spontaneity

Blocking in improvisation sceene

Micestro

What does it mean micestro match?

In the micestro a large group of theatersports players sit at the side. They do not know who is going to play with whom, or even what kind of game. In the beginning all the players are introduced. Then papers with names of all players are placed in a hat and for each game names are randomly drawn. The game tempo is high, a lot of games could be played, without the normal explanation of judges and challenges etc. Points are given by the public, who could shout the points.
After a while players with least points fell off. Not fair, because a good player in a lower graded scene can drop out quickly. At the end there are two players left and they present monologues. 'The big cheese' a pricepackage of goodies, cheesesnacks and all kind of yellow is awarded at the end to the winner.

theatersports. how did i get into it

Once upon a time in one small land of thousand channels in one small farmers' village people decided to found the big university to bring fresh wind of change to sleeping beauty of country-side. Many smart young people from all over the world boldly came there to become Masters of their domain. The life in a village was quite borring for young and smart and so they created a huge amount of clubs when people with different interests can meet and have fun. Climbing, wind-surfing, gymnastics, foto-club, tv-makers, modern dance, ball-room dance, horse-riding, taekwondo, ..., theater. Wow, the life is pure excitement!

..."Yes, I think it's a great idea to film some lessons of theatersports", - told Michiel, - "Maybe in the future we can make a documentary about it, many people doesn't know how much theatersports can make the life fun. We can shoot special lessons for family and show them on a TV. Or maybe we can even make a festival of theatersporters from all over the world and then...."

...31 july 2009. University of Twente, open amphitheater. Prodeo English. Extra classes by Michiel Rutte. Piece of the lesson about emotions with 'emotional rollercoaster' scenes.

some documentation about games and excersises www.improvencyclopedia.org is a nice site.

Drama as Self-improvement

I was embarrased that I could be identified in the twilight by my strange walk, that I couldn't catch, that I threw like a girl, that if you put me into water sank. I thought that my ideas weren't worth listening to (not realizing that my speech was often unintelliglible). I was so socially inept that if I forgot something I'd have to walk around the block to fetch it - not wanting to be seen as lunatic striding aimlessly about.

Posture training might have helped but the gym teacher favoured the athletes; singing would have improved my breathing, but I was told just to open my mouth in time with others; relaxation excercises could have loosened me up, but I was urged to "try harder'. Our teachers wanted us to bring "honour" to the school and Quasimodo had been a fine cricketer they'd have been delighted, but they'd have done nothing about the hump.

One might imagine that social preassure would remove aberrations; but contact with other people is stressful (our blood preassure goes up every time someone enters the room), and whatever lowers our anxiety soon becomes engrained. If a fake smile does the trick, or a tight mouth, or planning what to say instead of listening, we'll repeat this behaviour untill we'r convinced that it's "us", just as we believe that our posture and voice are "us".

I remember being held in "detention" and fuming at school's refusal to help me: "So I can't get my tongue round the words, so I lumber like a bear - why isn't that my teachers' responsibility? What's so important about the number of sheep in Tierra del Fuego in 1936 compared to being human? What about relationships? What about shyness? What about fear? Why complain that I needed speech therapy but not tell me what it is or how to get it?

I yearned for something that might have been called Drama as Self-improvement, and I was right to yearn it. If my weight could have been shifted on to my bones my muscles wouldn't have had to keep holding me up. And if I could have learned to "let go ". and to speak clearly, I wouldn't have been so tormented.

Geography students can have tight eyes, and maths students can slur their speech, and this isn't thought relevant, but drama has to consider the whole person. A drama teacher (who isn't overwhelmed by some mammoth production at the end of the school year) can let students experiment with different "selves": the shy can become confident, and the hysterical more at ease. No academic who understands this can dismiss drama as "one of the frills"...

...By happenstance I've spent my life teaching the skills that my teachers had ignored. I encourage negative people to be positive, and clever people to be obvious, and anxious people not to do their best. People are surprised when I give as much attention to the "klutzes" as to the "talented" players.

Keith Johnstone. Impro for Storytellers