(Bilde via Theater Game #28)
We warm-up to
- focus on the here and now – including mindful awareness of the body, the breath, the room, and the other breathing bodies in a shared space
- get the body (including the speech apparatus) ready for ease of movement: move the synovial fluid around the joints, warm the large muscles so they can fully extend without injury, and remind the boy how to experiment with a moving center of gravity/balance
- sharpen attention and establish communication with the other actors
- create trust and spark imagination – remind ourselves to say “yes”
You may want to adjust your warm-up according to the kind of work you will be doing in a rehearsal session. There is also a possible psychological advantage of using the same sequence of exercises for ever session to create a ritual – a cue for a habit.
One example of a warm-up routine:
- Seated square breathing with eyes closed.
- Stanislavski’s circles of awareness (Breath, Body, Person next to you, Room, Outside the Room).
- Dying cockroach
- Yoga flow (link to Ren’s) – I do not recommend Ashtanga Sun Salutation.
- Walking in a circle: hop, stop or turn – or “Triplets”
- Vocal Warm-up
- Twyla Tharp’s Eggs
Other suggestions: