THEATRE GAME: STATUE CRITICS

Instructions

1) Without the two critics watching, the remaining actors spread out in an open area and freeze as though they have become a posed statue. The statue should be of an animal, person with a hobby/career, or some type of animated object.
--> Examples: dog, skier, musician, jack-in-the-box.

2) When all the statues are frozen, the two critics should stroll around until they find a statue to critique. As the two improvise dialogue about the statue, artistic meaning, details about the sculpture etc, the statue in reference should become animated in pantomime. The statue and critiques can react to one another; however, the statue may not use sounds or words. The critique should conclude within a minute and the two critics should stroll around to find a second statue to critique.

3) The critics and the second statue should repeat the process of reacting to one another while improvising; concluding the improvised dialogue and pantomime within a minute.

4) As the second critique is complete, the critics wander to an open space and become statues themselves. The statues that were critiqued become the two new critics, and the entire process repeats using differing actors in the roles of critiques and statues.

5) The exercise is continued until every actor has had the opportunity to be a critic as well as an animated statue.

6) After the exercise is complete, all actors should sit in a circle and debrief. Each actor should be given the opportunity to explain what he/she was expressing through his or her statue.

~ Actors should comment positively on successful improvisation as well as offer helpful suggests to one another. Actors should also be encouraged to praise statues that maintained poses of interest without breaking their focus during the frozen position. They should feel comfortable in sharing their strengths and weaknesses during this exercise.