The Nine Word Play

THE NINE WORD PLAY

(30 minutes or more)

AIM: How do we create a performance piece using language and staging?

OBJECTIVE: To allow young students to experience a mini version of the theatrical process of creating performances using language and physical movement.

STUDENTS WILL: Select nine words as the text for a performance piece and stage, rehearse and perform them.

            PROCEDURE:

1.         Ask the students to partner into groups of three.

                        2.         Tell them that each group will create a Nine word play.

                                    Each member of the group is responsible for writing THREE

                                    words each giving them a total of NINE words.

                        3.         The FIRST word for each person must be their FIRST NAME.

                                    The SECOND and THIRD words must be words that they associate                                      with themselves. Words that tell us something about them.

                        Example           ANDREA     ITALIAN    PSYCHIC

                                                               MATT    SKATEBOARD    PUNK

                                                               LAUREN      THEATER    PINK

                        4.         Now that they have the LANGUAGE or the text for their play

                                    as a group they must decide how to stage it. What performance

                                    style do they want to use.

                                    Examples:  Musical,  Classical,   Abstract,  Realistic dialogue  etc.

                        5.         Tell them they must put it on its feet. How do they want to stand?

                                    WORK TOGETHER and move as they say their words.

                        6.         They can say the nine words in any way they wish, as many times as

                                    they wish. They can say each other’s words, repeat them, and break

                                    them up, say them together as a chorus etc.

                        7.         Model with two volunteers an example of a nine word play.

                        8.         Give them ten to 15 minutes to work then share each group’s

                                    presentation.

SUMMARY: You have just gone through a mini version of the theatrical process

from creation to execution. This is how plays are made; we start with a theme,

create the language or the text of the play then stage it physically in a space.