This week, all 4 of our ensembles kicked off the Fall Semester. We welcomed 2 new actors, 5 new facilitators, and a bunch of new games and activities as we started our journey into the enchanted forest.
The start of the semester is always a busy time for our programming team. Over the past few weeks, we hosted a training for new facilitators, and 3 separate group orientations for our ensembles’ actors and volunteers. We packed and sent 72 individual Story Kits full of visual aids, resources, crafts, and activities. We created visual aids, wrote up curriculum, and did a lot of paperwork. At last, the big moment arrived and we got to hold our first rehearsals!
The goal this week was for our ensembles to come together and get to know each other. Many actors have moved around to new days this semester, and we have several new folks joining us, so this first session is an important time to bond.
“T” is for TUESDAY!
As usual, we kicked off with a dance party and then we dove into our new warm up. This semester, we're journeying into an enchanted forest to meet the magical creatures who live there. In our special warm up, we get our bodies, breath, and voices ready for rehearsal while also exploring the forest one sense at a time. We end gathered around the campfire ready to tell our stories.
The Monday B ensemble makes a Soundscape of different creatures in the forest like buzzing bugs, hooting owls, babbling brooks, and whooshing wind.
We spent a long time on check in this week. We met with small groups in breakout rooms and chatted to find things we had in common. Not surprisingly, many folks were wearing their new ultra-soft Forms of Things Unknown tshirts. But we also bonded over things like favorite foods, favorite songs, having pets or siblings, or favorite hobbies.
The rest of this week was devoted to games and activities that would help us get to know each other, and also lay the groundwork for the skills we’ll need to devise our original stories this semester. In one game, we transformed into different animals in the forest. We became pandas, snakes, skunks, birds, giraffes, and so much more. This game not only helped us move and use our imaginations, it was also a fun way to learn each other’s names.
The Monday A Ensemble shows off their animals. Can you spot Anna the Monkey, Ryan the duck, or Marty the Cobra?
One of our favorite games was called “This is A…” We asked everyone to bring a plain cup to rehearsal and took turns imagining all the things it could be. Marty turned is cup into a time machine. Peter turned his into goggles. Our cups also turned into Megaphones, Pirate Hooks, Shoes, Hats, Horns, Seashells, and even a big Zit on someone’s chin! This kind of imagination and divergent thinking will help us as we devise our stories. It can also help with imagining costumes and props as we bring our tales to life!
The Sunday ensemble wears their cups as party hats.
We took some time for other Zoom favorites like Find Your Frame, and most of us also got to take a nice long check out to reflect on what we enjoyed and what has us excited by this semester. There’s so much to look forward to. Be sure to check back every week to see more from our rehearsals and watch our stories take shape.
