Theatre & Sport

Impact of this tool on the participants

• Stimulates creativity of young people

• Makes young people closer to theatre and performing arts

• Involves people in the cultural environment

• Young people have the chance to play an active role in the realization of the artistic process

TOOL: Theatre and Sport

Aim: Enhancement of young people in theatre activities. According to the Euro barometer n. 408 on European Youth, a large majority of young people say they have participated in some cultural activities in the past 12 months: while 80% declared to have been at cinema or at concert, only 38% have been to a theatre.

Required Materials/Logistics: Possibility to play different kinds of music (a variety of slow, but energetic and fast songs, depending on the taste of the participants), two microphones, three balls (football), Sports bibs of two different colors to have two teams, 10 cones;
Space/Room of about 10x10 square meters, divided into sections (see Materials/Field Marks to download).

Description/Methodology:

Using a classical of theatrical literature, as “Romeo and Juliet” of Shakespeare, the 2 fighting families (Montechi and Capuleti) are be transformed in 2 football teams. Like this, the roles of the tragedy are divided into two teams and each character has a specific sporting role with the consequent adoption of all physical and emotional characteristics.

Step 1: Ice-Breaker, getting to know each other: Participants sit in a circle and speak about the Play. What do the participants know about Romeo & Juliet by Shakespeare? There is no obligation to read the play before, participants can share whatever comes to their mind. After, the trainers give a short introduction about the play or one chapter of the play.

Step 2: Mirror. This Exercise increases Body awareness, concentration and self-control. The participants form pairs. They position themselves opposite to each other, putting the palms of the hands closely together, but not touching. One partner takes the lead, the other follows his movement. The movements are slow or fast, depending on the music played in the background. The partners change the role in every two minutes, until each of them has taken the lead three to five times (depending on the levels of concentration of the group).

Step 3: Walk the line. This exercise requires concentration and body control. It also increases expression and reaction. The participants place themselves on the lines of the playfield and start to walk along the lines. Each direction is allowed. The trainer gives instructions about speed (1 to 10), interruptions (jumps, going to the floor, lifting the hands, ...) and reactions to be shown. Each time two participants meet in the same corner, they have to turn around and go the opposite way. Reactions to be introduced during the course of this exercise are to make a scared/humourous/terrifiying/happy expression, as soon as one participant meets another one on the way.
In the background, music is played - nevertheless, the participants have to walk according to the speed (1 to 10) instructed by the trainer and ignore the rhythm of the music in the background.

Step 4: Quotation. This exercise strengthens oral expression, voice and self-confidence. To facilitate this exercise, the trainer should choose a chapter or single scenes from the play beforehand, keeping in mind the two teams representing the two opposing families, Capulet and Montague. Each participant chooses a quote from a scene. It is not necessary to understand the whole context of the quote - the important is to express what they feel by reading it in the first place and then, to act and perform the quote, expressing this feeling. After choosing, the participants memorize the quote. They perform the quotes of the chosen scenes, together or one after another, depending on the group and if they have chosen quotes that correspond to each other. This happens within a safe space - they have to feel that no matter how they perform, if they have fear or if they are nervous, it is okay how they perform.

Step 5: Shooting the ball. This exercise increases patience, self-control and emotional control. The ball is set in front of a goal (marked by the cones). The participant on turn has to score a goal (or try to). But he or she has to hesitate. The participant has to express this hesitation physically: Dancing around the ball, running to the ball and turning away, sitting next to it and be idle - until the moment that he or she cannot wait any longer, cannot stand it any longer and has to shoot.

Step 6: Football game. To relax and come down. In the end, the two teams play a football match. In this match, they can release their emotions, that they had to control beforehand, freely and move however it pleases them, to loosen the body.