Creating Characters
by Meg Moffat
Description:
This workshop can be used in any setting for creating characters such as acting, creative writing or playwriting.
Workshop Directions:
Warm up activities:
Circle of names of Belo Horizonte (pg 107)
In a circle, each member steps in the center and makes a rhythmic gesture while pronouncing their name and a word which uses the same first letter as their name and which, according to the player, suits their personality. After she does this once, the group repeats it twice and then she joins the circle and the next person goes. The second time around, each player steps into the circle doing nothing and waits until the group is performing the correct gesture. When they do, the player joins them and then steps back into the circle.
Mini-discussion: In this group, most of us are strangers to each other. What do we know about each of the "characters" in the room after this short activity? What do we not know about these characters at this point?
Where were you when___?
In groups of 3-4, players will silently perform the "ritual" of what they do at a specific time of the day that the class agrees on (dinner time, getting up in the morning, 4pm...etc.). After everyone in the group has taken a few minutes to show the ritual to the others, they discuss.
Mini discussion: What did you learn about each other through watching what they do? How does knowing how they prepare dinner or get ready for the day inform their character or what does it infer about their character? How could this information be useful in acting? In creative writing?
Character beginnings:
Now that we have a better sense of what makes up character, let's create new ones!
Imitating Others (Boal 74) with sticky note characters
Give everyone a sticky note and have them write a name age and occupation. For this first activity, they will simply walk and move and think and act like this person that they have in mind, whether a real or invented person. How would this person speak? What do they do with their time?
Cocktail Party
Turn to conversations. As you come to a person, create a conversation with them as this character. Where are they from? What do they like to do? Continue to move and think like this person from the first activity. Find out what you can and get to know each other. The players have to think on their feet by answering the questions about the character they are just getting to know themselves.
Mini discussion: What did you learn about your character by doing this activity?
What are the new facts? (I am a student, I am single, my father just passed away...etc.) And what do those facts infer? (I sleep poorly at night, I am afraid of being alone...etc.) How would this information help you as an actor? How would it help you as a writer?
Begin Writing
What am I? What do I want? (170)
Each person writes down 3 definitions of themselves without the name- What am I? Man, teacher, father, husband, Brazilian, director...etc. Which comes first? What does each person choose? What do I want? To be happy, to travel, to be rich, to win elections, to swim...? Have them share with the people next to them.
Improv a Story activity
Members match up with someone that they did not particularly connect with in the cocktail party and they are to come up with a scenario and a possible story that involves the two characters. Then they must come up with a short dialogue that describes it for the audience.
Wrapping Up
Mini Discussion: Did this process help you create or understand characters better? How did it do that? Did the activities build on each other and help to further the process? Were there any you particularly connected with or didn't like?