Window

It has truly been "a week". As I look in retrospect to day one there were some moments that are particularly notable. Our first assignment for these over 50 international students was to stand in the middle of the circle one by one. The task was that each person had to rotate 180 degrees and make eye contact with each person and then say their name and something that they do well. 45 minutes later I am thoroughly impressed. Grounded, poised, and present they passed with flying colors. Their first impression spoke volumes. If I can indulge that universal cliche for the purposes of crystalizing it "The eyes are the window to the soul"!. In that short time so many stories were told without saying a word. What better way to launch into a week of "drama".
I had the privilege of working this week with a third of the students on scene study. Each class started with something physical where they had to engage mentally and physically. The goal was to get them out of their heads so they can work more from their gut. For the most part that worked out well. It allowed them to work with a level of freedom throughout the rest of the class. We dealt with breaking down a story in componants (protagonists, antagonists, climax etc.). Then we dialogued about how different elements impact the story. Our final assignment for the week was for them to break into groups and create their own story, identifying each componant, followed by an analyzing of each story/scene by the class. I certainly learned a great deal and was greatful to be a witness to there collaboration and creativity. They worked well!