Group Exercise for Day 1 Topic 1
The Basic Premise
This is essentially the game “two truths and a lie.” However, here the goal isn’t just to identify the lie, but what their body did that made you think it was a lie. Whether or not you guess the right answer doesn’t matter here. What matters is that we identify what communicates a lie and what communicates truth.
The Rules
Step 1: Choose an option and follow the instructions
Option 1: Choose one player to be “it.” That person should think of and memorize three phrases that they can repeat exactly in their mind. One phrase should be untrue and the other two should be true.
Option 2: Choose one player to be “it.” That person should think of and memorize three phrases that they can repeat exactly in their mind. All three phrases should be false. The person that is “it” will choose two of the phrases they want to communicate as “true” and one as “false”.
Option 3: Choose one player to be “it.” That person should think of and memorize three phrases that they can repeat exactly in their mind. All three phrases should be true. The person that is “it” will choose two of the phrases they want to communicate as “true” and one as “false”.
Step 2: Go through Rounds 1-3 (either with the same person and same set of statements or three different people)
Round 1: Silent Movie Version – The person who is “it” says each statement in their mind as if they are telling a single person or the whole group. They aren’t allowed to speak or mouth the words. They aren’t allowed to mime. They are just supposed to do everything they would do if they were communicating each statement minus making sounds with their mouth.
Round 2: Monologue Version : Repeat Round 1, but add the actual statements being spoken by the person who is “it.” Did their body language change? What is more or less convincing? If so, why?
Round 3: Sung to a popular song of choice Version : Now the person who is “it” must sing the statements to the tune of a melody they know well. For example: it might be “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” The objective isn’t to make it fit well with the melody so much as it is to introduce the challenge of having the pitch and timing pre-determined. Did their body language change? What is more or less convincing? If so, why? Were they more or less successful in communicating truth and lies? What made their delivery believable or not believable?
Step 3: Each person observing should record their answers and identify specific actions that led them to believe or disbelieve the person delivering the statements.
Example: “Round 1: with each phrase their eyes were darting all over the place. This made it so I didn’t believe any of the phrases she thought were true.”
Step 4: Discuss amongst the group and come to a consensus of which phrases were supposed to be true and false. Discuss how you arrived at those conclusions based on body language.
Step 5: The person who was “it” reveals their actual intent that they chose at the start of the exercise and discusses the insights and challenges they experienced as they tried to perform the task assigned to them.
Moral of the Story:
When we are on stage we are usually trying to convince the audience that something is truth or a lie. Introducing music into the equation adds a new level of challenge in this effort of convincing the audience that we are being authentic and genuine with what we intend to communicate.