Stretch up tall, collapse quickly from the waist and become like a rag doll. Repeat several times. Rotate your head to the left, back, right, front; reverse the rotation, keeping it relaxed. Swing the arms in large circles, one at a time. Yawn, sounding an "ahhhhh" while breathing out. The body, especially the throat, should now be fully relaxed.
Charades, in which the title of a book, play, or film is mimed to team members, are both instructional and entertaining. As an exercise, they teach concise body expression and control. Students learn to perform in a friendly, non-threatening environment. They learn to conquer nerves or specifically to use them for a more intensive and controlled performance.
Daily practice will strengthen the voice, which must be both audible and flexible. But the first step is breathing. Practice breathing while flat on your back, one hand on the abdomen and the other to make sure the chest is still. Make the abdomen move out when inhaling and in when exhaling. Stand up and make rapid, repetitive pants and feel the abdomen gaining control. Practice this exercise until it becomes the natural way to breathe.
Movement expresses character and emotion. Try these movements to communicate the following characters: a slow-witted person; a nervous person; a healthy, athletic type; an obese individual; and a weak, sickly person. Watch how you distribute your weight, place your feet, the amount of tension in the movement, and the selection of mannerisms. Work in pairs on three- to four-minute scenarios that convey a situation you are familiar with. Examine the motivation behind the movement. Once established, motivation will make movement realistic.
Choose three unrelated words, such as "toothbrush," "horse," "earring" or "rug," "Zebra," "rosebush." In small groups, spend 40 minutes planning four- to five-minute scenes that combine the elements. Once prepared, the three words are written for the rest of the group to see and the improvisation begins.
Take an object such as a book and pass it from student to student. Each handles it to convey what they think it has become. The exercise tests imagination and concentration, sense memory and observation.
The class sits in a circle. One person says a word, the next repeats the word and adds another with no logical connection. Keep going around the circle until no one can repeat the sequence.
Two students start an argument, talking simultaneously and without pause, each keeping their own thoughts flowing.
Each class member reads aloud while the rest disrupt vocally. When they stop, the readers must tell in detail what they have read.