Research suggests that students need physical activity to help them do their best mental work. Warm-ups are a tradition in theatre. Here we've included a simple set of stretches to promote relaxation and concentration.

Use:

1. Before doing a scene
2. Before doing a written assignment; whenever students need to focus their attention

Your Role:

1. Side coach the warm-up, putting the text into your own words
2. Have a student side coach the warm-up after the class is comfortable with the activity

Vocal Warm-ups
http://artswork.asu.edu/arts/students/tb/05_01_warmups.htm

See the second set of activites at this site.

Hearing what students are saying is essential. They all have 'outside' voices, but it is important for them to learn to project in a way that is safe for their vocal instrument. In addition, some help learning to use vocal variety while reading can be very beneficial.

Vocabulary: relaxation, diction, vocal variety, volume, pitch, rate/tempo

Use:

1. To teach about diction and vocal variety
2. To prepare for a scene to be played

Your Role:

1. Explain the purpose for the exercises
2. Be certain the students are relaxed and breathing easily before beginning the exercises
3. Side coach the selected warm-up(s)

Choral Reading
See the lesson plan at
http://artswork.asu.edu/arts/students/tb/99_tg_09.htm

Play Reading
See the instructions for the students at the end of
http://artswork.asu.edu/arts/students/tb/05_00_acting.htm

Dance Warm-ups from Kathly Lane
http://artswork.asu.edu/arts/students/tb/05_01_warmups.htm

See the last set of warm-ups at the site. They can be very good warm-ups for actors, too.