Why Dramatic Artists Play Games all Day.

I remember my first day in a drama class. (Remember, this was before I made up my mind that 'drama' was a bad term for theatrics.) I was amazed that all we did was play some games. I thought for sure that we would be forced to sit there and memorize lines from Shakespeare and draw up blocking charts. We eventually did some of that, but the majority of the semester was on stage, chasing each other around, laughing and having fun.

So, why do they do that? Well, there are lots of reasons, but here are the top 3:

1- To build team relationships.
2- To make actors more comfortable in their space.
3- To fill a time gap.

I know that many thespians would say that the games build acting skills, but in a classroom setting, only about a third of the students are going to need those skills in the future, and that is when you are lucky. Even in a professional troupe, the playing around is not for learning how to act. To be perfectly blunt, Every human being without a disability is born with the ability to act. We tell lies, wear uncomfortable clothes, and let great aunts kiss and pinch our cheeks. Acting is not something that needs to be learned, just practiced.

Many thespian games are awkward and invade personal space. You may have noticed that the true thespians in your life show little finesse in socially delicate topics or situations. They touch, sit in laps, laugh too loud, and even talk about sex and other topics at a simple dinner or drink. Most actors 'lack' these inhibitions because they were taught to ignore them. (To be frank, people invite actors who behave badly as entertainment and the actors use it to study different people's reactions to different awkward situations.)

If an actor cannot invade the bubble of their opposite part, then how are they supposed to do that dramatic kiss scene without the entire audience feeling awkward? How is the goofy guy supposed to do the funny fall if they don't know that their spotter is going to be there? Most games are designed to help actors build trusting relationships with the other people on the team.

Many acting troupes do not stay in the same theatre all the time. Traveling acts, actors who got a better paying job, actors who got any part at all, they move from stage to stage a LOT. Then we add in that no stage is built the same way as another. Stages are like snowflakes, right? No two are the same, just similar. In order to make actors more comfortable, there are a series of games just for learning about a new space that includes climbing up ladders and running from dressing room to dressing room.

Finally, when a troupe does not have the new script yet, or needs to take a short break, games like Bus Stop and caterpiller come out so that everyone can just have some fun and relax.

Other games, like 'Actors Stop' are designed to teach a skill, but are rarely used in an academic setting. I wonder why?

For now, Goodbye.

Sarah K