Role Playing Through
Improvisation
• To enact a scene successfully
• To use role-playing as a means of
gaining communication skills
Example
Teacher and student will improvise a scene in
which a teacher responds in a variety of ways
when a chronically tardy student walks into the
classroom.
First emotion: disappointment
Your turn
5 students will receive a slip of
paper with a reaction on it.
They will react to the tardy student in this way,
using facial expression, movement, gestures,
and pantomime.
The class will respond with applause and
feedback.
Preparing to Improvise
You and a partner will create and present an oral
text. Assume the persona (the voice or character
speaking a role) of a character and improvise
(perform on the spur of the moment) a brief
scene (1-2 minutes).
Use appropriate emotion, expression, and
pantomime.
Select a Scenario
• A friend spreads gossip about another friend,
and a major disagreement results
• One friend informs the other that his or her
hair is out of fashion and is embarrassing to
the friend when they are seen together
• It is past your curfew, and your parents greet
you at the door.
• A child tells his or her mother that he or she
has received an “A” in Language Arts
More Scenarios
• A boy asks two girls out for the same event.
The girls catch on and confront the boy.
• An early-morning argument erupts between
siblings about taking too much time in the
bathroom
• A new kid is welcomed at school
• Two friends are shopping at the mall, and one
tells the other of a plan to shoplift
You have 5-10 minutes
Do not write a script.
Just talk about the direction you want your skit
to go (how will it end?)
Perform as an improvisation
After the Performance Reflection
Element of Performance
Level of Use in My
Performance
Effectiveness in My
Performance
Gestures
Not at all
A little
A fair amount
To a great extent
Not effective
Somewhat effective
Effective
Very effective
Facial Expressions
Not at all
A little
A fair amount
To a great extent
Not effective
Somewhat effective
Effective
Very effective
Inflection
Not at all
A little
A fair amount
To a great extent
Not effective
Somewhat effective
Effective
Very effective
Pantomime
Not at all
A little
A fair amount
To a great extent
Not effective
Somewhat effective
Effective
Very effective
Response Questions
1. What element(s) of performance did you use
effectively? Explain how they helped you
achieve your purpose.
2. What element(s) of performance did you not
use or use least effectively?
3. What would you do differently to make the
scenario more effective if you performed it
again?