Rebecca Havu

Acting 101 PHIT

Lesson 1
Intro to Class
Basic Acting Techniques
Want vs. Need

Hook/Warm-Up: Name Ball 10 mins 4:05-4:15

Toss ball to another person while saying your name
Toss ball to another person while saying their name
Toss ball to another person while saying your favorite person
(If they have a good handle) Toss ball to another person while saying your favorite animal
Cool down 10 mins: Syllabus 4:15-4:25
“Talk about how this class we are mostly going to study technique, script analysis, and
connecting thought and emotion to text. Talk about the importance of training yourself
physically and vocally but that we won’t be covering that much in this class, but I am always
open to helping you find resources to train and talk about certain methods, ideologies. We
won’t be studying any one particular acting method in this class, I will be pulling from different
things that I feel work best for me but also feel free if something really excites you, to ask me
more about it. We are also going to be working from theater scripts, mostly from American
contemporary plays, but the work we’ll be doing will be applicable from Shakespeare to more
subtle film work.“

Boal Handshake 10 mins 4:25-4:35

Shake hands with everyone in the room. Look them in the eye and introduce yourself, and tell
them one thing you hope to gain from the class.
Cool down: Everyone say something that someone else said

Spectrum 10 mins 4:35-4:45

Stand in opposite corners of the space depending on whether you agree/disagree with the
following statements
Introvert/Extrovert
Risk taker/Safe (bystander)
Experienced/Not experienced
Attention seeker/shadows

Writing exercise 20 min 4:45-5:05

Write for 5 minutes about a time you were trying to accomplish something (worksheet
included in folder). Get a new job, get somebody to give you something, make someone feel a
certain way, change something about a situation you were in, etc. Could have been successful,
could have failed. Direct the students to answer these questions in their writing: (warn them
they might be reading this out loud) High stakes
● What was your goal? (objective)
● Why did you want to accomplish this? (Given Circumstance)
● What steps did they take to accomplish it? (What were their tactics?)
● What stood in your way? (Obstacle)
● What was the outcome? (Did the tactics work?)

Pair up and read each other’s stories. Choose one and create a 3 scene tableau that shows what
the objective was, what the obstacle was, and what the tactic was. Then, do the same for the
other. Walk around the performing pair and talk about:
● What were some of the different outcomes you heard from students’ writing?
● What were some tactics that they used to accomplish their objective?
● What are some persuasive devices VERBS we use to attain our goals? (bargaining,
guilting, begging)

5 minute Break 5:05-5:10

By Any Means Necessary 20 min 5:10-5:30

Place two chairs in the front of the room. Ask for two volunteers to come sit in these
chairs. Ask the rest of the class to decide the characters relationships to each other and where
they are. Then explain that one of these people really wants to get up and leave, and the other
person really wants them to stay. Now both characters have very strong objectives. Using logic
and conversation (not physical force), one character explains why they must leave the scene
that moment and the other character explains why that person needs to stay.
Afterwards, discuss tactics we saw each character use to get what they want.

Movement Exercise 10 min 5:30-5:40

Mill about the space. You’re walking at a 5. Walk at an 8. Walk at a 3.
Walk like a young person. Walk like an old person. Walk like someone of the opposite gender.
Outside in: Walk with your right shoulder. Walk with your left shoulder. Walk with your right
hip. Walk with your left hip. Pick another body part, walk with that part. Think of the type of
character who would walk like that. Start to say “hi” in that character’s voice. Star softly, then
say that hello to other people in the space.
Inside Out: Walk like someone who just lost their job. Walk like someone who just got a new
puppy. Walk like someone who just got broken up with. Go back to your first character. Imagine
how they would walk under that circumstance.

Assign: Character Observations 10 min 5:40-5:50

1. Observe someone in real life. Notice how they hold themselves physically, how they
move. Imagine what their clothes feel like on their back, what they smell, what they
taste. Notice if they move fast, slow. Notice the rhythm of their movement.
2. Embody them physically… First inside-out. Try to replicate their mannerisms exactly as
they perform a task. Then I want you to think about where they come from, what they
want. Doing a simple task. How does a retired school teacher from South Philly drink
coffee differently than an international student about to take an exam to get into law
school? You can either make up the task or do a task you actually saw your person
complete. Two minutes. *If you need props, please bring them.