Nonverbal

Theatre in the classroom is more than lines, scripts, and stages. It’s about building a community. A strong ensemble creates a brave space for students to explore, take risks, and develop their own voice, both on and offstage. When students feel supported by their peers, they can create work that is collaborative, expressive, and powerful. One approach to developing an ensemble is through non-verbal communication and physical theatre activities. These activities encourage students to connect through movement, eye contact, spatial awareness, and shared focus, rather than relying solely on spoken dialogue. Ensemble-building is particularly effective when students are asked to work together on a piece without relying on dialogue. This can be especially empowering for groups with varied experience levels or for schools developing new theatre programs. In addition, non-verbal ensemble-building allows students to participate fully regardless of reading level, verbal confidence, or previous theatre experience. Why Ensemble MattersA well-developed ensemble: • Fosters trust and mutual respect. • Encourages collaboration over individual spotlight. • Builds the foundation for any performance style, from lighthearted comedies to serious dramas. • Gives all students a voice and sense of ownership. An ensemble-focused classroom emphasizes listening, awareness, and support. Students learn that they are responsible not just for themselves, but for the success of the group as a whole. That mindset carries into rehearsal, performance, and everyday classroom interactions.

By this point, students will have learned about and practiced miming preparatory skills (including stillness, focus, and visualization), portraying items of different weights, and interacting with a wall. All these exercises will help students to work up to this miming sequence of interacting with a door, which is more complicated than students will likely anticipate. We’ve broken down the sequence into three main steps, so students can practice and build their miming skills. Remember: the goal of miming is to “make the unreal, real.” By moving slowly and deliberately and using their visualization skills, students can achieve this goal. Let’s jump right in. Step 1: Students will first plan out and then practice reaching towards the invisible “door” and grasping the doorknob. Have students stand in neutral positions — feet flat on the floor, hands by their sides, shoulders and arms relaxed. With their right hand, students will reach across their body on a diagonal line in front of the left side of their body, extending their arm at around waist height. Look at the air where you imagine the doorknob would be, and see in your mind’s eye a spherical (round) doorknob. Reach forward and grasp the spherical doorknob on the invisible door in front of you. Remember that you have to give the doorknob “shape” by splaying your fingers wide, reaching forward, then placing your fingers around the shape of the doorknob without “crushing” it. Hold your fingers out so they are curved around the invisible doorknob. Hold this position for a couple of beats. Then, release the doorknob and replace your hand by your side. Practice this motion three to five times, and then repeat on the other side, with the left hand reaching in front of the right side of the body. Step 2: Next, students will practice opening the door. Again, starting from neutral, have students go through the process of reaching for the doorknob with the right hand and grasping it. Then, students will slowly “turn” the knob in the direction of their choice, and then slowly PUSH the door away from them, keeping their arm steady and level while they are moving it. This is because the doorknob needs to stay level; it can’t shift up and down the door. Once the height of the doorknob is established, it has to stay at that height throughout the sequence. Be aware that the door would have hinges on the right side (opposite side to the doorknob, near the student’s right elbow), so their hand would move away from themselves on a slight curve towards the right, following the direction of the door. Hold the “door” open for a few beats, then slowly “close” it again. Practice this motion three to five times, then repeat on the other side. Students would grasp the doorknob with their left hand, push open the door away from their bodies and towards the left, and then close it again. Step 3: Third, students will practice opening the door, walking through it, and closing the door behind them. Starting from neutral and with the right hand, students will reach for the doorknob, grasp it, turn the knob, and push the door open, keeping all movements slow and precise. Once students have “opened” the door, they will slowly walk through the door, turning slightly clockwise towards their right hand. They will switch hands and grasp the invisible doorknob on the “other side” of the door with their left hand. They will release the doorknob with their right hand, then slowly push and close the door away from themselves. Remember to keep the doorknob height consistent, and make sure the door is closing in the correct direction. Once the “door” has been closed, students will release the doorknob and let their hand and arm rest next to their side. Stay on that side and repeat the sequence, remembering that they are now on the other side of the invisible door and they’ll need to repeat the motions with the left hand and on the opposite side. Repeat this full process three to five times. Extension: There are many different kinds of doorknobs/door handles, so students have some options to explore once they are comfortable miming a spherical doorknob. For example, have students try this sequence again with a thin vertical door handle (completely mounted to the door) or a horizontal door handle (one that you can jiggle the handle up and down on). As well, students can explore pulling the door towards them. They’ll just need to remember to step out of the way of the invisible door coming towards them. At the end of class, have students fill out an exit slip (found in the giveaway below).

We’ve all seen the classic “mime stuck behind an invisible wall” routine, and when you mention miming to students, typically they’ll immediately start waving their hands around in that fashion. This sequence takes a lot of focus and physical stamina, even though the movements are small. The more deliberate and mindful the movements are and the more concentrated the students are on their eye focus, the more “real” the sequence will appear to the audience. Let’s get started. 1. Practice.Have your students start by practicing interacting with an actual wall. Have them stand facing a wall in the drama classroom, about 12–15 inches away, depending on how long their arms are. They’ll need to be able to place their palms flat against the wall while keeping a bend in their elbows; they shouldn’t be stretching to reach it. Have students stand with their hands by their sides. Look at the spot on the wall where you will place your right hand. Take your right hand, slowly raise it to around face height, softly spread the fingers apart, and place the palm against the wall firmly and with intent. Now, look at a different spot on the wall where you will place your left hand. Keeping the right hand on the wall, raise the left hand to face height, spread the fingers apart, and place that palm firmly against the wall. Feel the wall against both hands; the wall is strong and unyielding, and even if you press hard against it, it doesn’t move. Keeping the left hand on the wall, look at a new space on the wall, remove the right hand, and place it firmly on another place on the wall. Keeping the right hand on the wall, remove the left hand and place it somewhere else on the wall. Repeat the motions of removing one hand from the wall and placing it on another part of the wall, while always keeping one hand against the wall and looking towards the new spot on the wall where you will move your hand. Look, remove, place, repeat. Keep movements slow and purposeful — removing and placing, rather than sliding. To end the routine, take one hand off the wall and let it rest naturally against your side. Then, take the other hand off the wall and let it rest against your other side. 2. Visualize.Have students come away from the walls and find a place around the drama classroom, facing you. Students will stand in neutral positions, with feet flat on the floor and arms resting at their sides. Have students close their eyes or gaze softly forward. Using their visualization skills, students will picture in their mind’s eye the wall they were just interacting with. Imagine the wall — what colour is it? What material is it made of? How thick do you think it is? How far away from the wall are you? (It should be the same distance as when you were interacting with the actual wall.) Keep that image clearly in your mind as you move to the next step. 3. Make the unreal, real.If students have their eyes closed, have them open them now. Look straight ahead and “see” in your mind’s eye the wall in front of you. Start the same motions as when you practiced touching the actual wall: look towards where you will place your right hand (around face height), slowly raise your right hand, softly spread the fingers apart, and firmly place the palm in the air “against” the invisible wall. This first step is important, as it establishes the parameters of where the wall is in relation to the student. The wall can’t move around or it will become unreal to the audience. Keeping the right hand in place “on the wall,” look to where you’ll place your left hand, raise the left hand, spread the fingers apart, and place that palm firmly in the air “against” the invisible wall. Make sure that the left hand is placed at the same distance away from the body as the right hand, or the “wall” will be crooked. Students might notice that their fingers or palms feel tingly or warm — they’re getting the blood flowing from moving their hands so purposefully! Repeat the motions of looking at the new place on the wall, removing one hand from the wall and replacing it on another part of the wall, while always keeping one hand against the wall. Look, remove, place, repeat. As always, keep the movements slow and purposeful. Keep the distance between your body and the “wall” consistent at all times. To end the routine, take one hand off the wall and let it rest naturally against your side, followed by the other hand. If necessary, have students shake out their arms and hands afterwards to release any built-up energy or tension. 4. Perform.Split students into small groups and have them perform this sequence in front of the rest of the class, to demonstrate what they’ve been practicing. Give students a specific number of hand movements to perform, or have them keep moving until you ring a bell or make a gesture to indicate to them to end the routine.

In our previous Middle School Miming article, students explored using their hands and arms to maneuver invisible objects of various sizes around a circle. Now, we’re adding moving throughout the classroom space to our miming. When they’re moving around the room, encourage students to be on high alert about crashing into another student. This is called spatial awareness — being mindful of your surroundings and being able to navigate safely through your physical environment. At this beginning stage, movements should be slow and purposeful. This helps students to make solid physical choices and interactions with mimed objects clearer and easier for the audience to understand. Students should use all parts of their bodies and faces to elevate their mime work. They should also continue to use a “beginning, middle, and end” framework. This can be as simple as entering the space in character, interacting with the various challenges/obstacles (listed below), and exiting the space in character. And remember: no talking is necessary for any of these exercises! You’ll need a small bell or buzzer for this exercise. Alternatively, the teacher can clap their hands when needed to indicate when a movement starts or ends. If your students need a visual cue, wave a small flag or hold up a small sign. InstructionsWarm-Up: Have students warm up by playing a partner version of Follow the Leader. Have them split up into pairs. Partner A will walk slowly around the room — this is to make it easier for Partner B to follow them precisely. They should start by walking as they usually do, before adding any character walk choices. Partner B will follow them, trying to copy Partner A’s exact walk. Focus on details like the pace of their walk, the size of their steps, how their arms move, if their gait is bouncy or smooth, and so on. Make sure both partners get a chance to be the leader. For the main part of the exercise, have all the students gather on one side of the room. Three or four students will cross the room at a time to the other side. Have students walk slowly across the room to the other side so they can focus on accuracy rather than speed. At various times throughout the exercise, they’ll complete the tasks listed below. 1. Still: Students will use their visualization skills to imagine that the path in front of them is booby-trapped with floor traps or rays coming from the walls that will freeze them in stillness. At various times while students walk across the floor, the teacher will ring a small bell and students will stop moving (like they’ve been caught by a trap) and hold a still pose. When the teacher rings the bell again, students will continue moving across to the other side of the room. Repeat as many times as you wish while students are on their path. To keep the pace going, have the next round of students enter when the first round is halfway to two-thirds of the way across the floor. 2. Sticky: Before they start to move, have students use their visualization skills to imagine that the path in front of them is littered with wads of chewed up gum, sticky mud puddles, or blobs of glue. Have students walk across the floor, then when the teacher rings the bell, they will step onto a “sticky” spot on the floor. They’ll show to the audience that their foot is stuck by trying to lift it (just their foot, or by grabbing their leg with their hands and trying to pull it), moving the rest of their body around the sticky spot, pretending to pull really hard away from the spot — any action that demonstrates a concerted effort. When the teacher rings the bell again, students will manage to “peel” their foot off the sticky spot (with much difficulty) and carry on crossing the floor. Have students explore being extremely careful not to touch another sticky spot, avoiding stepping down hard on the sticky foot lest they get stuck again, or getting their food stuck again and having to repeat the process. They could also have a nearby classmate help them get “unstuck.” Have the next round of students enter during the next bell ring to keep the pace going. 3. Slippery: This is the most challenging and risky of the three explorations, so approach this one with caution! Have students use their visualization skills to imagine that the path is covered in ice or slime. Have them enter the space, then when the bell is rung, slow down and very gingerly step, slide, or glide across the floor (as best they can, especially if the floor is carpeted). Please avoid full-out falling unless your students have done safe fall training with a fight director. As well, they should avoid reaching out for friends to “steady” themselves, as they might inadvertently pull them over. Students might explore getting lower to the ground and crawling or shuffling on their bottoms across the “slippery” surface, or acting skilled with slippery surfaces as a skater or skier. After the exercise is complete, students will fill out and submit an exit slip (found below).

Students new to mime will often just start moving their hands haphazardly, like an item magically appeared in their hand out of thin air. But one of the ways a mimed object is made “real” is by portraying the process that a person goes through to physically interact with an object. We don’t think about it because actions like picking up and passing objects to a classmate are things we do every day. But if you break it down, it’s actually a full series of movements: reaching for the object, grasping it with our hand(s) and gripping it without squishing or dropping it, lifting it and accommodating its weight and size, manipulating the object in some way, and then dispensing of the item somehow, such as by passing it to another person or setting it down. That’s a lot of steps! When miming, each series of movements needs a beginning, a middle, and an end — like a miniature story. This makes the invisible, mimed object more clear for the actor to portray and for the audience to understand. In this exercise, students will practice accurately miming objects of different sizes and weights: small, big, light, and heavy. Using the beginning/middle/end framework, each student’s beginning movement is taking the object from the student on their left. The middle movement is holding/interacting with the object. The end movement is giving the object to the student on their right. Let’s get practicing. Instructions1. Have students stand in a large circle. 2. The teacher will introduce the four invisible “objects” that students will be passing around the circle, one for each category listed. (“Objects” is in quotation marks because the items will be mimed and therefore aren’t real.) For example: • Small: an eraser, a ping-pong ball, a thimble • Big: an inflatable pool float, a giant novelty teddy bear, a large cardboard moving box • Light: a feather, a balloon, a silk scarf • Heavy: a bowling ball, an encyclopedia, a brick 3. The teacher will start the exercise by slowly “picking up” the small “object” off the floor (a beginning movement) and describing the “object” verbally. While the item is being described, students will use the visualization technique they learned and practiced to imagine the object in their mind’s eye. Remind students that the item is not a magical item and doesn’t change (grow, shrink, etc.) as it’s passed from person to person — each student needs to maintain the structural integrity of the mimed object. 4. The teacher will slowly pass the invisible small object to the student on their right, who will take it from them. The student will briefly interact with the item in some way (holding it in their palm, passing it from their left hand to their right, testing the weight of the item), and then pass it to the student on their right. Each student will repeat the process with the invisible small object: taking it from the student on their left, manipulating it somehow, and passing it to the student on their right. Remind students to move slowly and deliberately, so everyone can see clearly how the mimed object is being used. Audiences will look at what the actor is looking at, so encourage students to use their full bodies and faces — especially direction of eye focus — while miming. 5. Have students observe how they themselves and their peers interact with the small item. How do they pick it up? Does the student next to them place it in their hand or do they hold it in their palm for the next student to pick up? How firmly or loosely do they need to grip the item? Do they use one hand or two? 6. When the final student passes the object back to the teacher, the teacher will place the object back on the floor (the overall end movement). 7. Repeat the process with the big, light, and heavy “objects.” Students will need to adjust their lifting and passing movements to accommodate the differences in the objects. Compare and contrast the movements needed to accurately portray each of the objects. 8. If your students get really good at this exercise, try the exercise again with “objects” with two qualities: big and heavy, big and light, small and heavy, small and light. Remember to continue to use the beginning/middle/end framework. Note: If your students are having trouble visualizing or miming certain objects, it may be helpful for them to start by interacting with four real objects representing each of the four qualities. For the big and heavy items, be sure to select objects with some size/heft, but that aren’t so unwieldy that they’ll seriously hurt someone if they’re dropped. Be aware of the strength level of your students — some students might not be able to lift very much weight, and you don’t want students to hurt themselves. Once they are clear on the physical qualities of the objects, they may be able to more accurately portray them.

Miming is a great topic for middle school drama students. The art of miming uses the actors’ bodies and imaginations to tell a story, without using their voices. It’s all about “making the unreal, real” through thoughtful and purposeful movements. But before we jump into mime work, students need to learn and practice three preparatory skills: embracing stillness, developing their focus, and visualization. These skills will help students prepare their bodies and brains to explore different miming exercises. 1. StillnessIt can be challenging for students to practice stillness, as they are generally hardwired to move, wiggle, and fidget. But it’s a skill that can be practiced, and can be used in so many situations. All miming exercises should start with stillness. This allows students time to breathe, ground, and centre themselves before starting into purposeful mimed movements. To work on stillness, start by reviewing and practicing “neutral position”. As a reminder, it’s a body position where the actor is standing with their feet flat on the floor, about shoulder-width apart, knees relaxed (not locked), back straight, arms and hands by their sides, looking forward without any facial expressions, and silent. You may also have students use a seated neutral position. A seated neutral position is where the actor sits in a chair or stool with their feet flat on the floor, back straight, hands placed gently on thighs, looking forward without any facial expressions, and silent. Blinking and breathing is always allowed! Have students practice standing or sitting in neutral for short periods of time. Start really small, like 10 seconds of stillness and silence. In between practice sessions, encourage students to move and shake their wiggles out. Then gradually build up to longer increments of time. You can also try having students start in neutral for a count of 5, move slowly over the count of 5 into a specific pose, hold the pose for 5, and then move slowly back into neutral over a count of 5 again. Repeat as many times as you wish. 2. FocusThe classic mirror exercise is a great way for students to practice focus. It’s a drama class standard for a reason! Students partner up and face each other. One student acts as the leader, moving their arms, hands, head, and face in slow and steady patterns so that they can be “mirrored” by their partner. The emphasis on slow and steady is key for students to focus on precision and exact movements — looking at details all the way down to the fingertips, and making each movement purposeful. The goal for the follower is to copy the leader exactly — if someone were to watch the pair, they wouldn’t know who was leading. Start this exercise with having students stand with their feet planted, so it’s one less movement they have to think about. It’s also a good way for students to practice stillness in their lower bodies. Once students are demonstrating good focus and precision with just their upper bodies, you can add in lower body movements (legs, feet, hips). Once students feel more confident with the pair mirror exercise, add a layer of challenge by having them make groups of four and complete the exercise in a diamond shape. 3. VisualizationIn mime work, any “props” are invisible — just air. To convince an audience that the mime is actually interacting with a real item (a flower, a rope, a gift box, a door, and so on), students need to make their movements precise and purposeful. To help them do this, they need to visualize the item. Visualization is to imagine or “see” something in your brain, or mind’s eye. If students have a clear picture in their heads of what the item they’re portraying looks and feels like, that really helps them to bring it to life through their movements. Students can practice visualizing by having the teacher lead them through a guided visualization experience. As a bonus, it’s a great way to practice stillness and focus at the same time! Have students sit comfortably in the room, where they can hear you easily. If they feel safe to do so, they can close their eyes; otherwise, have them choose a focus spot in the room to softly gaze at. Choose a familiar object, for example, an ice cream cone. Then, have your students listen intently as you describe the item in detail, using all five senses to create an image in their mind’s eye. For the ice cream example, you could describe the size and shape of the ice cream cone, the choices of toppings, the feeling of the melting ice cream touching your hand as you grip the cone, the coldness on your tongue as you take that delicious first bite. Leave some details open to the students’ choices. For example, you might suggest that the ice cream is your students’ favourite flavour. Then, with students still seated and with the images still clear in their minds, they can start to explore some small movements associated with the item, such as holding the imaginary cone in their hand, taking a bite and savouring the taste, or wiping a drip of melted ice cream off their hand. All those sensory details, combined with students filling in their own personal details, will help them to create a super-clear picture in their mind. When students are in the midst of visualizing an object for actual miming activities, they won’t take this much time or go into this level of detail in those moments, but this is a way to introduce them to visualizing and help them develop those visualization skills. When they’re able to clearly visualize an object, it will be that much easier for them to portray the item through their movements for an audience. We’ll be exploring this in upcoming articles, so stay tuned!

Clear relationships onstage make characters’ interactions that much more interesting and engaging for the audience. The audience needs to know immediately how one character relates to another. No matter what the relationship is, whether the characters like or dislike each other, or whether the interaction onstage is positive or negative, students must work together to make strong choices on the stage. The following exercise challenges students to do just that: perform a short scene featuring two characters who are connected in some way. But the wrinkle is… the scene must be performed without words! Instructions:1. Divide students into pairs. 2. Give each pair a relationship for their characters, using these relationship prompts. You can have pairs draw slips out of a hat, or assign each pair a relationship. 3. Give students five minutes to prepare a short (30 seconds to a minute) mimed scene that demonstrates the relationship. It’s up to the students to determine what’s going on in the scene, and how they can clearly demonstrate the relationship. For example, if the prompt is a toddler and a daycare teacher, perhaps the students will have the daycare teacher do a counting lesson, or help the toddler put on their winter coat. They also need to consider how they will make clear choices. How would they differentiate the toddler/daycare teacher relationship from a toddler at home with their parent? 4. Remember: with mimed performances, there is no speaking. All actions and facial expressions must be communicated without words. Encourage students to use large gestures and lots of facial expressions. Make the movements exaggerated. For this exercise, bigger is better! Decide if you want to allow students to use sounds. If you wish, allow them to select a piece of background music. 5. After the preparation time is up, have each pair perform their mimed scene for the rest of the class. 6. After each pair performs, discuss: • • Is the relationship clear? How can you tell? What evidence onstage indicated that? • What worked well? What didn’t work? • How might students show the relationship between the two characters in another way? Rehearsal Exercise: If you are working on a class or school production, have your actors try this exercise as an acting challenge. Have students perform their scenes without speaking their lines — only gestures and facial expressions allowed. Are their movements enough to tell the story?

It’s easy for students to get hyper-focused on their lines when they’re working on a scene or on a show – counting how many lines they have, memorizing the lines, knowing what order the lines come in a scene, understanding what the lines mean. However, lines are not the be-all and end-all of theatre. There are so many ways to communicate a story without words. Try the following game with your students to work on exploring dramatic storytelling without using words. It’s inspired by the episode “Hush” from the fourth season of the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the episode, the heroes have their voices stolen by a group of villains called the Gentlemen, and they are challenged to communicate with each other silently to figure out what happened and how to defeat the bad guys. They come up with a variety of useful and funny ways of communicating, to varying levels of success. The inspiration for the silent episode stemmed from critical praise for the show, stating that the dialogue was the most successful aspect of the show. In response, the series creator of Buffy, Joss Whedon, decided to write an episode almost entirely devoid of speech. For this game, students will work in pairs or small groups. Teachers, you will need to provide your students with a short scene (approximately 1-2 minutes in length). All the groups will work on the same scene. You can find some great two-person scenes and group scenes here or you may select or write your own scene. Read through the script with the full class and answer any questions that students may have about the content. Then students will re-read through the script in their groups, decide who will play what role, and start to prepare the scene to present to the rest of the class. (Memorization isn’t necessary – students will prepare their scene to be presented on-book until the twist is revealed.) Partway through the “rehearsal process,” share the game’s twist – all of a sudden, everyone’s voices have disappeared. Groups can’t use words to perform their scenes. How will they still be able to communicate what’s going on in the scene? What are the most important plot points and details that need to be conveyed? This is where each group is challenged to come up with a creative way to communicate the story without using their voices. Students might try using silent theatrical techniques such as mime, tableaux, facial expressions, body language, different kinds of alternative visual communication (such as pointing to words, using whiteboards, and so on), playing a charades-style game, puppetry, creating a dance, or coming up with another way of communicating the story visually. Sounds and noises from their mouths can’t be used, but other methods of creating sound (such as using instruments or music from their phones) are acceptable. Presentations should be approximately the same length of time as the scene would have taken to present as written – about one to two minutes in length. What makes this game fun is that, even though each group is presenting the same scene, each group’s interpretation of the scene will be different, depending on what technique they use to present the scene and what plot points and details they deemed most vital to the story. Encourage students to push themselves to make big and clear physical choices. Each group will present their interpretation of the scene. After each scene (if time permits), allow students to share the thought processes behind their presentations. Students will complete the game by completing and submitting an individual Reflection. Distance Learning Adaptation Exercise (minimum 2 classes + homework) 1. Discussion: How can actors perform on a digital platform without using words? Here are some ideas to get their brains going: • What is different from performing in person to performing online? • What limitations occur when performing online? How might they be overcome? • What advantages are there to performing online versus performing in person? • What household items could be used to facilitate a nonverbal performance? • What alternate methods of performance or storytelling could be used for online performances? 1. Assignment: • Divide students into groups. • Distribute scripts to the group members. • Assign each group their own digital breakout room. • Students will have the remainder of the class time to read the script and figure out a way to tell a one-minute long version of the story of their scene online, without using words. • Groups will need to decide if they will perform their pieces live, or record their piece and submit it. • Groups will need to meet outside of class time to either rehearse their live presentation or record their pieces OR assign an additional class period for rehearsal/recording. • At the next class, students will present their live or recorded pieces. • If time permits, allow students to share the thought processes behind their presentations. • Students will complete and submit an individual reflection.

What is a signature gesture? It’s a nonverbal, repeated movement your character is known for, that you perform in a particular way that is unique and identifiable. Common, well-known gestures include the thumbs-up/thumbs-down, the peace sign, air quotes, shrugging, pointing, eye rolling, saluting, and tipping your hat. The list goes on and on! Some famous examples are Matilda’s defiant power pose (hands on hips, feet splayed, face in profile), Hamilton’s triumphant fist punch towards the sky, the cocky hair-combing of the T-Birds in Grease, and J. Pierrepont Finch’s fourth-wall–breaking look towards the audience in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. TaskHave your class brainstorm a list of well-known physical gestures. How many can you name? What do they mean? Do they mean different things to different people? Why use gesture?So why should you create a signature gesture for your character? For starters, it creates an interesting physical layer to your character. A signature gesture helps to identify your character from the others through their unique movement, and defines your character as someone different from you, the actor. It shows off your character’s personality. For example, eye rolling immediately identifies you as impatient, a high-five indicates a playful personality, and a firm, close-up handshake demonstrates a person not to be messed with. Some gestures can indicate multiple personality traits. For example, a pointed figure could indicate someone of a scolding or authoritative nature (such as a parent or a teacher), but it could also be used by a helpful person giving directions. Conversely, different characters might have similar personality traits, but use different gestures to demonstrate them. A well-placed smirk and shrug of the shoulder can be flirtatious, but so could a raised eyebrow, a wink, or a hair toss. Signature gestures also give the audience something to look forward to. When your character enters the stage, the audience will immediately be drawn to you, anticipating your signature gesture and when it will be used next. It creates a sense of familiarity and fun. TaskFrom your list of physical gestures, have your class identify a personality trait that goes with each gesture; for example, pointing = authoritative, thumb sucking = immature or babyish. Some gestures might work with multiple personality traits. How do you differentiate them? (Feel free to demonstrate the differences!) When should you use gesture?When should you use a signature gesture? The best times to employ your signature gesture are at significant moments in the show, to make your point stronger – such as a funny comment, a fit of anger, or as an exclamation at the end of a sentence – or on a repeated phrase or joke. Signature gestures are also commonly used on the “button” at the end of a song, where the music finishes. The High School Musical jump is a well-known gesture that is repeated in each of the films and stage musicals, and is always used on the button of the final song of the show. How can you find your character’s signature gesture? This is something you’ll explore during your rehearsal period and on your own time. Try different gestures to see what works for your character. Work with your fellow actors to ensure you are the only one doing your signature gesture, to keep your movement unique to your character. Or, look for places where others could “steal” or use your signature gesture – perhaps to taunt your character, to mimic your character, or to achieve or get something your character wants or has. For example, think of when Roxie Hart uses Velma Kelly’s gestures (such as crying into a handkerchief and fainting) while on trial in the musical Chicago – this prompts Velma to sing the song “Class.” Work through your script and note important or significant moments where your signature gesture could improve or emphasize what you are saying or doing. Ask for feedback from your director, to ensure that your signature gesture works for your character and doesn’t upstage you or the other performers. TaskHave your students come up with three possible signature gestures. Try using them during rehearsal. What feels most natural, and/or what looks best onstage. Distance Learning Adaptation 1. Have students list as many gestures as they can think of, such as pointing, raising an eyebrow, winking, tipping a hat, shrugging shoulders, and so on. 2. Have your class brainstorm a list of well-known physical gestures from plays, television shows, or movies. How many can you name? What do they mean? Do they mean different things to different people? 3. One at a time, have students perform the sentence “Hey, how’s it going?” using a different gesture. Each student should aim to do something different. Experiment with different gestures, and where in the sentence the gesture is used. For example: • “Hey” (finger point) “How’s it going?” • (wink) “Hey, how’s it going?” • “Hey, how’s it going?” (tip of the hat) Ask your students: Does the positioning of the gesture in the line change the meaning of the line or perception of the character? Does a different gesture change how it feels to play that character? Does adding a gesture make it easier to portray a mood or emotion? 4. Have students try performing the same sentence and gesture, but portraying different emotions (scared, flirtatious, angry, secretive, etc.). How does that affect how the audience (i.e. the rest of the class) perceives the character? 5. Try this exercise again with the following sentences: • “What do you think about that?” • “I have a fantastic idea.” • “It’s 9 o’clock… you know what that means.” 6. If you are currently studying a play in class, have students suggest signature gestures for the characters. Have them read lines from the play aloud and figure out where the signature gestures would be used in different scenes.

Emotional Baggage. We all have it but how do we deal with it? The characters within this one-act dramedy by Lindsay Price carry theirs with them at all times. They convey their stories and struggles solely through actions and gestures. That’s right – this play has no words! Because of this, the play relies heavily upon the characters’ gestures and music to take the place of dialogue and convey the story. Jennifer Denty and her student group of performers at Northern Lights Academy in Rigolet, Newfoundland were not only up to the challenge but surpassed it with an award-winning performance. “My drama team from Northern Lights Academy just finished the High School Labrador Regional Drama Festival and we took second place! We also won best music (we used 30% from the script and added our own), best staging, and best director. Plus, one of my students (he played Overbearing Mother) won for physical comedy and my student who played Well Rounded Person won an acting merit award.” Congratulations, Northern Lights Academy! *Photo credit: Jennifer Denty

How do we communicate without words? We communicate without words every day. A frown and crossed arms communicates a clear message, as does a nod, wink, or a “come here” gesture. There’s the subtext in the mixed message of a tense body combined with words of love. Because theatre is a visual medium and today’s students are visual learners, it is a great idea to incorporate nonverbal communication exercises into your program. • Gestures List. Ask students: How do we communicate without words? What are some common gestures? Divide students into groups and ask each group to come up with as many ways of nonverbal communicate as they can in 1 minute (eg: shrug, hands on hips, finger to lips, shake head, nod head, make a face, smile, wink). • Silent Scene. Divide students into pairs. Have each pair create a one-minute scene that takes place in one location and has a problem that needs to be solved. Neither person in the scene can talk. All communication has to be nonverbal. Can the audience guess the content of the scene without any dialogue to help? Remind students to refer to the gestures list. • Nonverbal Communication. Give students a list of sentences and have them come up with a way to nonverbally communicate them. Remind students to refer to the gestures list. (A sample list is included in the PDF.) • Nonverbal Emotions. Students choose an emotion by drawing slips of paper out of a hat. Have them present the emotion listed on the slip of paper in a wordless performance where they enter a space, then sit, get up, and leave the space. Their goal is to “show” their emotion well enough that the audience can guess. (For example: Happiness, Sadness, Anger, Surprise, Fear, Jealousy, Boredom, Disgust, Nervousness, Excitement, Relaxation, Tenseness, Stress, Fatigue). • Nonverbal Picture Prompt. Show students a picture of a person. What is their body language communicating? Write an inner monologue for this character. (A sample picture is included in the PDF.) • High Status/Low Status. Have students walk around the room and explore the physicality of high status and low status. What defines a high status body? What defines a low status body? How do they walk? How does this physicality affect how they interact? Divide students into pairs with one high status character and one low status character. Each pair presents a nonverbal scene that shows their status. (A description of high and low status physicality is included in the PDF.) • Subtext Scene. Divide students into groups. Create a scene in which at least one character has lines that say one thing while their body language tells another thing (eg: a student tells another student they are happy that they won the contest, but their body language is tense, with arms folded across their body). • Good Listener/Bad Listener. Have two volunteers come up to the front. Person A has to tell Person B a story. The first time through, Person B is a “good listener.” Ask students what a good listener looks like? How do you communicate engagement nonverbally? Do the scene again with Person B telling Person A a story. This time, Person A is a “bad listener.” What does a bad listener look like? What is their physicality? How do you communicate boredom nonverbally? Ask the audience if they can see the difference. • One Talker/One Not. Divide students into pairs. Have each pair create a one-minute scene that takes place in one location and has a problem that needs to be solved. Person A is allowed to speak their lines but Person B can only use gesture, body language, and other nonverbal communication. Afterwards, switch sides so that Person A is the nonverbal communicator. • Judging. Ask students: Have you ever judged someone by what they look like or by how they move before you talk to them? What is it about someone’s physicality that affects you? Have students create a scene in which a character is judged not by what they say but by their nonverbal communication.

Communication is not just what we say – nonverbal actions play a huge part as well. How we stand, gesture, make eye contact, all of these physical choices communicate. Use this nonverbal exercise to practice the act of communicating without words. Instructions:1. Divide the class into groups. 2. Have the groups letter themselves (A, B, C, D, E) 3. “A” will be the first to go. “A” is given a card with an object/location written on it. 4. “A” must get the rest of their group to form a tableau which visualizes the object or location. All communication must be nonverbal. No words or sounds allowed. 5. You can make the exercise a competition. Give a two minute time limit for the group to form the picture based on the nonverbal communication of “A”. If they are able to form the picture within the time limit, they get a point and move on to the next card with “B” giving the nonverbal communication. If time runs out, they move onto the next card but don’t get a point. Keep repeating the exercise so that everyone has a chance to lead the group. 6. Discuss the exercise afterward. What was it like to try and understand someone without any verbal cues? Did they use any shorthand? Did they get frustrated at any point? Which objects/locations were easier/harder to communicate?

This week we spread the love for Emotional Baggage by Lindsay Price. Recorded live in a turn of the century train station.