Preparation and warm-up
General preparation exercises or "warm-ups" have nothing to do with the play yet. With different kinds of movements and games, concentration and imagination can be promoted and the community and trust between the actors can be strengthened.
Warm-ups should always be done so that the students are concentrated and motivated for the rehearsal. There are many different ways to warm up! All the exercises in the collection are suitable. Below you will find a selection of exercises that are particularly suitable as warm-ups for rehearsals.
Movement
Conscious but natural movements are a basic requirement for convincing theatre performance. Movement exercises at the beginning of the rehearsal unit promote a feeling for one's own body and for a confident stage performance.
Voice improvisation
Even in everyday life, we use our voice all the time. We use volume, timbre and tempo depending on the situation and mood. If we want to use our voice convincingly on stage, we have to be aware of its possibilities and practise using it intensively. There are specific improvisation exercises for this.
Concentration
Concentration games focus creative energy and expand the receptiveness that underlies acting work. Concentration can be practised. Only those who leave the distractions of everyday life behind will be able to grow convincingly into their roles and create an acting whole with the other actors.
Imagination
Every person has imagination. Fantasy exercises facilitate access to one's own creativity and help to be able to express it. Especially when working on scenes, imagination plays a decisive role. The possibilities of imagination - how to create a role - are limitless. Only those who bring their dreams and thoughts fully into their role will be convincing.
Trust exercises
Trust plays promote group cohesion and the individual sense of community that precedes interaction on stage. The participants in a play, from the actor to the set designer to the director, must be able to fully rely on their colleagues. This involves getting to know each other. Everyone should know the strengths and weaknesses of the others and, if necessary, compensate for them. This will make the actors appear confident and natural in their dealings with each other. Once trust and togetherness have been established in the group, the theatre play can begin. Constant work on trust is necessary. Only with mutual trust can the individual develop freely.
In theatre playing, as in many games, it is a matter of: One for all, all for one.
Improvisations
During preparation, we often work with improvisations that have nothing to do with the play, but rather with everyday situations or the portrayal of great feelings such as love, anger, hate, jealousy... Improvisations are the first step onto the stage. In improvisations there are actors and spectators. Improvisation is not about right or wrong, but about building courage and overcoming inhibitions.
Each scene has its own improvisation instructions.