In chapter 6, “Creating Characters,” you learned how to become many different kinds of animals and people. In this chapter, you can learn how to become objects. Things that aren’t alive, such as furniture and musical instruments, are brought to life in My Morning, Use or Become, and Human Orchestra.
You can also use your imagination to find many different uses for everyday objects when you are acting. The Object Game, Someone Else’s Hands, and Scarves are activities that let you explore objects in new ways.
Becoming objects—sometimes called “object transformation”—and using objects in new ways expands creativity both onstage and offstage.
The tornado in The Wizard of Oz was created by swirling a silk stocking in front of the camera.
In the play You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Snoopy pretends his dog house is a fighting jet plane.
Use your body to create everyday objects. Put them all together for an unusual and interesting scene. This activity works best with a large group, but players in smaller groups can play more than one object.
Talk about the objects in a bedroom, such as furniture, windows, and doors. Each player decides on one object in the bedroom she would like to play. (Larger objects may be played by more than one player.) After everyone has chosen an object, one player goes up to every other player and uses it. For example, if someone is a window, “open up” that person. If someone is the bed, lie down on him or her. Do the same thing with the bathroom, the kitchen, and the living room.
In chapter 11, you’ll find a version of Rapunzel that features an actor playing a radish. On the television show Pee Wee’s Playhouse, characters included Chairy, the talking chair, and Floory, the talking floor.
Once you’ve created and practiced each room, put them all together in a story entitled “My Morning.” Start by having everyone recreate the bedroom objects again. Wake up in your bed with your alarm clock going off. Turn off your alarm clock and gather your clothes for the day. Continue getting ready, but be sure to use all of the objects in the bedroom. Next, go to the bathroom. Everyone quickly recreates his or her object in the bathroom. Look in the mirror and brush your teeth. Take a bath or shower and get dressed. Use all of the objects in the bathroom. Next, go to the kitchen. Everyone quickly recreates his or her object in the kitchen. The storyteller can make breakfast and sit at the kitchen table. Try and use all the kitchen appliances while making breakfast so that everyone has a chance to perform. Finally, go to the living room. Sit on a chair or couch and read a book or listen to music. Use all of the living room objects. Then bring the story of your morning to an end.
Play this game a few times so a couple of players can act out their mornings.
Become an object or use pantomime (see chapter 9) in this fast-paced activity.
Choose one person to be the object caller. Everyone else begins the game by walking around the room. The caller names an object. The walking players have two choices—they may either use the object or become the object. They must do so immediately, without pausing. As soon as everyone is using or has become the object, the caller tells the group to walk around again. After a few seconds, the caller needs to name another object for the other players to use or become.
Continue the activity until everyone has used or become a number of different objects.
Play Partner Use or Become. All the players walk around the room on their own, but when an object is called, each player must immediately match up with a partner. For each pair, one player must become the object and the other one must use it.
In this game, you can become instruments and create a full symphony using only your body and your voice. This game is similar to Conduct a Story.
Choose one person to be the conductor. Everyone else chooses an instrument that he or she will become. Once everyone has selected an imaginary instrument, all the orchestra members gather together. They all must be able to see the conductor; some can stand in back, and others can sit in front.
The conductor begins by warming everyone up. The conductor lifts her arms, and all the players warm up by making the sounds of their instruments, as if they are tuning up real instruments. As each player makes the sound of his instrument, he also moves his body in the way the instrument moves when it is played. When the conductor lowers her arms, everyone must stop tuning up. Now the concert is ready to begin.
The conductor creates a symphony by pointing to different instruments at different times and signaling when the instruments should get louder or softer. The concert continues until the conductor brings it to an end.
You may decide on a song to play before starting the concert, or you can make it up as you go.
Play Partner Human Orchestra. In this game, everyone must choose a partner. In pairs, one player is the instrument while the other is the musician. Play this version at least twice so that each player can act in both roles.
When you look at a hairbrush, do you see a microphone? This competitive game has you using everyday objects in unusual ways.
Choose one person to be the judge. The remaining players divide into two groups, team A and team B. The two teams stand across from each other and turn their backs to the judge. The judge places an everyday object in the middle of the two groups. She then claps her hands to let the two teams know they may turn around.
As soon as they turn around, a player from team A runs to the object and uses it in a way that it is not usually used. For example, if the object is a wooden spoon, he might use it as a guitar. The judge tries to guess how the player is using the object. As soon as the judge guesses correctly, that player runs back to his team, and a player from team B runs to the object. She uses it in a different way, such pretending to brush her teeth with it. As soon as the judge says “toothbrush,” this player runs back to her team. Then team A takes a turn again. The game continues with the same object until one team cannot come up with a new use for the object. When this happens, the other team is declared the winner of that round. Play at least three rounds with three different objects.
Comedy sports involves improvisational teams competing against each other.
In this game, one person is chosen to be the actor, and another person is chosen to be the actor’s hands.
The actor stands in front of a table with various objects on it. He puts his hands behind his back. The other player stands behind him so that she cannot see the table. She extends her arms out so that her arms look like they belong to the actor in front of her.
By working together, they act out a scene using each of the objects on the table. The actor responds with words and facial expressions to whatever the second actor does with her hands. The hands respond to whatever the actor says. For example, if the hands are opening up the newspaper, the actor might say, “I wonder what’s in the news today.” If the actor says, “I’m thirsty,” the hands might reach for the glass of water. The scene can get pretty silly as the hands try to bring the glass of water to the actor’s lips, because the hands cannot see where his lips are.
Continue performing the scene for your audience until each object has been used at least once. Then, let the third player be the actor or the hands while one of the previous players watches.
See how you can use fabric to create characters in this activity.
Every player but one takes a scarf. The one player without a scarf will be the character caller.
To begin, the caller assigns a character to each one of the other players. Each player then uses his or her scarf to become that character. After each player is in character for a few minutes, the caller gives each player another character.
Imagine what aliens would think of Earth objects. This science-fiction game combines object creativity with a little bit of gibberish.
Players stand in a circle and imagine that they are all from the same planet and have come to Earth together to see how earthlings live. A leader puts an everyday Earth object, such as a hairbrush, in the middle of the circle. The aliens take a moment to gaze at the object in awe. Then one alien picks it up and announces, in gibberish (their alien language), what he thinks the earthlings use it for. Then he demonstrates with the objects. In complete agreement, all other aliens repeat the gibberish word he called it and pretend to use one as well. Then the object is passed to the person on his left. She comes up with another possible use for the object. She names it in gibberish and uses it. The others follow suit. The game continues until everyone has created a new word and use for the object.
Here’s a sample of play: Judith, David, and Marta are playing. Judith picks up the hairbrush and calls it a “blooberflash.” David and Marta agree and say, “Ah! A blooberflash.” Judith uses the hairbrush as a microphone and hums into it. The others join her with pretend microphones. Judith passes the hairbrush to David.
David says, “Sipzip.” Marta and Judith say, “Ah! Sipzip.” David uses the hairbrush as a paintbrush, and Marta and Judith follow his lead. David passes the hairbrush to Marta. Marta says, “A cottycot.” David and Judith say, “Oh! A cottycot!” Marta pretends to use the hairbrush as a spoon. The others join in.
This is a physical game that requires no preparation—just your imagination.
Two players stand next to each other facing the audience. Playe 1 begins pantomiming an action, such as dribbling a basketball. Player two does the same motion.
Player 1 says, “I’m dribbling a basketball; try that on for size.”
Player 2 continues the dribbling motion but tries to think of something else she could be doing that has a similar motion. She says, “I’m petting a dog; try that on for size.”
The game continues back and forth with the players coming up with as many different ideas for what they could be doing with that action until one of the players can’t think of one, repeats one that’s already been said, or pauses too long. The other player is the winner.
Have two teams of actors line up. When a player is out, one of his teammates jumps in his place and begins a new action.
Play Try That On for Size in front of an audience. Take an audience suggestion for the action.
Everyone loves to receive gifts! This game shows how to be in agreement with your scene partner through object work. Everyone sits in a circle. Choose one player to go first. He picks up an imaginary present that is wrapped. He is careful to show everyone the size and shape of the gift. Then he hands it to the person on his left.
She then opens the imaginary present and says, “Thank you for the …” She fills in the blank with what she imagines she has been given.
The objective of the game is to justify the shape and size of the package with the gift. For example, if Jonathan gives Barb a small box, she may say, “Thank you for the beautiful bracelet,” rather than, “Thank you for the giraffe.” The gift giver should always act as if whatever the receiver said is exactly what was given. For example, Jonathan can’t say, “That’s not a bracelet; it’s a spider.”
This game is a wonderful, simple way to demonstrate the Yes Game in a scenic way. The giver gets to decide the size, shape, and weight of the gift. The receiver gets to name the gift, accepting and heightening what the giver created. The giver then agrees with the receiver, making a believable mini-improv scene.
This game lets each player use his imagination while also practicing object work.
Players sit in a circle. Each player reaches behind her, gets a great big imaginary box, and places it in front of her.
Everyone chants, “What’s in the box? What’s in the box? What? What? What’s in the box?”
The leader calls on a player to say what she imagines is in her box, such as a kitten.
Everyone pretends to take a kitten out of his or her box and hold it, saying, “I’ve got a kitten; do you have a kitten? I’ve got a kitten!”
Then the game repeats. “What’s in the box? What’s in the box? What? What? What’s in the box?”
The leader says, “What’s in your box, Nicole?” Nicole says, “A brain!”
Everyone takes a brain out of his or her box and holds it. “I’ve got a brain; do you have a brain? I’ve got a brain!”
You can add a memory component to the game. After the game has been played, put everything back into the box. Try to remember in reverse order all the things you imagined were in the box.
This is a two-person scenic improv game that shows how funny using imaginary objects can be.
Write on index cards the names of different objects—use one card for each object. This can be done by the group or prepared in advance. If you are playing this game for an audience, take audience suggestions for the objects. Be creative, and make sure there are a variety of objects—the stranger the better!
Choose six cards at random, without looking at what objects are written on them. Place the cards face down at various places on the stage or playing area.
Choose two players and decide on a location they can be exploring.
The players begin improvising their scene. When they pretend to open a box, a drawer, a closet door, or anything else that can be opened, they turn over a card and pretend that whatever is written on the card is what they found there.
Here’s a sample of play: Wendy and Betsy are exploring their brother’s room.
WENDY:
Let’s see what’s under his bed.
BETSY:
OK. (She turns over a card that says “Crab.”)
WENDY AND BETSY:
A crab!
BETSY:
Oh my gosh! A live crab under our brother’s bed!
WENDY:
I’m not surprised. He’s usually so crabby in the morning.
BETSY:
I’m afraid to see what’s in his closet.
WENDY:
I’ll look. (She pretends to open closet door and turns over another card that says “Trombone.”)
WENDY AND BETSY:
A trombone!
BETSY:
So that’s the noise we’ve been hearing from this room.
The scene continues until all six cards have been turned over, revealing six different objects in their brother’s room.
The players should always say the object out loud right away so that the audience knows what they have discovered. Then they can react to their discovery and try to make it part of the scene.