Introduction
Creative Dramatic Workshop is dedicated to bring the youth to a fuller, richer relationship with the Lord, and a clearer understanding of His Word, through application of the dramatic arts to scripture and its interpretation.
Creative Dramatic Workshop will also provide a framework for the training of the youth in the dramatic arts in preparation for the expansion of the Christian (Roman Catholic) ministry with both the church and the community.
This workshop is structured, goal – oriented activity. It will help the young people to explore their imaginations, learn how to communicate ideas, build personality confidence, and learn how to feel comfortable with themselves and their role in the society. The emphasis is on creation (self) by means of performance.
Creative Dramatic Workshop is designed to mold young minds in order to set an organized ministry with the collaboration of catechism. In fact, drama existed throughout human history. It is, maybe, that, there is an innate impulse in the people to act. This may include playing out feelings, pretending to be someone or something else, and worshipping or expressing religious feelings. Drama became structured in Ancient Greece, beginning with the creative playing of religious themes. That is why catechism comes into the picture.
Creative Dramatic Workshop is valuable for teaching both skills and concepts of youth. The youth play naturally, and much of their learning in the early stages of life comes from the active vicarious experience.
During middle Ages, drama was used as a vehicle for teaching religion. Most of the players in the medieval play were amateurs, people of the local community. Since the concept of youth ministry is a relatively new phenomena in the church, the catechism ensue to target the youth in engrossing this bustle. As a matter of fact, only within the last 50 years or so did the idea of specifically targeting adolescence as we see done in modern youth ministry become a matter of importance.
And so, the following are the reasons why the youth are chosen to join Creative Dramatics Workshop in realizing Catechism; 1) The youth are rewarded for good and original ideas. A positive atmosphere is maintained, free from constructive or even destructive criticism. The youth gain confident in themselves and their ideas; 2) Social awareness is increased. By working with others and pretending to “be” others, a youth can learn to understand himself and others and gain awareness in interactions between people and effect of his actions upon others; 3) The youth often work in groups toward a common goal. This provides an opportunity for the young minds to learn cooperation as well as leadership, followership, and discussion skills; 4) Problem solving and resourcefulness are learned as the youth take what is available and use their imaginations to use what they have for variety of purposes; 5) Communication skills are emphasized in creative drama as youth express themselves using voice, hands, face and body; and 6) Nature and purpose of catechism are directly be internalized by the youth and apply them with all the will as they founded themselves in connections with the values that they have learned out from the workshop. The youth have more vitality in applying the aims of catechism in which to present an organic synthesis of the essential and fundamental contents of Catholic doctrine, as regards both faith and morals and the whole of the church’s tradition.
More so, Creative Dramatic Workshop serves as an instrument for catechism in the sense that it would dole out the greatest value for the future spiritual welfare of covenant youth growing up in the church and for the continued strength of the church as a whole.
The word “catechism” simply refers to a method of instruction at one time most commonly used in the church to instruct people and new converts in the great truths of God’s Word. The instruction is usually given by means of a series of questions and answers. Most often these questions and answers are very carefully formulated ones. Catechism instruction, rightly understood, is instruction in the great historic creeds and confessions of the church. There are many schemes in which catechism is being handed and one of these is the creative dramatic activities.
We point to several excellent features of true catechism instruction. First of all, catechism is systematic doctrinal instruction in the Word of God. The practice of catechism instruction is based on the conviction that Bible contains a system of doctrine. It is not merely a collection of aphoristic sayings but it is a collection of stories with little moral lessons. In order give it more emphasis, the youth are topped in a form of activities, that is, Creative Dramatic Workshop is implemented.
This workshop is ought to be in preparing the youth/students for a life of service and relationship with God as a form of youth ministry. As previously mentioned, these important years of adolescent development set the stage for life into adulthood. If youth ministry does not seek to provide teenagers with a balance perspective of the importance of the family, unity within the youth group, and the place of youth ministry in the Church at large.
Use of the dramatic arts to gain insight to Christian principles is also ones of the Creative Dramatic Workshop’s primary goals. This will be accomplished through dramatic interpretation of many key moments in the lives of Biblical characters, dramatization of parables and plays which focus on key elements of the faith.
Furthermore, Creative Dramatic Workshop is a big help of the youth’s new generation. This is intended for self – internalization, awareness of societal norms and most of all, shaping the minds of the youth that catechism is a way of instruction in which the holy mysteries of God are revealed and spread throughout the history of mankind.
Act One
Act One is the first day of meeting of each participants. This is the most exciting because everyone is wondering about the attitudes of their co-participant; the atmosphere that they may experience while the workshop is going on; and they may ask their selves on what are the things, lessons, ideas and understandings which they may gain for the development of their individuality.
Act One starts with the energizer and followed by the orientation. The energizer is a manner in which the participants are to be at ease in involving their selves to one another.The orientation composed of Expectation Check, Setting of Rules and Presenting of Matrix of Activity. After which, the workshop proper is continued.
A. Energizer
This is the very start of building self confidence. Energizer is a form a song, action song, game, scheme, tricks and etc.
- Suggested Energizer (The energizer is negotiable.)
- Shalala
B. Orientation
The participants are expected to be oriented of the nature of the Creative Dramatic Workshop. This will guide them for the good flow of activity wherein participation, cooperation and behavioral discipline take place. The orientation includes Expectation Check, Setting of Rules and Presenting of the Matrix/Schedule of Activity.
- Expectation Check
This is an act or state in which the participants are expecting or looking forward to an event as about to happen.
- Process
- The participants are grouped into seven. (The groupings will be depending on the number of participants. The facilitator can group them into three, four, five and so on.)
- They will proceed to their respective group.
- The group will think of what would be their expectations to this Creative Dramatic Workshop and the data are gathered, then, the data are incorporated.
- The group will choose a representative for the presentation of their output by means of reporting.
- Reporting proper
2. Setting of Rules
The facilitator will set rules in order to have a smooth flow of activity. This will guide the participants to mold their sense of responsibility and discipline. This will enhance their skill of listening, internalizing and applying.
- Suggested Rules
- Traffic Rules
3. Presenting of Matrix/Schedule of Activities
A matrix/schedule gives the participants a comprehensive overview of who is going to be, where doing what at which time. Making a program schedule for activities can vary from marking the participants’ working activities.Regardless of the purpose, a matrix/schedule requires coordinating activities, venues and times.
- Presentation of Matrix/Schedule of Activities
C. Workshop Proper
C.1. Introduction
Many participants introduce themselves without being aware of the importance of making a good introduction.
By being aware of the advantages of making a good introduction you become more enthusiastic about your introduction and this leads to more interesting and rewarding encounters.
Here are the reasons why we should make a good effort at our own introduction:
a. It shows we take our workshop seriously and are committed to the activity.
b. It shows we are competent and professional.
c. It shows enthusiasm. If we are enthusiastic about introducing ourselves, we appear enthusiastic to those we introduce ourselves to.
d. If we can show we aren’t afraid to introduce ourselves to new people, then our co - participants will know that we aren’t afraid to meet them.
e. In short, the better we are at introducing ourselves, the more opportunities we are likely to be exposed to and therefore the faster our purpose should progress.
- Suggested Process of Introduction
- The participants will be grouped according to. (This means that the participants are grouped according to their height, fairness of the skin, length of the hair,and more.)
- The participants will introduce their selves, knowing one’s names, nicknames, address, etc.
- This will be done within three (3) to five (5) minutes.
C.2. Body Movement
It is motion of all or part of the body, especially at a joint or joints. Body movements include abduction, adduction, extension, flexion, rotation, and circumduction of the body.
- Body Movement 1: Body Awareness
The body, its shape and its movements should be explored so that the person knows his capabilities and limitations. The discipline of the body is also good for concentration.
Process:
a. Ask the participants to move different parts of their body by means of shaking/turning/wiggling it (hands, fingers, feet, etc.) as called out by the facilitator.
b. The participant will follow the facilitator’s movement.
c. The manner will be done in a few minutes ( one or two minutes).
- Body Movement 2: I am the Body
The participants will become aware of their body with an exercise which will suggest certain conditions that will affect its movement.
Process:
a. Ask the participants to lie down ( it depends to the facilitator whether the participants will lie down of stand up ) and close their eyes.
b. Tell them to concentrate, mentally exploring their bodies from head to toes by means of moving it.
c. The participants will do the manner with the given background music. The purpose is to practice the timing and its rhythmic movements. This will be done in a few minutes ( one or two minutes).
- Body Movement 3: Share the Moves (Pasa - Pasa)
This activity is to practice the concentration and memorization ability of the participants. Active focus is entitled in order to acquire the perfect imitation.
Process:
a. The participants are grouped into seven. (The groupings will be depending on the number of participants. The facilitator can group them into three, four, five and so on.)
b. Each group will be forming a circle.
c. The participants of the group will make an action/movement one at a time.
d. The idea is to pass the action/movement to the person next to the participant.
c. The next person/participant will imitate the action/movement.
d. After which, the participant who had imitated the action/movement will make his own action and pass it to the next person beside him, and so on.
e. The activity is done with the common/novelty background music.
f. The activity will be done spontaneously. It will only take two to three minutes or more.
- Evaluation
This stage is to know the weakness and strengths of the participants. It is the verbal sharing of feelings and thoughts of the workshops undergone.
Process:
a. The facilitator will ask each/some of the participants about the things, ideas, lessons,strengths, weaknesses they’ve learned, got, acquired in, during, after the workshops.
b. The evaluation will only take two to three minutes or more.
Act Two
This is another stage of improving one’s skills. This includes limitations, discovering the strengths and weaknesses of the participants. Creative drama and body awareness are deeply introduced in a sense that the participants will employ emphasis to their movements in order to convey the deep message to the expectator/audience.This Act enhances the participant to space exploration, improvisation of different spaces and individuals’ flexibility to the norms of the space/society.
Act Two starts with the Energizer and followed by the Creative Drama in which the better understanding and application of the body awareness are accentuated. .
A. Energizer (1)
This is always introduced before the start of the workshop in order to give warm up and to set the minds of the participants.
- Suggested Energizer (The energizer is negotiable.)
- Achuchicha
B. Workshop Proper (1)
B. 1. Creative Drama
This is another creative activity in which the participants are trying to cope up with goal of the workshop in particular. Space exploration is given more emphasis. Another exciting and interesting ideas will be discovered.
- Creative Drama 1: Give Me a Space
Exercise on the space is meant in order to give the participants an awareness of area, height, length, width, and atmosphere in space.
Process:
a. The participants are grouped into seven. (The groupings will be depending on the number of participants. The facilitator can group them into three, four, five and so on.)
b. Ask the group to portray a space using body movements without any sounds.Examples of spaces are market, playground, church, store, school, bus terminal, movie theater(sinehan).
c. While the group is presenting, the other group will serve as the audience.
d. Ask questions after exercise; Why it is not looks like a market, a playground or a school? What is lacking to the portray?
- Creative Drama 2: My Island
In this, the participants will enjoy in exploring their limitations.They will practice their imagination as to create a unique initiatives in every experience that they may encounter.
Process:
a. The participants are grouped into seven. (The groupings will be depending on the number of participants. The facilitator can group them into three, four, five and so on.)
b. The participants will draw an imaginary line around them with their toes, head, body, etc.
c. The space inside the imaginary line would serve as their island.
d.The participants will make use of the space of their island when they are given different situations.(Different situations are; The shark is trying to reach the person in the island; There is a lion approaching the person in the island; There is a tsunami to that island; There is a war involving the person in the island; There is an earthquake; There is a high tide that makes the island sink; The person to that island is trying to climb on the cliff of the mountain.)
e. They can enlarge the island and move around and do anything, but be sure they don’t get out of the limited space they have created.
f. The activity will be done spontaneously. It will only take two to three minutes or more.
- Creative Drama 3: A Day in My Life (Part I)
A day in my life is a unique way of self- discovery where in the participants will use their innate skills in enhancing body awareness.
Process:
a. The participants are grouped.
b. The participants will recreate/portray things which they usually do in a particular time. ( Buying at the market; Cooking at the kitchen; going to school; church situations; going to sleep; cleaning at the unorganized room; washing with a mountain of plates)
c. The participants will move as if they are in the real situation with all the emphasis. The activity will be done spontaneously. It will only take two to three minutes or more.
- Evaluation
This stage is to know the weakness and strengths of the participants. It is the verbal sharing of feelings and thoughts of the workshops undergone.
Process:
a. The facilitator will ask each/some of the participants about the things, ideas, lessons,strengths, weaknesses they’ve learned, got, acquired in, during, after the workshops.
b. The evaluation will only take two to three minutes or more.
C. Energizer (2)
This is introduced in order to awaken the minds of the participants. This will help the participants to free their selves in the agony of proceeding the workshops smoothly.
- Suggested Energizer (The energizer is negotiable.)
- Fiera ni Juan
D. Workshop Proper (2)
- Creative Drama 4: Give Me a Shape
The participants will focus and imitate figures with different spaces in a particular area.
Process:
a.The participants are grouped.
b. Each group will imitate different things like table, trees, stone, wood, chair, plant, flowers, etc.
c.The activity will be done spontaneously with a given few period of time (2 to 3 minutes).
- Creative Drama 5: The Bubble Gum Exercise
Flexibility is being enhanced to this activity. The participants will learn to deal different people by means of acting like a bubble gum inside the mouth of the giant. This exercise is to explore the concept of shape and the interrelation of shape.
Process:
a. The participants are grouped.
b. The participants will act as if they are the bubble gum which is being chewed by a giant man inside his mouth. The giant man will chew, extend, pop, blow and spit the bubble gum.
c. Tell the participants to stay lying down all the time during the exercise.
d. The activity will be done spontaneously with a given few period of time (2 to 3 minutes).
Note: This activity is negotiable. The facilitator can choose either Biblical stories like Noah’s Ark or he (facilitator) can make his own story.
- Creative Drama 6: A Day in My Life (Part II)
This activity works on the improvisation and exploration of different spaces and shapes. This deals with proper meditation and focus.
Process:
a. The participants start in the standing straight position facing to the different directions.
b.They are going to move- down, side, walk- as the music is played (solemn music). They will use hands, feet, body movements.
c. The participants are expected to adapt the spaces and shapes to where they ended to.
d. They are moving as they were.
- Evaluation
This stage is to know the weakness and strengths of the participants. It is the verbal sharing of feelings and thoughts of the workshops undergone.
Process:
a. The facilitator will ask each/some of the participants about the things, ideas, lessons,strengths, weaknesses they’ve learned, got, acquired in, during, after the workshops.
b. The evaluation will only take two to three minutes or more.
Act Three
This chapter is the awareness of proper movements and steps of the body.. Direct timing and organization of movements are critically observed. The different weights, tempos and directions of every movement are perfectly interrelated with each other to form a unique and a creative performance of the participants.
A. Energizer
This is always introduced before the start of the workshop in order to give warm up and to set the minds of the participants.
B. Workshop Proper
B.1. Creative Movement
- Creative Movement 1: You Can Move!
This activity provides a proper observation of the body awareness. The participants are to adhere and internalize different steps/movements. Its focus are the different directions of jumps and bends of the body.
Process:
Set 1
a.The participants are grouped into seven. (The groupings will be depending on the number of participants. The facilitator can group them into three, four, five and so on.)
b. The participants will follow the facilitator in bending poses and moves in different directions-forward, side ward, backward.
c. The participants change bending position and move again and then intersperse with the jumping motion.
d. They will jump up and down and then move on again to different directions and bend.
Set 2
a. The facilitator will do/perform a basic folk dance steps. (The facilitator can choose any of the basic steps provided that it is suited to his/her capacity. He/She can choose basic gymnastics steps or other steps.)
b. The participants of the group will follow the manner which is performed by the facilitator.
c. After which, the group will choose a leader. The leader of the group will teach his member the different steps like folk dance, ethnic dances, etc.
d. The member of the group will memorize the steps given by the leader.
e. The group will present the steps they have learned.
f. The presentation will consume for only three (3) to five (5) minutes.
- Creative Movement 2: Travelogue
This activity provides the participants’ initiative to activate. This is to know the relationship between the eight basic efforts: Dab; Glide; Punch; Press; Flick; Float; Slash; and Wring. The participants are also expected to interpret movements the change variables-weight; tempo and direction.
Process:
a. The participants are blind folded and start with a particular position. (The position will be depending on the facilitator’s start of the story.)
b. The facilitator will narrate an imaginative (own) story in which the eight basic efforts are surely applied.
c. The participants will move/act in accordance of the flow of the story because the participants are anticipating that they are the main character in the story.
d. After narrating the story, the facilitator will explain/discuss the eight basis efforts and its importance in the workshop.
EFFORT WEIGHT TEMPO DIRECTION
Dab light fast straight
Glide light slow straight
Punch heavy fast straight
Press heavy slow straight
Flick light fast curve
Float light slow curve
Slash heavy fast curve
Wring heavy slow curve
- Evaluation
This stage is to know the weakness and strengths of the participants. It is the verbal sharing of feelings and thoughts of the workshops undergone.
Process:
a. The facilitator will ask each/some of the participants about the things, ideas, lessons,strengths, weaknesses they’ve learned, got, acquired in, during, after the workshops.
b. The evaluation will only take two to three minutes or more.
Act Four
Emotion is a mental state that arises spontaneously rather than through conscious effort and is often accompanied by physiological changes; a feeling: the emotions of joy, sorrow, reverence, hate, and love. This chapter gives skill in concentration and gives a chance to explore the face of the participants to create different expressions.
A. Energizer
This is always introduced before the start of the workshop in order to give warm up and to set the minds of the participants.
- Suggested Energizer (The energizer is negotiable.)
- Si Felimon
B. Workshop Proper
B.1. Creative Drama (Emotion)
- Creative Drama 1: I Feel It!
The participants are expected to deal different emotions on how are they going to divert it to one other. This activity helps the participants to control their feelings; temper, happiness, etc. in order to accommodate experiences in life.
Process:
a. The participants are grouped in accordance of their number.
b. They are going to present a play in which the different forms of emotion are applied.
c. The different emotions are happy, anger, sorrow, and fright.
d. The presentation will consume for only three (3) to five (5) minutes.
B.2. Creative Drama (Body Awareness)
- Creative Drama 2: Characterization
This activity is to create imagination and image through the exploration of the use of different objects.
Process:
a. The participants are grouped into a certain number.
b. Ask the participants to sit in a circle formation and explore the different possible uses of the objects given (like kumot at walis). The facilitator can use different objects to this matter. ( The participant will make use of the kumot as the costume and the walis as the microphone. He is performing a concert.)
c. The task will be done for three (3) to five(5) minutes.
B.3. Creative Drama (Voices)
- Creative Drama 3: I Can Talk.
In this, different voices are practiced. The participants are tend to imitate different voices of animals, person or even the sound of living or non - living things.
Process:
a. The participants will start moving as a form of walking in different directions.
b. The facilitator will say “freeze”. It is the signal that connotes the participant to stop moving.
c. The facilitator will give a line ( A line is a short sentence which will be uttered by the participants) and the participants start uttering it.
d.The facilitator will instruct them to change the mode of their voices basing the different voices of animals, person or even the sound of living or non - living things; beggar, old man, baby, witch, giant, bird, pig, cow, sound of the wind.)
e. They will also act according to the characters of the different voices. Like for instance, beggar, they are going to speak like a beggar and move like a beggar.
f. In changing the mode of voices. “Freeze” is always be the signal.
g. The participants will do the manner with the given background music. The purpose is to practice the timing and its rhythmic movements. This will be done in a few minutes ( one or two minutes).
B.4. Creative Drama (Conflicting)
Conflict is essential to human life. Without conflict there is no spices in life. It is the opposition of forces which ties one incident to another and makes our lives move. Conflict is not merely limited to open arguments, rather it is any form of opposition that faces by the people.
There are two types of conflict:
1) External - A struggle with a force outside one's self.
2) Internal - A struggle within one's self; a person must make some decision, overcome pain, quiet their temper, resist an urge, etc.
There are four kinds of conflict:
1) Man vs. Man (physical) - The person struggles with his physical strength against other men, forces of nature, or animals.
2) Man vs. Circumstances (classical) - The person struggles against fate, or the circumstances of life facing him/her.
3) Man vs. Society (social) - The person struggles against ideas, practices, or customs of other people.
4) Man vs. Himself/Herself (psychological) - The person struggles with himself/herself; with his/her own soul, ideas of right or wrong, physical limitations, choices, etc.
- Creative Drama 4: Tug of War
This activity enhances the emotional control of the participants to different forces of situation.
Process:
a. The participants are grouped.
b. They are going to make a play that emphasizes conflict. They may use the different kinds and types of conflict.
c. The play will be presented within three (3) to five (5) minutes.
B.5. Creative Drama (Application)
This is the final and application of the things that the participants learned in the Creative Dramatic Workshop.
- Creative Drama 5: We Can Make It
There are no born actors and actresses. Even different fields are studied and practice because theory without practice is aimless and practice without theory is worthless. And so, since you have learned a lot, then, you can make it.
Process:
a. The participants are grouped.
b. They will do a play with the use of the different things they have learned in the Creative Dramatic Workshop.
c. They will present it in a form of mini theatre.
