RANT

CURTAINS UP THEATER

 
 

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

  • Select four or five volunteers and a topic for debate, e.g., What is the best candy bar and why?  

  • In a line, the actors start speaking at once, “ranting” about the suggestion.  They can say whatever they choose about the topic, as long as they have a strong opinion.  If you know nothing about the topic, that’s what you can rant about.  

  • After a while, one actor will step forward, at which point all the others should immediately fall silent and freeze. The actor who stepped forward, however, continues his/her rant for about a paragraph and then–still ranting–steps back into the line.  

  • As soon as he/she returns to the line, everyone begins ranting again, continuing their old rants or beginning something new about the topic inspired by the speech of the actor.  

  • The goal is to have all the actors at one point take a turn stepping out to rant, while the others freeze.  

This is a good exercise to practice concentration. To be successful, you have to shut out the distraction of the other speakers while focusing on your own flow of words. At the same time, you need to listen for the exact moment when someone steps forward so you can instantly freeze. The exercise also gives the students a chance to practice improvising freely without overthinking or editing. 

Possible Debate Topics: Who is the best singer or musical group? Which is better: Star Wars or Star Trek? Which is the best Disney movie? Where is the best place to go on a vacation? Which make better pets: dogs or cats? Which is better: summer or winter? What is the best pizza topping?


© 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.