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

• Select a group of 3 or 4 volunteers to stand on stage, and assign them a task to perform together. (e.g. preparing dinner, cleaning a house, washing a car, playing baseball, raking leaves, watching television, setting up a tent, planting a garden, etc.) 
  

• Tell them they will be improvising a scene with dialogue as they do the task, but from time to time you will be calling out an emotional state for them to adopt. For example, you might say, “I want to see sad friends,” or “I want to see happy friends.”  They should continue working together to do the task, but strongly display the emotional state you name. 
  

• Stress that–while they should fully commit to each new emotional state–they should still take care to listen to each other and to avoid talking at the same time. 

• EXAMPLES:

Angry Friends Worried Friends
Laid Back Friends Sleepy Friends
Suspicious Friends Confused Friends
Confident Friends Surprised Friends
Disgusted Friends Depressed Friends
Joyful Friends Fearful Friends
Bored Friends Jealous Friends
Excited Friends Shy Friends
Ashamed Friends Loving Friends
Proud Friends Despairing Friends
Sulky Friends Selfish Friends
Generous Friends Hopeful Friends
Kind Friends Patient Friends
Optimistic Friends Pessimistic Friends
Passionate Friends Hostile Friends
Peaceful Friends Lazy Friends 

© 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.