Games for Actors and Non-Actors: What We Played, January 10th, 2012

In 2012, T.O. Philly takes up residence at the Rotunda for a number of classes and workshops on Tuesday evenings. Our first was on January 10th, with two dozen people who came to play games. These games come from a variety of sources: theatre games used by actors to warm up before rehearsal, trust-building and non-competative games from the "New Games" movement, and techniques that examine social relationships from the Theatre of the Oppressed—all have a folkloric quality that can be brought to almost any group.  Here's what we played:

Circle Games:
• Flying Dutchman: Ghost ships that race to safe harbors without colliding (hopefully).

• Group Juggling: Throwing and catching each others names, as well as juggling balls.

• Ooh-Ahh: The "ooh" goes one way, the "ahh" the other, and then the names start flying as games get combined.

Walking Games:

• Number Speeds: Speed up and slow down at the shout of a number, then do it without breaking eye contact with one other person.

• Handshakes/Hi-Fives/Hugs/Hellos: Each action (shaking hands, high-fiving, hugs, and waving hello) must be performed with a specific partner on cue. Combined with the previous game it's a beautiful mess.

• Lines and Trinagles: Secretly pick two people and form a shape with them—either a straight line or an equilateral triangle—without letting them know who they are. Oh, and everyone else is trying to do the same thing as well.

• Hagoo: Two teams form a corridor, one on each side, and each send a member to walk toward each other down the middle. The walkers cannot smile or laugh, though opposing team members try to make them do so, thereby getting them to join they're team.

Rhythm Games:

• Bronx/Paper/Scissors: Pairs play each other and the loser joins the winner's gang, backing 'em up as they play other RPS gang leaders. Everyone ends up in two big gangs, and then just one gang with no one left to fight.

• Carnaval em Rio: Same situation as above, one instead of throwing fingers, players throw rhythms—sounds made the mouth and movements made by the whole body. Pairs "morph" there rhythms into a unified compromise of individual movements and sounds, then morph with others into to fewer, bigger groups, until everyone is doing the same thing in unison.

• Rhythm Challenge: With one unified rhythm, the group faces the same way. A challenger steps out, faces the group and proposes a new rhythm, which members can defect to or refuse. Larger group wins with new rhythm being adopted by everyone or no one, and then a new challenger steps out, and so on.

Image Theatre Games:

• Animal Ritual: Everyone is secretly assigned an animal. They all enter the space in the manner of each animal—moving, making noises, foraging for food, and eventually interacting. Before exiting, each animal must find their mate (hopefully) of the same species.
• 10 Seconds of Noticing: In pairs, one stands with eyes closed while the other sculpts themselves into a motionless Image. The other open the eyes for 10 seconds, then replicates the image to the best of their ability. Adjustments are made by the original sculptor before switching roles. Individual images can then evolve into group images, movements, or anything else that adds layers of nuance, language and fun to the exercise.

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