For printable copy of GROUP MIND instructions, click on the word: INSTRUCTIONS
To see a video of GROUP MIND being taught, click on the word: VIDEO

• With the students spread out in the playing area, ask them to mirror your action. Then begin some rhythmic movement and sound, e.g., clapping your hands and saying “Hah” repeatedly.
  

• Once the group has picked up this action, ask them to start milling around. Then tell them, “Now, any one of you can take control of the group by changing the action to your own sound and movement–and we’ll all follow.” 
  

• Stress that the students must try to be aware of the group as a whole so they can instantly pick up on new actions. Also encourage them to “boldly claim the stage” when they want to change the action–to help the other group members notice when a change happens. 
  

• As the game progresses, make sure the students introduce a variety of different volumes, speeds, and energies as they change from one action to the next.
  

• Continue the exercise until the group gains a sense of moving and changing as a single body, i.e., until they develop a “group mind.”

© 2023, Friends of the Groom Theater Company

Curtains Up Curriculum by Friends of the Groom Theater Co. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Curtains Up is a training program designed for young actors sponsored by Friends of the Groom Theater Company.
It is available to the general public for free under the terms of the Creative Commons License above.