• Team Managers and team members • Challenge Masters, Team Challenge Appraisers and Instant Challenge Appraisers
Goals:
• To define Improvisation and explain why it is important both components of Destination ImagiNation®
• To highlight the tools used in effective Improv performances • To identify and use some Improv activities and training techniques • To identify additional Improv, mime and acting resources • (Team Managers and team members) To consider using improvisational techniques to enhance
performance in both Team Challenge and Instant Challenge • (Appraisers) To become aware of the improvisational techniques that team members are using
• Rules of the Road • TravelGuide for Teams (previous year if current year not yet issued) • Training Version of Improv Challenge • Handouts:
o Appendix A: Guidelines for Pantomime and Improvisation o Appendix F: Creating Your Own Improvs!
• 3 randomly secretly selected Improv Items in numbered paper bags • (optional) Appendix D: Activity: Emotions in a Bag • (optional)Appendix E: Activity: A Creature’s Comforts • Flip chart and markers • Improvisational resources from www.shopdi.org
Definitions; Handout: Appendix A: Guidelines for Pantomime and Improvisation Slide: Guidelines
Definition of Improvisation 1. Definition of Improvisation: Acting, speaking or devising
something without rehearsal or forethought. 1. Mime
Function: verb Inflected Form(s): mimed; mim·ing intransitive senses : to act a part with mimic gesture and action usually without words transitive senses 1 : MIMIC 2 : to act out in the manner of a mime - mim·er noun (From http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary)
2. Improv – Improvisation (improvise) Main Entry: im·pro·vise Pronunciation: 'im-pr&-"vIz also "im-pr&-' Function: verb Inflected Form(s): -vised; -vis·ing Etymology: French improviser, from Italian improvvisare, from improvviso sudden, from Latin improvisus, literally, unforeseen, from in- + provisus, past participle of providEre to see ahead -- more at PROVIDE transitive senses 1 : to compose, recite, play, or sing extemporaneously 2 : to make, invent, or arrange offhand 3 : to fabricate out of what is conveniently on hand intransitive senses : to improvise something - im·pro·vis·er or im·pro·vi·sor /-"vI-z&r, -'vI-/ noun (From http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary)
2. Distribute Handout: Appendix A: Guidelines for Pantomime and Improvisation • Teams can use these Guidelines, Practice Activities and
Improvisational Techniques to improve their improvisation skills.
• Team Challenge Appraisers and Instant Challenge Appraisers can use these Guidelines, Practice Activities and Improvisational Techniques to be aware of the
multiple attributes that team members are addressing in their improvisation.
2 Slide: Improv
Activity; Improv Element: Theme Cards in envelope (Appendix B); Improv Element: Letters in an envelope (Appendix C); randomly secretly selected Improv Items in numbered paper bags
Activity: Improv Element Procedure: 1. Ask for two pairs of volunteers. One pair will demonstrate
the Improv Phrase and the other pair will demonstrate the Improv Item. Keep the Improv Phrase pair in front of the group.
2. Have the Improv Phrase pair draw an Improv Element Theme Card from the envelope. Give the pair one minute to discuss between themselves what they can perform (in a three-minute performance) using that Theme.
3. Have the Improv Phrase pair draw three letters from the Improv Phrase envelope. Give them one minute to create a three-word phrase and determine how they will implement it in performance.
4. At the end of one minute, ask the pair what their phrase is. Set the timer for three minutes, and let the pair perform! Call time at three minutes, and let the pair take a bow. Audience, clap and cheer! Have the Improv Phrase pair take their seats.
5. Repeat the activity with the Improv Item pair of volunteers, beginning with Procedure number 2 above, but thereafter using the Improv Item. To do this, have three numbered paper bags ready with a random item hidden in each bag. Let the pair choose a number and the corresponding bag is their Improv Item. Open the bag and give the pair their item. Give them one minute to discuss how they will use the item in performance.
6. Set the timer for three minutes, and let them perform. Call time at three minutes, and let the pair take a bow. Audience, clap and cheer! Have the Improv Item pair take their seats.
Debrief the Improv Element Activity by asking:
• Volunteers -- What and how did you feel during this Activity?
• Audience -- In what ways might the phrase or item be implemented in ways other than the ways the volunteers chose?
• Teammembers can also use this Activity procedure to practice improvisation skills.
• Team Challenge Appraisers and Instant Challenge Appraisers can use this Activity to understand more clearly what team members are doing in their improvisation.
Improv is Used in Destination ImagiNation®; Rules of the Road; Training Version of Improv Challenge for display; Travel Guide for Teams (previous year or current)
Improvisation in Destination ImagiNation® In Destination ImagiNation®, there is one Team Challenge that is entirely improvisational in nature. Whether your selected Team Challenge uses an improvisational element or not, Improv is an important skill for all team members. Improv skills are valuable in the Instant Challenge. Therefore, it is important that teams become comfortable with improvising. 1. Refer to Rules of the Road to locate information about
Improvisation. A. How Improvisation is used in Destination ImagiNation®:
1. Team Challenges 2. Improvisational Challenge 3. Instant Challenges
a. Performance-Based b. Task-Based
2. Refer to TravelGuide for Teams (previous year if current year not yet issued) for information about Improv Element procedures. Remind workshop participants to download the current TravelGuide for Teams when it is available (Jan.) for complete explanations.
20 min.
4 Appendix D: Activity: Emotions in a Bag; Appendix E: Activity: A Creature’s Comfort
If time allows, or need requires, use Appendices D and E for additional Activities.
30 min. each
5 Handout: Appendix F: Creating Your Own Improvs!
Distribute Handout: Appendix F: Creating Your Own Improvs! 5 min.
Training Tips: • Emphasize that Improv practice is important for both Team Challenge and Instant Challenge
components of the program. • This Module is best covered with a variety of activities. Remember that not all your
participants will be equally comfortable performing in front of their peers. While the value of trying these activities is quite high, give each participant the opportunity to choose not to participate, but to watch instead. You might have these people share their perspectives as audience members during the Debrief.
• If time, space, and equipment allow, you may want to show the Improv Challenge portions of the Tournament Challenge Performances DVD and the Performance-Based Instant Challenge of the Understanding Instant Challenge video as examples of improvisation. Consider showing the Task-Based Instant Challenge presentation on the video as an example of a Task-Based team improvising during their solution presentation.
• Other Training Modules: If time or space allows, or need requires, consider using other Modules that enhance improvisation skills or contain information related to improv (i.e.: Performance Skills, Central Challenge, Side Trips, Instant Challenge, Creativity, Creative Problem Solving Tools).
• Make sure to show then display for browsing or purchase the improvisational resources from www.shopdi.org
Assessment:
• Use a cooperative learning technique called “Think, Pair, Share” A. Think: Ask each participant to think of three key points they want take back to their teams
regarding improvisation. B. Pair: Put all participants in groups of two. C. Share: Ask the first member of the pair to share his/her three items, then the second
member will share his/hers.
• Alternative Assessment A. As a large group, make a list on flip chart paper of the key items that have just been
covered. B. Commit to the group to type up the list and email it back to them after the training.
APPENDIX A Guidelines for Pantomime and Improvisation
Pantomime 1. Strive for consistency. Mimed objects should remain the same size. 2. Use exaggerations! Gestures and emotions should make a BIG impact. 3. Keep it simple – something your audience will immediately understand. 4. Tell a story that has an initial situation with a rising conflict and ends with resolution. 5. Be creative! Your story does not have to be totally realistic so have fun! Improvisation 1. Introduce your characters with energy! Give them personality and pizzazz! 2. Use different voices, gestures, and emotions to distinguish your characterizations. 3. Listen to each other and build on each other’s ideas. 4. Speak up so your audience can feel the energy. 5. Relax and go with the flow. Creativity comes pouring out when you are having fun! Improv No-No’s: Avoid the Pitfalls! 1. Don’t comment on the scene or fall out of character. Never say, “Well, this is boring” or “Now
what?” 2. Don’t argue with the other actors or change the direction of the scene. 3. Don’t use vulgar language or gestures. Swearing and obscene subject matters get audience
response because they are shocking NOT because they are creative.
Easy Pantomime and Improvisation Practice Activities
For one Playing football Giving a cat a bath Swimming in the ocean Eating spaghetti Changing a baby’s clothes Giving a pedicure Extracting a hippo’s tooth Painting a statue Sleeping in a cactus patch Trying to stay awake during a lecture Living the life of a superhero Playing golf on the moon Cat playing with catnip toy
For two or more A cow being milked Shoeing a horse Playing ping pong Winning the lottery Getting past the perfume sample person Trying on clothes Moving a piano down stairs Big dog meets pack of cats Big person meets pack of sharks Feeding otters New Year’s Celebration at the North Pole
Playing cards while skydiving Emotions Frustrated Impatient Nervous Too much coffee Tired Thrilled Chilled Nauseous Taunting Fearful Shy
Improvisational Techniques All DI™ teams and DI™ Appraisers benefit from learning about Improvisation. It is particularly important for Instant Challenge and the Improv Team Challenge. Team members and Appraisers need to understand Improvisation Techniques. These are easily learned by obtaining an Improv technique book and working through some of Improv exercises. There are several recommended resources available from Destination ImagiNation, Inc. at www.shopdi.org. A good DI team and DI Appraisal Team understand the Improvisation concepts of:
• Consistency - Objects that are mimed need to have definite size and shape so the audience will know what the team member is doing.
• Exaggerated Resistance – The resistance against an object, such as a door, or an action, such as sewing, needs to be exaggerated. Precise, concise, definite, movements are necessary for the audience to know what the team member is doing.
• Exaggerated Expression and Gestures – Displaying emotions is important in Improv for the audience to know what the team member is feeling. This can only be truly accomplished by exaggerated expressions and gestures.
• Simple Story Lines – Sometimes Improv teams try to tell and/or show too many details. Keeping the story simple, but very exaggerated, is important.
• Tell a Story – Just as with prepared scripts, it is important that the Improv story have an initial situation (beginning), a conflict/problem (middle), and a solution to the problem (ending).
• An Exaggerated Conflict/Problem is very humorous/dramatic/sad – This is what makes Improv so much fun to watch.
Every DI team should practice:
• Displaying Emotions and creating memorable characterizations. • Making entrances and exits. • Participating in a scene – either acting OR reacting to what is happening on stage. Focused
attention is important. Looking at a person in the audience is not. • Building – All team members should support/contribute to the story line, wherever it goes! • Desertion – This is “helping” a fellow team member get out of a “dialogue dead-end.” It is
important not to ‘desert’ fellow team members, forcing them to go on and on and on, and not try to help them out.
• Sharing – The good Improv team shares responsibility for the story line, wherever it leads. There is a natural “give and take” on stage.
APPENDIX B Activity 1: Improv Element: Theme Cards
Aliens in an Earth Garden Shop
Amusement Park Characters
Becoming Real At Midnight
Rock Stars arriving at a Zoo
instead of an Outdoor Amphitheater to give a Concert
Hikers Being Lost
on the Trail in a National Park
Scientists Discovering
a New Formula to add Height
Historical Heroes Coming to Life
in the Present Day and Time
A Person Who Goes About
Doing Nice Things For Everyone He/She Meets
A Pet Who Can Understand People and Who Helps Save His Master from a Disaster
• Duplicate this page and cut along the lines. • Place the Theme Cards into an envelope. • Draw a card to practice implementing either an Improv Item or an Improv Phrase
into the situation noted on the card. • Create more Theme Cards if you wish and add them to the envelope or replace
these Theme Cards with new situations when all of these have been practiced.
APPENDIX C Activity 1: Improv Element: Letters The following letters can be cut apart and used for this Activity. If you are conducting more than one training workshop using these letters, you might consider copying them onto card stock and laminating them. Instructions for use in Activity: 1. Select three letters randomly. 2. Create a three-word phrase in w which each word begins with one of the letters. For example, if
the three letters are R, L, and I, your phrase could be “Look Inside Restaurant.” 3. Integrate the phrase into performance. Note: Remove the letters, Q, X, and Z if English is the primary spoken language.
APPENDIX D Activity: Emotions in a Bag (Improvisation)
Purposes: • To give workshop participants a chance to explore dramatic, improvisational expression • To give workshop participants a chance to use the Improv Phrase
Materials:
• One envelope for each team containing one set of ‘Dramatic Expression’ cards • One bag containing the Improv Phrase letters • One paper bag with a single item of the participant’s choosing, for each participant
Set Up: 1. Prior to the workshop, copy and cut up a set of Dramatic Expression cards for each team. Place
one set of cut up cards into each envelope. 2. Distribute one envelope to each team. 3. Have Improv Phrase letters in a bag 4. Randomly distribute one paper bag (containing an unknown item) to each participant. It does not
matter if a participant happens to choose his/her own item. Procedure: 1. From the envelope containing the cards, each participant should RANDOMLY choose one
Dramatic Expression card. The participant may look at the card.
2. Each participant should now be instructed to open the bag he/she was given and take out the item inside.
3. Going around the team in a circle, each participant should tell the others what was in his/her bag
employing the dramatic expression listed on the card. If the total group is a small group, all participants will do this in front of the entire group. In a larger group, each team will perform to their table only.
EXAMPLE: Cheryl randomly chose the card: “Like a TV Newscaster.” In her bag she found a package of breath mints. Cheryl will tell her teammates, “My bag contained breath mints” in the serious dramatic style of a TV newscaster.
4. Next, ask for a volunteer to come to the front of the room, select 3 letters from the Improv Phrase
bag and read the letters to the entire group. Now this volunteer has 1 minute to choose a phrase using the three letters selected. The volunteer then tells the others what was in his/her bag, employing the dramatic expression listed on the card and stating the three word phrase somewhere in the description of the item. Allow only a minute or two for this.
5. Follow-Up: Explain that this is a simple way to get kids to try on different dramatic styles,
improvise character changes, and practice with the Improv Phrase. Spend a moment or two asking the group to generate other ways the Dramatic Expression cards could be used. 1. The more improvisational techniques that are used, the more the character becomes “real.”
2. Team Managers can encourage teams to address improvisational techniques to enhance their characters in both the Team Challenge and in Instant Challenge.
3. Team Challenge and Instant Challenge Appraisers can be aware of the improvisational techniques that team members are using to enhance their characters and presentation.
APPENDIX E Improvisation Activity: A Creature’s Comforts Purpose: To give workshop participants a chance to try a fun improvisational activity. Materials:
• For every participant, there should be one paper bag with a single item of the participant’s choosing sealed inside.
• One paper plate for each team. Set up:
• Place the paper plate in the center of each team’s table. • On the paper plate, have each team member place the item from his/her bag. • Note: If the Paper Bag Preparation (Pre-workshop Activities) was not done, ask participants to place one
random possession on the paper plate. Do not explain the purpose of doing this ahead of time; reassure participants that they will get the object back intact.
Procedure:
1. Use A Creature’s Comforts Overhead Master.
2. Instruct the team members: Your team must use the evidence to describe the Creature and what happened to the Poacher. Four of the pieces of evidence provide the following information:
ONE ITEM REVEALS SOMETHING ABOUT THE CREATURE’S EATING HABITS. ONE ITEM REVEALS SOMETHING ABOUT THE CREATURE’S PREFERRED HABITAT. ONE ITEM IS ONE OF THE CREATURE’S “RENEWABLE” BODY PARTS (such as how
our fingernails renew themselves). ONE ITEM REVEALS WHAT HAPPENED TO THE POACHER.
Your team has 5 minutes to use the evidence to solve the mystery and determine the circumstances of the demise of the Poacher.
3. When the five minutes has elapsed, instruct teams to stop. 4. Ask them to dramatically present their solution to the mystery to the rest of the group. Any number of
team members may take part. Remind them to be brief but entertaining.
NOTE: When working with adults, always keep in mind that people have different ‘comfort’ levels when presenting in front of an audience. Keep the tone of this activity light, with the emphasis on FUN, and make no evaluative statements as to the quality (!) of the presentation.
A Creature’s Comforts A Poacher hoping to make a lot of money had been unsuccessfully trying to trap an elusive Creature for some time. One day the Poacher’s lifeless body was found near his campsite.
It seems that the Creature caught the Poacher before the Poacher caught the Creature!
A famous team of Creaturologists (that’s YOU) have been assembled to figure out what kind of Creature it was and how the Poacher met his demise. The only clues you have to work with are in the paper bags.
Among the items in the bags, four of the items provide the following information:
Which ITEM:
Reveals something about the Creature’s EATING HABITS? Reveals something about the Creature’s PREFERRED HABITAT? Is one of the Creature’s “RENEWABLE” BODY PARTS (in the way fingernails or hair are continuously ‘renewable’ body parts for humans)? Reveals WHAT HAPPENED TO THE POACHER?
You want to practice Improvs with your team. Out of ideas? Try this! Take one or more items from the first column, choose a type of creation from the second, and choose an
objective from the third, and finally act it out with a situation in the last column.
STUFF
CREATE A...
THAT WILL.... NOW FOR
IMPROV...ACT OUT HOW YOUR CREATION WOULD BE USED IF......
Paper clips Toothpicks Masking tape Envelopes Mailing labels Play-doh String Popsicle sticks Pencil Paper cup Styrofoam cup Paper plate Paper bowl Paper bag Pasta: spaghetti, macaroni, wheels, etc. Marshmallows Cheerios Toilet paper roll Egg carton Tin foil Empty shoe box Empty film canister Empty cereal box Rubber band Ruler Thumbtack File folder Newspaper Tennis balls Ping-pong balls
Vehicle Container Tool Device New product Article of clothing Creature Toy Piece of furniture Bridge Structure Utensil Student survival kit Teacher survival kit Wilderness survival kit Ancient artifact Item of the future Protective covering:For hands For feet For head For an egg For an ornament For ______ Eating utensil Work of art New invention Shelter for a _____ Carrier Communication system TV Commercial
---will move ____ feet. ---will support weight. ---will propel ping pong balls ____ feet. ---will stretch as far as possible. ---every teacher should have. ---every student needs.---every team manager needs. ---every team needs. ---will remove leaves from your lawn. ---will rid your house of pests. ---will protect an egg from breaking. ---will transport golf balls from point A to point B. ---will maneuver an obstacle course. ---will hit a target ___ feet away. ---will do your homework for you. ---is guaranteed to wake someone up! ---is guaranteed to put someone to sleep! ---will amuse a baby. ---will detect intruders. ---will signal
� You lived in a different time period.... chose randomly from many eras. EXAMPLES: Old West Ancient Egypt Roaring 20's � You were a famous person....choose randomly from many different familiar people. EXAMPLES: Albert Einstein Daffy Duck Florence Nightengale � You invented or discovered it. � You are a salesperson selling it door-to-door. � Use it in an familiar story or situation...choose randomly from many different familiar stories. EXAMPLES: Little Red Riding Hood Romeo & Juliet A TV Game show � Create a song, jingle, cheer for it.
