Julius Caesar • 2013 - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
Either ask your students to partner up, or count them off in pairs. Ask them to sit, comfortably facing their partner, in fairly close
proximity. Explain to them that they are mirrors of each other. One partner will begin as the leader, and the other partner will
move as their reflection. Explain that they must begin by using smaller, slower movements, and work up to the maximum range
of movement that their partner can follow. Encourage the partners to make eye-contact and see each other as a whole picture,
rather than following each other’s small motions with their eyes. Switch leaders and repeat. After the second leader has had a
turn, ask the students to stand and increase their range of movement. Switch leaders and repeat. After the second leader has
had a turn, tell them that they should keep going, but there is no leader. See what happens, and then discuss.
COMMUNITY BUILDERS
Each of these exercises is meant to open and expand our imaginations, increase our sense of “ensemble” or teamwork,
and encourage being “in the moment.” These are some of the most fundamental and crucial elements of an actor’s
training—and, of course, they are fundamental, too, to the learning process in the classroom.
Four Up
(This exercise takes about five minutes, but can also be extended.)
✪ helps the ensemble work together
✪ helps to slowly introduce physical activities in the classroom
✪ helps to bring focus to the classroom
For this game, everyone should be seated; it would be fine for the students to stay seated at their desks. The goal of
this game is to have four people standing at all times. There are a few rules—everyone can stand up whenever they
want, but only four should be standing at a time and they can only stand up for a maximum of 5 seconds. Finally everyone
needs to pay attention to each other and everybody should participate and try to stand with a group of four.
A sense of community and having a strong focus can be the keys to a successful production (and classroom too!). This
exercise can help to establish those things in a fun way that is also getting the students up on their feet.
Zing! Ball
(This exercise lasts about five minutes and requires a soft ball about 8-12 inches in diameter.)
✪ helps the ensemble grow together
✪ helps the students let go of their internal “censor” and begin tapping into their impulses
✪ brings the physical and the vocal actor tools together
Ask the students to stand in a circle, facing in. Explain that the ball carries with it energy. This energy is like a feedback
loop that increases the energy, speed, and focus of the entire group by the amount that each actor-student puts into
the ball. The idea is to keep the ball moving in the circle without letting the energy drop. There should be no space
between throw and catch. There should be no thought as to whom the student will throw the ball to next. As the ball is
thrown, to keep the intensity of the energy, the student must make eye contact with the person he is throwing the ball
to, and at the moment of release, the person throwing should say “Zing!” Note: Encourage the students to experiment
with the way they say “Zing!” It could be loud or soft, in a character voice, or in whatever way they wish, as long as it
is impulsive and with energy.
Shakespeare has love scenes, sword fights, betrayals, and all sorts of relationships in his plays. They must be able
to experiment, follow their impulses, and create character without the fear of failure.
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