Sparking Imagination in the Drama Classroom

It can be difficult to get students to engage their imagination when participating in drama class. Whether it’s making big choices or fully committing to a scene, students are often reluctant to go “all in” when it comes to their imagination. Here are three ways to encourage your students to kick start their imaginations in your classroom.

Creative Prompt List

Sometimes the biggest challenge for students using their imagination is knowing where to start. New drama students are often intimidated when it comes time to use their imagination, especially when asked to make a suggestion or start a scene. You can help students free up their imagination by having a ready and available supply of creative prompts.

From clever journal prompts to unique improv starters, giving your students an imaginative head start will serve two purposes: It automatically engages their creativity, while at the same time it models the kind of original thinking that leads to more inventive input in games and activities. Click here to access dozens of creative prompts:

Playing the “What If”

Oftentimes, students will choose the “safest” route when it comes to playing games and scenes. If you’re trying to get your students to break out of ‘safe’ and into ‘creative,’ try playing the “What If.” The “What If” is a kind of guided “Yes, and…” where you accept the circumstances the student has presented and challenge them to explore and expand by asking “What If.”

For example, if your students are playing a scene between a mother and daughter in the mall, you could challenge them by saying, “What if instead of mother and daughter, you played the same scene as a scientist and alien?” or “What if instead of being in the mall, you are a mother and daughter at army headquarters?” Asking your students to imagine “What If” in the middle of a scene will require them to think about the scene in a very different way. As a bonus, you can engage your entire class’ imagination if you allow students who are not on stage to offer “What If” suggestions as well.

Masks and Puppets

Being on stage can leave students feeling exposed and self-conscious, and that is a huge factor in limiting creativity and imagination. A clever way to overcome this issue is to have students perform with masks or puppets. By using masks or puppets, you provide distance between the students and the characters they are playing, while at the same time asking them to engage their imagination.

That distance can provide students a sense of security that gives them permission to make bigger, more imaginative choices, because it isn’t “them” on stage. Both teachers AND students are often surprised by how creative performances can be when masks and puppets are involved!