2nd Week: Trudging Along!

Second week of Flagship has come and gone! We had one new student, a boy, which added a fun dynamic to the mix. This week we focused on character. Last week, each student was assigned to observe someone close to them, noting how they walk, sit, talk, etc. It became really interesting during these presentations when the students got really in depth, "This is how my sister brushes her teeth...This is how my brother dances..." We also played family portrait, which the students really got into. After that, we played charades...a classic party favorite. Sarah and I engaged the students in a discussion of character before the game, which I believed helped them immensely at not playing stereotypes. We talked about how one would prepare a character. The students brought up "youtube, videos, pictures, books," but they also brought up in depth study. The idea that how can you pretend to be someone or do something that you have never done yourself. These discussions help the games along, and further investigate acting as a craft. Sarah and I plan to do much more of these types of discussions in the future.
At the beginning of Flagship, however, two of our girls informed us they would not be attending our group for the next two weeks, leaving us only 2 people...a boy and a girl. It will be interesting to see how this affects our group dynamic and ensemble as the group will be so small. Next week we will be focusing on warm ups, something I think the students will love this...as on their info sheets, most of them put "how to be a good actor" on the "what do I want to learn" box. Check back next week for more updates!