We traveled to Pig Iron Theatre Company’s school in Philly. It was a very eccentric theatre experience! When we got there, we took off our shoes and socks and got to work. We started the morning with games that inspired creativity and helped us work on our stage “presence.” We moved into trust exercises and then on to an activity called “Five Frames.” We took familiar stories and broke them down into five images, and from there we made our own plays. After lunch, we listened to a piece of music and discussed what images it brought to mind. We then divided into groups to create “plays” set to the music. It was amazing how well we were able to pull together those plays with a limited time to plan. It really showed our improvisation skills! We ended by learning about Commedia Dell’arte, specifically working with masks to create characters. We took turns playing stock characters like Arlecchino, Il Capitano, Pantalone, and Il Dottore. It was an unusual day full of new and exciting experiences, and it turned out to be lots of fun!
