Two Favourite First Rehearsal Activities

I love starting the rehearsal process on a new show! There is so much promise and energy in the room when the performers come together for the first time. And of course, I want to focus that energy into a working ensemble. During that first rehearsal, my highest priority is to get the actors to start thinking, and working, as a singular cast as quickly as possible. Here are two first rehearsal activities I use to help my cast start the process of becoming an ensemble.

1 to 20

This is a simple but challenging activity. Sit the cast in a circle and tell them the objective is to count from 1 to 20. The catch is they can’t do it consecutively around the circle. And they can’t try to coordinate the order through any kind of obvious communication. Once the first number is spoken, any person can say the next number, and the next number, and so on, until they reach 20. However, if two people say a number at the same time, the game resets, the number goes back to 1, and the counting starts again. It can be surprisingly challenging for a group of people to successfully count to 20 if they are not focused on what is happening in the group, so encourage your cast to really pay attention to their fellow castmates and what is happening in the moment.

WHY USE IT: This activity creates the foundations for a functioning ensemble and establishes the expectation of social and situational awareness throughout the rehearsal process. As an added challenge, you can have your actors close their eyes and try to get to 20 focusing only on the energy of the group.

Keep It Up

This is another simple but effective ensemble building activity. Have the cast stand in a circle on the stage or your designated rehearsal area. Blow up a balloon, bounce it into the air, and challenge the cast to keep it in the air as long as they can. When the balloon touches the ground, the game is over. Tell them that no person can touch the balloon twice in a row, but that they are free to move around the stage as long as they do so SAFELY. Have the entire cast shout out the number of times the balloon is touched: ONE!...TWO!...THREE!...and so on. Encourage the cast to support each other towards the common goal of keeping the balloon in the air as long as possible.

WHY USE IT: This game quickly turns a diverse group of people into a team. Better still, this activity can reinforce ensemble throughout the rehearsal process by making it an ongoing warm-up. Challenge the group to break their record each time they play, and emphasize encouragement and support throughout the process.