Acting ideas for adults new to acting ?

Question

Hi, i am working with a group of people who are new to acting. does anyone have any ideas on simple acting exercises that we could try?

Many Thanjks

Answer 1

I think delving into improv is the best thing you can do. In my opinion if you can get people who are new to acting to open up to each other, to trust each other and be ok with everything not being planned out and scripted and especially getting used to the idea that not everything will be good but a surprising amount of it will be once they let go of themselves... they'll be more open to the world of acting, as it were. Aside from the rules of any particular improv game you may play, the main one is you can't say no. If someone says there's a purple pony behind you, then there is one and you need to turn around and deal with it. if you say, "No there isn't" it stops the flow of action immediately. Everything should be done in good taste (mostly) and everyone should be supportive no matter how bad something turns out, but usually it will end up being funny.

An easy and non threatening one to start with is one take on the ABC's. You can stand or sit in a circle and each take a turn adding a sentence to a story, but each progressive sentence must start with the next letter of the alphabet. It's really too much to list all the improv games and exercises here and all their little intricacies, but there are books widely available and websites with info. Try the links below and good luck!!!

Answer 2

Han F: I want to take classes from you! You are brilliant! Seriously, Try this: Tell a story. Have everyone write down the name of a story on a piece of paper. Examples, "Jimmy's New Puppy" "Susan's First Date" "Trip to the Zoo" "The Time Travelers" etc. Make them specific enough so that the theme is clear, but not so specific that there is only one way to go with them. Don't use something like "Susan's Bad First Date." Then stand in a circle. Have everyone tell the story two words at a time. Another way to do this is to have someone stand in the middle and point to someone and have them tell the story until they point to someone else. In this excercise it's important to listen and don't try to make a joke. Listen and respond truthfully and it will work. There are lots of these things that are fun and make you a better actor. If you like this one e-mail me and I'll send you some more.

Answer 3

Get the Stanislavski books on being not acting. There are three and it gives you all the techniques of acting.
Improvising is a good way too. Give them a scenario and then ask them to write the script, then act it out for the next lesson....not more than ten minutes long. They select who plays what role too.

Answer 4

Theatresports are fun. Either pick a bunch of themes for the evening, or ask people to bring an idea. E.g., an event in their life (either dramatic or funny), a personality type, an emotion, etc. Then break the party up into teams and they can either pick their topic, or draw from a hat or something, work together and present it to the rest of the party. Like a skit.

Answer 5

Fear Not The Ridiculous.

Be silly, childlike, and open to looking Stupid.

AAEEEOOUUUMMM mouth exercises. You will be surprised at how many people resist stretching out their faces.

Move! Chase imaginary Butterflies. Be a Monkey. Fight the Pirates with nothing more than a spoon.

Lie on your back and think of how happy you are.
Lie on your back and think of how miserable you are.

Laugh like the world is just about to end.

Cry like you did at your favorite movie.

Hold hands and do the Hokey Pokey.

That, my friend, is truly what It is all about.

Answer 6

get a copy of Impro by Keith Johnstone; loads in there; he's superb and very readable. It's a classic; easy to get hold of and not expensive. I like Augusto Boal's stuff too, he works in the community. Look at http://www.northernvisions.org/boal.htm
for an interesting interview with Boal.
Keith Johnstone has a website and leads workshops in the UK fairly often. (He's English but lives in the USA now.)

Answer 7

Warm up their voice and face with some 'aaaaa', 'eeee' 'iiiii' 'ooo', 'uuuu's and some 'crackle, plop, bang' repeated (you get the idea - anything that stretches the facial muscles)
For physical warm ups, do the old passing the box around, what's inside? thing (they have to act it out), or get them to say a silly sentance in a certain way. Eg, they all have to say "Cod and chips twice" in a sexy way.
Some ideas if nothing else!

Answer 8

Pick up a copy of Viola Spolin's "Improvisation for the Theatre." That should give you a wealth of ideas.

Answer 9

For Acting, I would recommend

http://www.hollywoodnorth.com