Give and Take

Exercise Intermediate 20 min 2–6

Description

In this exercise, participants engage in a scene while focusing on the dynamics of giving and taking energy from each other. Players must respond to the side coaching provided throughout the exercise.

As the director offers prompts like 'Give!' and 'Take!', players should adjust their performance based on these cues, fostering an interactive and dynamic scene.

Setup Requirements

Open space to perform a scene with minimal distractions.

Point of Concentration

Be attentive to the side coaching and each other’s energy.

Side Coaching

Give!
Take!
Give and Take!

Points of Observation

Watch for abrupt changes in character tone.
Monitor the energy levels and focus between players.
Observe genuine emotional changes due to give and take.

Evaluation

Did you feel a rise in energy when directed?
Did the material intensify as a result of the exercise?
Were the character traits developed clearly?
Did the scene maintain improvisational flow?
Did you experience true improvisation?

Examples

Example lines for a scene:

Player 1: "I can’t believe you did that!"
Player 2: "Well, you pushed me first!"