Date: Fri 17-Jul-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: MICHEL

Quick Words:

imrovisation-Dana-Sachs

Full Text:

Kids Work Out Their Creativity Through Improvisation

(with cuts)

BY MICHELE HOGAN

Dana Sachs, theater arts teacher, shows that children's plays can be so much

more than "learning your lines." Starting with eight children who signed up

for improvisation in the SMART program, Dana guides them in creating

characters, setting and plot.

In the two short weeks of classes the children develop sensitivity, creativity

and thinking skills. And, they also have a great show to perform for their

friends and families.

According to Dana, the real product is not what the kids do on stage on the

last day of the program, but rather the learning process the kids go through

as they make up the play. While kids set the scene, invent characters, act out

roles, create a problem and find a resolution, they get an inside view of the

structure of a play.

This structure is not only analogous to novels of all kinds, but also,

according to Dana, gives the kids a starting point for understanding and

resolving problems in many areas of life.

Everyday problems often require a willingness to take risks, an ability to

think on-the-spot and an openness to collaboration. So does acting.

And, according to Dana, it isn't always easy. Dana said, "It takes courage to

be creative. Acting is an intimate thing."

To help kids get the courage to take risks Dana has them play one of several

fun theater games.

Theater Game

One theater game called "What Are You Doing?" requires that kids act one thing

while saying they are doing another. Dana pantomimed tying his shoe and

blurted out "I'm flying a kite." The next person pantomimed flying a kite,

while saying "I'm playing baseball." And around the circle it goes.

The challenge, silliness and spontaneity of the exercise brought the group

together. Before long the kids in the theater group were comfortable together,

and they also had some ideas for what they might like to have in a play.

The improvisation theater group for kindergarten to third grade (Session I,

July 6 - 17) came up with this story line for their production.

An eight-year-old girl would accidentally get locked in her father's toy store

overnight. Her uneasiness would turn to fear, as she saw the toys come to life

and surround her.

But the toys meant no harm. In the story, they would actually help her in her

futile attempts to find a way out of the toy store.

The problem would finally be resolved when the girl's parents arrive and find

their daughter safe and sound. She would be relieved to be rescued, but also

frustrated. The adults would refuse to believe toys could become real, even

though she knew it was true.

The girls and boys refined and elaborated on the plot, then went on to choose

their characters.

While the girls sat contentedly discussing how panda bears, gorillas and robot

toys could fit into the storyline, the boys bounced around acting out their

respective parts. Dana said the girls got so frustrated they started asking

"Can we do two plays? The boys are impossible to work with."

Balancing time for talk with time for action, Dana brought the group together.

He asked the kids to think about a character, then act out essential qualities

of that character. As ninja warriors, girls and boys crouched, leaped,

cartwheeled and held defensive positions.

Interns Tracy Mulholland and James Dunseith jotted down notes of the best

moves and reviewed them with the group. Zachary Richter, the real ninja

warrior in the play, picked up moves from Margaret Riley, Stephanie Bonacci

and Zachary Gordon.

This was followed by a stage full of men-in-black, robots, then GI Joes, until

each actor and actress had found essential qualities of the character they

chose to portray.

Impatient To Practice

Brimming with ideas, the kids were impatient to practice the whole play.

Tracy, playing the girl locked in the toy store, woke up under a toy shelf.

She got up and said in a scared voice, "I can't see. Is this my store? I'm all

alone. Daddy, where are you?"

Dana interjected "She's not going to find the light, or is she? Tracy could

find the light, or one of you could, which would scare her."

Briana Berg, as the computerized robot toy, said "I will. Can I?"

The group discusses the options and comes up with even better ones. Tracy

would find the light herself, and when she turned it on the toys would come to

life and gather around her.

Derek Calderara (AKA GI Joe) said "Then I ask her, `What are you doing here?'"

And I say, "She's not a toy!" blurted Max, the cowboy.

Dana said "Good. She shouldn't be there. Each person, what is the first thing

your character would say? You're surprised to find her there."

Daniel DeLaVega, the tiger, said, "It's the owner's daughter!" The baby panda

bear, Margaret, just gasped.

Then they tried it. Tracy turned on the light and each person said their line

while approaching Tracy.

It was loud. It was over in three seconds. And you couldn't make out anything

anyone said.

Margaret recognized this and said, "We shouldn't say it all at the same time."

Dana simply said, "Try this. Everyone say their line very slowly, twice.

That'll work."

They tried it, and it did. The oddly slowed-down speech riveted the audience,

the repetition gave them a chance to hear a few phrases, and the actors had

time to move into position around the girl while they spoke.

Tracy is surrounded, looking frightened. Now what? The kids know they need to

find a way to show Tracy they mean her no harm. The kids decide to offer to

help Tracy find a way out of the store.

Max Muraskiewicz, the cowboy, said he could find a wire to try to unlock the

door. Margaret offered the bamboo from her panda bear. Stephanie suggested a

window that is too high, or too small, for the girl to fit through.

Dana seemed pleased that the suggestions fit the children's respective

characters and reminded the group that no matter how the toys tried, Tracy had

to remain locked in the toy store, so her parents could rescue her in the end.

Zachary Richter, the ninja, offered to use his sword, and Stephanie, the

gorilla, said she was strong so she could try to break the door down.

Problem-Solving

Afterward, Dana said that this is problem-solving. He said, "They can use this

in the board room, at a cocktail party, if their car breaks down. They learn

how to take what you have and do something with it."

"If you have a plumbing problem, you call a plumber. If you have a

relationship problem, a problem with your boss, what do you do? Unsatisfied

adults are people who feel stuck in a situation where they don't see the

possibilities for change or expansion. They feel locked-in. They feel despair.

All the arts are a recognition of what is within, techniques for taking what

is within and trying to fix things yourself."

Dana went on to say that "theater is a safe way to take who you are, and

project it on an actor." He said he loves to watch for the time when kids

start to realize "I can be myself up there, but nobody knows it." He said this

usually happens around fifth or sixth grade, but sometimes much earlier. They

develop a sensitivity to others and an ability to "look beyond the surface."

The other program that Dana runs at SMART is an intensive play production

class for fourth to seventh grade students.

The improvisation and intensive play are two of roughly two dozen programs

celebrating the arts organized by Diane Thompson of Newtown Continuing

Education for summer enrichment.

During the school year, Dana teaches at the co-op high school in New Haven, an

arts magnet school which focuses on integrating arts into the curriculum.

Dana said that drama is a highly effective technique not only for exploring

human dynamics in plays, but also for acting out historical events and even

understanding scientific concepts.

Dana recounted recently bumping into a student he had taught 20 years ago, and

the first thing his former student said was "I still remember when I was an

amoeba in your class."