GETTING TO KNOW YOU ACTIVITIES

The Name Game

Today for our warm up, we will participate in a basic Dramatic Activity called The Name Game.  There are many different versions of the Name Game.  In this one, everyone must sit or stand in a circle. 

1. I will begin by saying my name out loud. After me, each person in the circle will then say his or her name.  Make sure you pay attention!  You never know when you may need to remember a classmate’s name. Once we have all said our names, that is the end of Round One. 

2. In Round Two, you will each have to say your name, and the name of the person to your right. Once we have all gone around the circle and named the person to our right, we can begin Round Three.   

3. In Round Three, everyone must say their name loudly and clearly, and then say the name of the person to their left. Once everyone has said their name, and the name of the person to their left, we have completed this version of the Name Game.

The Name Game 2: How You Doin’?

 In this version on the Name Game, also known as “How You Doin’?, we will add an emotion or adjective to our names to describe what we think about ourselves.

1. We must each come up with adjective or phrase that begins with the same letter as our first names or whatever nickname we prefer to go by. We will say this name out loud and then everyone will repeat it back to us.

I will demonstrate, but I will use my last name.

                                    SUPER COOPER!

I’ll give everyone a minute to think of their new names. It is very important that everyone find a good adjective or phrase to use about themselves. Drama class is a place for us to feel safe and have fun.  Try your best to be positive and not say something bad about yourself. Once we all have our new names, we will begin by going around the circle. Each one of us will say our new name and then the group will repeat it back to us. When we have finished with this, we will be ready to proceed to Round 2.

ROUND 2. In this round, saying our names with an adjective or phrase is not enough. Now you have to come up with a voice or sound you think matches your new name. Once again, everyone will have one minute to come up with their voice or sound.  When it is your turn, you will say your new name in your new voice or with your new sound. We will take turns presenting our new name and sound or voice just like we did in Round 1.  Once we have finished with this step, we are on to Round 3.

ROUND 3. In this, our Final Round, you have the ultimate challenge.  Now you have to say your new name in your new voice or with your new sound, AND add a physical gesture to it.

I will give everyone a moment to come up with their new gesture.

 Remember, these do not have to be “perfect,” this is just for us in class.

HELLO/GOODBYE

ROUND 1. In this game, we are all going to walk around the room and say “Hello,” to each other.  When we greet each other we are not only going to say “Hello,” we are also going to say the names of our fellow class mates. For example, if one of you is named Tommy, I will walk around the room and when I come close to you, I will say “Hello Tommy.” Tommy will then respond to me, “Hello COOPPER.” We will then walk away from each other and greet the next classmate.  Once we have done this for a few minutes, we have completed Round 1.

ROUND 2. In this round, we are going to continue to greet each other as we did the last time. This time, we will say “Hello” to whoever we are greeting.  In addition to using their names, we will also use their adjectives or phrases they used. For example, this time if I see Tommy I will say “Hello Tommy.” Instead I will say, “Hello Terrific Tommy!” If we need a refresher round to remember what everyone’s name is, just let me know and then we will begin. Once we have done this for a few minutes, we have completed Round 2.

ROUND 3.  This is where we can start to get silly with Hello/Goodbye.  In this round, you are still going to greet each other saying “Hello,” and your name and adjective. What makes this round different is that we are going to greet each other this time using different voices. For example, I will now greet Tommy in an opera voice.  Does everyone know what an opera voice might sound like? Not all voices have to be sung. We could do some in an accent or in another form of music. Can you give me some examples of different voices?

ROUND 4. In this last round of Hello/Goodbye, we are no longer going to say “Hello.” Now, we will say, “Goodbye” to each other with a gesture.  Can someone show me a gesture for how we might greet someone or say goodbye to them, other than kisses on the cheek? Good work! Let’s go around the room telling each other “Goodbye” and using our gestures as well.

MY NAME IS……AND I LIKE TO…….

ROUND 1: In this activity, we will need to each have an activity in mind that we really enjoy doing. Once everyone knows what they want to do, we are going to go around in a circle and say our names, and then show what we like to do.  You can not use any props.  This has to be something you do using only your bodies.  Make it believable! Everything done on stage has to be done larger than life so that even people in the back of the theater can see what you are doing.

For example: “My name is COOPER, and I like to (make believe listening to music.)

For this game, it is okay if someone else picks the same thing you wanted to show. There is no such thing as copying in this activity.  Many people like the same things. It is your job to make sure that you show it differently than your classmate did.  Everybody take a moment to come up with two activities just in case someone who goes before you uses one of the ones you like to do.

ROUND 2: Once everyone has had a chance to show us their activity, we will then go around the circle again, this time with everyone repeating the name and action of the person before them.

For example: “My name is COOPER, and I like to (make believe listening to music.)

You will then say: “Her name is COOPER, and she likes to (make believe listening to music.)

Does everyone understand? Good. Let’s get going!

ROUND 3: In this round, we are going to group ourselves based on what we liked to do.  Everyone who showed us that they liked sports will stand together, everyone who showed us that they liked music will stand together.  Now in our groups, we will figure out a way to each say our names, and then show the class what we like to do.  Everyone should be doing an activity in this round, but it does not have to be done at the same time, nor does it have to be the same activity.

 WHEN THE WIND BLOWS…..

In this activity, we are going to have to pay attention to ourselves.  We will first need to make a circle with one person standing in the middle.  I will be brave and go first.  It is very important that we keep the circle tight.  It is also important that we respect each other and be careful while we play this game.  Since we have to move around, it is very easy for someone to get hurt or hurt someone else if we are not careful.

ROUND 1:

The person standing in the middle of the circle will say “When the wind blows, it blows for…….”  It is up to you to fill in the blank with something about yourself that we can visibly see is true.

For example: “When the wind blows, it blows for people with dark hair.”

Once this is said, everyone with dark hair has to move to another place in the circle. Move quickly! Whoever is last to get a place in the circle, is the next person in the middle. Remember, whatever you say when in the middle has to be something we can SEE is true. Let’s go!

ROUND 2:

In this round, we will now say something about ourselves that people can not see.

For example: “When the wind blows, it blows for anyone who has a brother.” Once this is said, anyone in the circle with a brother, has to move to another spot in the circle. Let’s go!