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All Ages The Illusion of the First Time: A Theater Exercise

FivebyFive

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May 2, 2014
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One of my favorite things to do with kids, especially theater students and even adult learners in theater is to play a devious trick on them to teach them what actors call, "The Illusion of the First Time." It's not just for actors, however, it's a great observational exercise for everyone.

Grab a group of students and have them leave the room while the other half of the class observes. Then tell them before they enter they will be asked to count something in the room. They can be asked to count ceiling tiles, how many times they see the color red, etc. Then ask them each how many items they counted.

The answer isn't important. Do not give them one.

Ask them to leave the room again and return, then ask them the exact same question.

Now do it a third time.

Afterwards explain a bit about acting. On the stage we need to pretend that everything that we're doing, no matter how many times we've read something, no matter how many times we've performed something needs to look as if we'd done it the first time.

Finally have them to it a fourth time and this time warn them to act as if it's the first time they're doing it.
 
Acting in general imbues self confidence to learners. This method of teaching is used where students need to harness their creative faculties like debating clubs, singing and acting in general. One method related to this is hot seating. It involves nominating a student to infront of class. He or she poses questions to other students and vice versa. This encourages them to be academically alert. These methods should be impromptu.
 
What an interesting idea for any classroom. My university has done something similar with teaching dancers (my major) about the spaces we dwell in and to be more perceptive to what surrounds us. We are asked to view every object in the room as something we've never seen before. How would we react to a trash bin if we've never seen one? How do we fill it? What sound does it make? Being aware of one's environment and the other people inhabiting it is essential, I feel, for building community. In acting, dancing, writing, and any other subject, to look at something as if we have no idea what it is instills a sense of curiosity. It's like a splash of cold water in the morning to wake up our brains.
 
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