at our school, every second counts. We want to give them every drop of joy that life can bring. The fact that they are up on a professional stage performing Shakespeare is incredible. You see their faces light up. It’s something that most parents would never have dreamed possible.’ Gail Pascoe, teacher, Knockevin Special School, County Down

Often the most inspired and creative choices in performance are born from the challenges faced in the rehearsal room – what could be perceived as a disability inspires a brilliant piece of stagecraft, or a very large cast creates a fantastic ensemble world together. I have lost count of the nights I have sat in the CSSF audience, captivated by a piece of theatre that was fantastic because of (and not in spite of) the challenges faced by its actors. If you have any doubts about your actors’ ability to tackle Shakespeare, or indeed your own, use this book to banish them. Shakespeare gives us the opportunity to surprise ourselves and everyone else with what we can do.

2. The power of play and kinaesthetic learning

‘Joy’s soul lies in the doing’ Troilus and Cressida

Shakespeare’s stories resonate with young people (and everyone) because they are playful, magical, funny and silly, as well as moving and thought-provoking. So many are turned off Shakespeare because they first encounter his work on the page, silently read and never spoken. Shakespeare wrote for actors and audiences, not scholars and academics, and his words were meant to be spoken aloud and played with. His spirit of mischief and play dances through even his most serious tragedies – and play is the most important part of our process too. Every game in this book puts fun first, and Shakespeare naturally follows.

‘I never knew that I could do Shakespeare! It was so fun, I enjoyed the warm-ups and dancing to music. But my favourite part was performing on stage. Now I am more confident to try something new.’ Alesha, 9, student, Old Catton Junior School, Norwich

Years of working with actors of all ages has showed us that most people learn best through doing. Moving, speaking and playing with Shakespeare brings it to life in a way that sitting at a desk, struggling to read the unfamiliar and complex language never could. Every game in this book is designed to be played actively, making use of space and bodies and learning from the outside in.

3. Shared ownership

‘Now let’s go hand in hand, not one before another.’ The Comedy of Errors

Our years of trial and error in classrooms and on stages have led us to our own definition of a director – we see a director as a facilitator. This is how we hope you will approach these games too. A facilitator will inspire and harness the creativity of their actors, rather than create a show to serve their own vision. These games are designed in this spirit – to create a sense of group ownership and ignite the imaginations of the participants.

‘Some people say Shakespeare is challenging. I say, life in general is challenging. If you don’t give young people a challenge, how are they ever going to learn? Even if you find it difficult, even if you make a mistake, you’re always learning. All the big themes – death and love and conflict – are there. There’s no point hiding them from young people. We’re going to discover them anyway for ourselves, so you might as well give us the chance to think them through in a safe space.’ Ibrahim, 16, student, Morpeth School, Bethnal Green

We want young people to feel that Shakespeare belongs to them, and to find a connection to the words that resonates for them in their own time. This means that we are often irreverent in our approach, cutting up scripts (sometimes literally), experimenting with language and playing with characters and ideas. Many of our games focus on this, mining the script for connections to the players and seeking opportunities to inspire them.

Who is This Book For?

The games in this book make Shakespeare fun and accessible for anyone, no matter their knowledge of Shakespeare. At Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation, we work with teachers and students aged 8 to 18, but these games can be used and adapted for most ages and abilities. You might be a director or a teacher, a student or an actor. You might be tackling Shakespeare for the very first time or be well-versed in his works. You could use this book to support your direction of a Shakespeare play, bringing playfulness to your rehearsal room, or you might be an English teacher wanting to bring the text to life in the classroom.

CSSF trains directors and we have structured the book as though you are working towards a performance. If you are directing a Shakespeare play, with a cast of any age and experience, we hope it will give you a structure and momentum for your rehearsals.

However, you could just as easily pick it up and flick through it for one-off games to enliven a lesson, support a monologue or introduce Shakespeare to your drama club. We have tried to make our games as inclusive as possible, and in some cases have suggested variations or extensions to suit different ages and abilities. However, every company is unique, and you know your actors best, so feel free to find your own adaptations.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

The games are grouped into the following chapters:

•  Warm-ups and General Games are the perfect place to start a session or rehearsal process. They will create all the conditions you need to establish a way of working and playing together.

•  Story and World-building includes games to explore the events, environments and societies of Shakespeare’s plays.

•  Introducing Shakespeare’s Language will help you break down the text, supporting players to find their own connection to the words.

•  Activating Shakespeare’s Language goes further, to liberate actors from the script and connect the words on the page to their movement and voice.

•  Character illuminates actors’ choices to develop interesting, believable performances.

•  Staging focuses on big ensemble moments that might be challenging to stage, offering simple games that empower every performer.

Within each section, the games build on each other, and each section follows naturally from the last. However, we advocate a cyclical rehearsal process with experimentation and play at its core, so don’t feel bound by the structure that we have chosen. You can dip in and out of sections as you need, and we recommend returning regularly to the general games.

You do not need to be a Shakespeare expert to facilitate the games here, but some of them will require a bit of preparation. Even if you don’t have time to read a whole play, knowing the story you are focusing on, understanding your characters, remembering some key lines and preparing some resources will help you make the most of the games. We will let you know when and how much preparation is necessary. Each game in this book also comes with a panel including the minimum number of players, the youngest age that we feel can play the game, the length of time it might take to play, and the key skills it explores. All of this information is offered as a guide only; you know your group and what is appropriate for them.

We encourage you to approach every game in a spirit of play and collaboration. Our work is non-competitive, and we have carried that principle through in the design of our rehearsal games. Where the games have an element of competition, we encourage you to harness this spirit for positive ends and not focus on winning and losing. It may be helpful to facilitate a discussion about the meaning of collaboration and ensemble work.

NOTES AND GLOSSARY

Authorship – We do not claim singular ownership over the games in these pages. CSSF is a melting pot of ideas, we find inspiration in theatremakers, teachers, partners, and most of all in the young people we work with. This is a recipe book of our most effective Shakespeare-inspired games, based on years of experience and with thanks to countless advisers and collaborators. Some games are well-known, but have been given a Shakespearean twist.

Safety – Where a game can get lively or physically risky, please pass these cautions on to your players. Acting can make you feel vulnerable, particularly when we ask players to connect emotionally with characters and stories. We encourage you to build focus slowly and to encourage incremental growth in trust and engagement from your players.

Active audiences – Some games are designed to be played by a few specific actors rather than everyone, but the whole cast can be involved as an active audience. This means an audience that is watching critically, looking for things they like and ways to improve the performance. We encourage you to introduce this concept early on and use your cast as assistant directors. This will deepen their connection to the text and take some pressure off you as a solo facilitator.

Turning the dial up – This means the players making their voice or actions bigger, usually on a scale of 1 to 10.

World of the play – This refers to the particular setting and circumstances of the play that you are working with in any specific game. This often combines place (Verona, the English court, a forest at night) with cultural or social context (feuding families, loyalty to the king, the potential for magic). Some details are provided by Shakespeare, while others are devised, changed or updated by you and your company.

Ensemble – From the French, this word translates to ‘together’. We use it to mean your whole cast or a large number of players working well together as one team.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CSSF’s practice is a melting pot of contemporary rehearsal-room approaches, and we have been lucky enough to work, consult or brush shoulders with a host of magnificent directors and facilitators over the years.

The names below are those who have most closely created, tested and honed our content over the last decade. They are the tip of the iceberg; beyond them, thanks are due to everyone who has inspired us over the years, whose names would fill many more pages of this book.

Tim Allsop

Justin Audibert

Pete Collins

Louise de Froment

Natalie Diddams

Francesca Ellis

Rachel Ellis

Dominic Fitch

Jordana Golbourn

Guy Hargreaves

Lucy Hind

Kate Hughes

Lucy Kerbel

Iain Jones

Amy Leach

John Lightbody

Lucianne McEvoy Collins

Rebecca Manley

Claire Meade

Nicola Miles-Wildin

Brian Mullin

Maddie Short

Joanne Skapinker

Rich Weinman

PART ONE

WARM-UPS AND GENERAL GAMES

‘The play’s the thing’Hamlet