Circle Mirror Transformation is the delightful and poignant play on stage through April 22nd. The title of this blog post is the most common question we're getting in the box office right now (well, most common after "Where do I find parking?"). We thought we'd talk a little bit about the play title and the kind of theatre games that the characters play in their "Adult Creative Drama" class. For more about why we chose this play, read this recent post from director Willie Repoley.
Our Education Coordinator Alexa Hardy researched the topic and wrote the following:
Circle Mirror Transformation gets its title from a theatre game, one of the many games played on stage during the show. You may recognize some of the games, as they are played everywhere from theatre classes to corporate retreats to classrooms on the first day of school. They were created for actors, but they reach far beyond the stage in their purpose and goals: focus, creativity, confidence, trust, teamwork, communication, and connection.
When asked about writing Circle Mirror Transformation, playwright Annie Baker said, “I knew I wanted the audience to learn about the characters through formal theater exercises … I knew I wanted information about these people to come out in the strangest places, and I wanted us to know them all intimately by the end of the play, but without having heard any lines of dialogue like: ‘Hey, Marty. Remember when we fell in love 20 years ago in Eureka, California?’ I also wanted to show how beautiful (and noble!) it is when people throw themselves earnestly and unselfconsciously into something, even if it's a therapeutic reenactment.” These games and their outcomes are the foundation the play. Here are examples of just a few of the games you’ll see on stage in Circle Mirror Transformation:
Counting to 10 (aka No Doubles; Digits): Participants count from 1 to 10. One person begins by saying “1,” a second player says “2,” and so on. There are a few rules: only one person can speak at a time, and if two or more people call out a number at once, the group goes back to one and starts again. The group may not go in a pre-established order, nor may gesturing or signaling be used. This is surprisingly hard. This game helps with focus and concentration, and helps participants work together without speaking.
Gibberish Switch: Two participants have a conversation in nonsense syllables. Participants should convey what they are talking about through their actions. After a minute or two of conversation, the other people in the class guess what the relationship is and/or what the conflict might be. This game helps actors “play an objective,” or communicate what they want or need through actions rather than words.
(I want it/You can’t have it): This game is a follow-up to Gibberish Switch. Two participants have a conversation, but this time they each have a predetermined phrase that is the only thing they can say in their conversation. The participants then hold a conversation based on those two phrases, determining their relationship and the situation. This activity promotes characterization and playing an objective.
Circle Mirror Transformation (aka Pass the Sound and Movement; Pass Catch; Sound Circle): Everyone stands in a circle. One person starts the game by making a sound and a motion, and everyone in the circle mirrors that sound and movement. The person next to whomever started then transforms the gesture into a new sound and movement. This game is often used as a warm up to help students get used to fully using their bodies and voices without feeling self-conscious. This is the only game in the play that is actually improvised by the actors during each performance.
One Word Story: In this game, participants each contribute one word at a time to create a story. Everyone sits in a circle, and one person begins by saying one word. The next person continues with one word, and so on. The key is to keep the story going and have it make sense without missing a beat. This game helps with listening, focus, and following your first impulse.
Explosion Tag: From the playwright: “Explosion tag is basically regular tag, except you’re supposed to ‘explode’ when tagged. When you’re tagged you also become It, and as It you’re supposed to be exploding constantly.”
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