XCITING 
CCASIONS
XCITING CCASIONS
Drama Day An improvisational, inter-generational activity
Featured "Occasional" Links: Multicultural Games; Baha'i 19-Day Feast Ideas; and an Improv Resource Link
"My God, my Fire and my Light! The days which Thou hast named the Ayyám-I-Há (the Days of Há, Intercalary days) in Thy Book have begun, O Thou Who art the King of names, and the fast which Thy most exalted Pen hath enjoined unto all who are in the kingdom of Thy creation to observe is approaching. I entreat Thee, O my Lord, by these days and by all such as have during that period clung to the cord of Thy commandments, and laid hold on the handle of Thy precepts, to grant that unto every soul may be assigned a place within the precincts of Thy court, and a seat at the revelation of the splendors of the light of Thy countenance." --Bahá'u'lláh (Prayers and Meditations, pp. 65-66)
An improvisational, inter-generational activity that requires some preparation but almost no clean up! Based on an idea presented at the New York City Baha'i Center by Mr. Shidan Majidi, adapted by Laurie Early for the Solomon R.G. Hilton Baha'i School 2001.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR FACILITATORS
Note: This is a 2 to 2-1/2 hour activity for 50-75 people. To figure out how much time you will need for this activity, for group sizes that differ from this, allow a minimum of 1 hour (for introduction, group assignment, and rehearsal time) with an additional 7 minutes per group, of 5-7 participants, for staging.
In our New York City community, an announcement was made asking everyone to attend a Talent Show with "Special Surprise Guests". After the house lights were dimmed and the curtain opened, there was no one on the stage - the lights came back up and the facilitator came out and announced that the AUDIENCE was the "special surprise guests" and that they would be performing for each other.
At the New York City community event we also had guest "Celebrity Judges" from New York City theatre and television industry that came and decided who would win the Best Actor, Actress, Director, and Production awards. During the performance portion of the event a video was shown that introduced the judges and showed clips of them at work - very impressive! After all the performances were completed and the judges had time to decide the winners, small Oscar-like statues were presented and the winners gave impromptu acceptance speeches. (If you wish to add this to your event add an extra 30-45 minutes to allow decision time and speechmaking to your program.) At the Solomon R. G. Hilton Baha'i School we did not have judges and there was some mystery as to what would be taking place but the students did not attend expecting a Talent Show.
(These are suggested guidelines for a group of 50, modify these numbers for smaller or larger groups.)
Choose 10 fairytales, Aesops fables, or other commonly known stories. Print out copies of the story from the internet or borrow small children's books from your local library. Assign each one a number from 1-10.
- Cinderella
- Goldilocks & the 3 Bears
- Jack & the Beanstalk
- Little Red Riding Hood
- Snow White & the Seven Dwarves
- The 3 Billy Goats Gruff
- The 3 Little Pigs
- The Emperor's New Clothes
- The Lion & the Mouse
- The Princess & the Pea
- The Ugly Duckling
- Androcles & the Lion
- Beauty & the Beast
Choose 10 Setting locations and write each one on a separate slip of paper. Place in a basket or other container labeled "SETTING".
- Japan
- The Southern United States
- Hawaii
- England
- Italy
- Germany
- The Gambia (Africa)
- India
- Australia
- The "inner city"
- The Shopping Mall (Anytown, U.S.A.)
- At the Beach
- Tennis Match (Olympics; or other Sporting Event)
Choose 10 production genres and write each one on a separate slip of paper. Place in a basket or other container labeled "GENRE".
- Ballet
- Broadway Show
- Musical Comedy
- Drama
- Silent Movie (with or with/out Narration)
- Western
- Documentary (or News Report)
- Talk Show
- Masterpiece Theatre
- Music Video
- Puppet Show
- Soap Opera
- Infomercial
- Opera
Prepare paper lots or sticker labels in groups of 5-7 to separate participants. For example if you have a total of 50 people in your group you would make 5 of each number 1-10. As people enter the staging area you can hand them a lot and ask them to take their seats, alternatively, after everyone is seated you can pass a basket of lots around for people to pick from. If small children & infants are present, hand the lots to their parents only and let them know that their child will automatically be in their group as they need to supervise them.
Earlier in the day, prepare or plan 10-12 rehearsal locations for each group to rehearse undisturbed for 25-30 minutes. There is space on the group instruction form to write in the rehearsal area assignment. Alternatively, you can post a large sign at each place with the group number. Because the weather was so lovely and there was so much outdoor space at the summer school I did not have to assign areas - groups located private spots on their own.
I prepared a numbered folder for each group that contained a printout of the story (for people to review if needed), a copy of the instructions.
I suggest you also prepare a sheet of paper that lists all the numbered stories that has spaces for you to note which setting and genre are picked for each. This will make announcing each act easier during the performance section of the event.
Time frame: Allow 15 minutes for Introduction of event; 30 minutes for Rehearsal; and at least 5 minutes per group for Performance, for an approximate total of 2 hours+.
Call each numbered group up to the front in turn and:
1. give them their folder containing a copy of their assigned story, the story that matches their number, and an instruction sheet;
2. have someone in the group pull a slip of paper out of the GENRE basket and read it aloud to the audience;
3. have another person in the group pull a slip of paper out of the SETTINGS basket and read it aloud to the audience.
Thank the group tell them where their rehearsal area is. Remind them they have 30 minutes to rehearse.
While the groups are rehearsing the facilitator should drift around making sure they are okay. Make announcements of time remaining at the 15 and 5-minute points. After the 30 minutes has elapsed, give a "roll call" to make sure all the groups have returned to their seats before you begin the performances.
INSTRUCTIONS:
YOU WILL BE REHEARSING IN AREA:
The main RULES are to HAVE FUN and PARTICIPATE!
You have 20-30 minutes to rehearse your story. This should give you enough time to do the following:
1. Go over the story you have been given - make sure everyone is familiar with it. You do not have to stage the entire story - choose one or two moments from it if you'd like.
2. Go over the Setting you have chosen - is it hot or cold there, what language or accent would you have, what landmarks are there? What props from the original story could you change to reflect your chosen setting? Please don't worry about getting the language or accent right - have fun with it.
3. Discuss the Genre you have chosen. Think about how you will stage your story. Will you all have lines? Will some of you be props instead of people? How about background music or noise?
4. Choose a director and decide who will play what part. If you have people left over would they like to be parts of the set such as trees or sides of a doorway, etc? (Anyone who is ill can take a seat and be part of the audience.)
5. Try running through your production a few times, it should be about 5 minutes in length.
6. Extra credit if you can incorporate a Baha'i quote or principle into your staging.
Any questions? Ask [insert Facilitator's Name]
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