How can i act a scene of a hostage-taker?

Question

I have this idea that i don't know how to perform it. I want to teach my class, 27 students, how to act when they're subject to being hostages, and I want them to feel being hostages. How can I do that in a fun interesting manner? Any super ideas?

Answer 1

There's a documentary called "Bus 174" about a hostage situation in Rio de Janiero. I considered showing it to my college geography class. In the end, I weighed the cost of traumatising them against the actual knowledge they would gain. I concluded that, while the information was important, the content wasn't actually geographic enough to justify the trauma to my students. I think that you should watch this film, I don't know if you should show it to your students.

As far as making this lesson fun and interesting? I can't help but think of that old psychology experiment where some college students acted as prison guards and became brutal and sadistic. I think you need to keep the "fun" part of your lessons far, far from the "hostage taking" part.

And any thoughts you may have of presenting a role play without telling your students it's a role play? Do not go there. Don't go anywhere near there.