MORPH
THE
MOTION

CURTAINS UP THEATER

 
 

For printable copy of MORPH THE MOTION instructions, click on the word: INSTRUCTIONS

To see a video of MORPH THE MOTION being taught, click on the word: VIDEO

  • While the students are standing in a circle, a student—acting as leader—steps into the center and starts a random motion with a sound to go with it, repeating it over and over rhythmically.  The rest of the group mirrors the sound and motion.  

  • Once the leader sees everyone doing the sound and motion in unison, he/she makes eye contact with another student in the circle and walks toward them. The two switch places—with the leader rejoining the circle and the second student stepping to the center to become the leader. 

  • Everyone continues the motion and sound throughout this exchange. The new leader gradually changes or “morphs” the motion and sound and rhythm into a new one they create. The students in the circle then mirror this new sound/action/rhythm. 

  • When all have joined in, the new leader repeats the process established by the first leader, i.e., they make eye contact with someone in the circle, walk toward them, and switch places—creating a new leader. This new leader, now in the center, again morphs the sound/motion into a new one. 

  • The process continues with leadership passing  from one student to another, and the sound/motion changing with each new leader. Ideally this procedure should not be rushed. The leaders—and the rest of the students mirroring them—should allow each rhythm/sound/motion to gradually morph into the new one, without stops and without abrupt changes.  Stress that the leader in the middle must make eye contact with a student in the circle before heading to take their place.

 

© 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.