The Value of Warm-ups

I think I may have found a solution to the cast of Winter's Tale standing round doing nothing but saying their lines. The answer is warm-ups. Actually, more specifically I am thinking about the types of warm-ups we do. Previously, we had been focusing on vocal warm-ups - vowel scales, Hum Train, Pirate Song - but last night we did more physical warm-ups. I started with Biddy-Biddy-Bop but when the actors were, again, just standing round talking rather than playing I had to change my tack ever so slightly. The answer: Kitty Wants a Corner. After explaining the rules - as simple as they are - I think some of the actors were struggling with the point of the game; I don't think they realised that there was no point but the idea was just to run around like a mad thing. The resulting rehearsal was utterly awesome.

This is one of the skills I need to cultivate: the ability to see what the actors need and then give them an exercise that flexes that acting muscle so they can cope with the challenge they are facing at a particular time. I think I am getting much better at this - or at least I am actually becoming aware of when I do it now. My aim for improvement should be to fill my trick-bag with exercises I can actively use.