Objective: This exercise is about channeling personal memories to evoke details and define mime.
Let Me Show You My Room: Player One is to show off to Player Two a room from his/her past (childhood bedroom, dorm room, man cave, etc.). Player One should lead a tour around the space, pointing out and showing off objects and features of the room. Where applicable, Player One should work to infuse his/her depictions with personal emotional weight ("It's embarrassing now, but I collected all these Beanie Babies," "I drank every one of these whiskey bottles all by myself"). On this tour, Player Two should not be a passive questioner, but rather should strive to offer up personal opinions of his/her own ("I think it's crazy what people paid for Beanie Babies," "I was a goodie-goodie and didn't drink until I was twenty-one").
Lessons:
• Share to be known. When we first meet someone or are introduced to a new space, we often do "the polite thing," carefully asking questions to get to know one another or to get the lay of the land. But the sooner we get to opinions/perspectives the sooner we allow ourselves to be known. Whether two people see eye to eye or not, we want to see whether or not early. Don't be careful; state honest opinions boldly.
• Engaging space takes pressure off our tongues, and in that silence scenes get deeper. Standing face-to-face waiting for their turn to talk players stagnate or churn a scene. Take the time to get lost observing and exploring the space to create scenes that expand with investment.
[…] One on stage; the other on the wings. Player One (taking pages from Let Me Show You My Room and Build A Room) is instructed to engage in a space that s/he knows intimately. Before Player […]