Applying Acting Styles

Workshop Plan

We were given a theme in which we had to present a workshop to the group in the style of a certain theater practitioner. The practitioner that I was given was Michael Chekhov, and the theme was Belief in the Director. For me, the aim of this workshop was to get the actors to understand the reasons why Michael Chekhov used his techniques, and why he believed in those techniques and what it did for him and others.

Objectives: 

• Increase the focus within the mind and body.
• Deepen their understanding of the techniques, by going over things, and giving feedback.
• Develop a sense of group work with ease and in sync.

1. The ball toss - Someone goes into the middle, and is thrown a ball by others in the form of a circle surround the student in the middle. (Objective - Bring the ensemble group to one focus, and forget the outside world, exercise their concentration, warm up their physical being and activate energy into the room.)  - 5 minutes
2. Zip Zap Zop - Objectives: Keep everyone together, and for someone to win. 5 minutes
3. Qualities of Movement - Everyone is in neutral, they then have to find themselves moving in an abstract way: Molding (Sculpting)- represent Earth or Clay, Flowing (Floating)- represent Water/Wave, Flying- Air & Wind, Radiating- Sun/Light/Laser. 5 minutes. Later, In partners one member from the pair will select a quality and use improvisation, a monologue or nursery rhyme to add onto it. (Objective Develop a rhythmic movement or sequence, get the actors to create movement in truth organically).
4. Three Sisters - Play with several different ways to balance, fall, and float. To develop this, try doing it with an action, and even further with unrelated dialogue. (Objective: Get the actors to understand the equilibrium with gravity and the disequilibrium when struggling against it.  10 Minutes
5. The end - Ask class overall what they liked, and what they'd do differently next time. 3 minutes