Katie was not a shy girl. She was bright and friendly and never met a stranger. But put her on stage and she shrunk. She was soft-spoken, reserved, hesitant. She knew her lines and knew her cues. She just didn't have the guts to really let go.
Then one day it happened. In the middle of a free-form improv, Katie ran up on stage, knocked on the imaginary dorm room door and shouted, "Angela, your pregnancy test is here!"
That was all it took.
In that moment, Katie let go and opened herself up. She never held back vocally or emotionally on stage again. Not that she didn't need coaching and direction, but she was no longer a shrinking violet on stage.
I've seen dozens of moments like this over the years, and as a drama teacher, there's nothing sweeter. Seeing a kid click, seeing them have their moment when they let go and discover they can do it is unlike anything else.
Many of these moments came in acting workshops I taught in churches and at youth conferences. "Acting Out Your Faith," as if came to be known, is an actor's training program that takes the approach that acting is a game. It's a fun and proven method for bringing out the best in kids, teens, and even adults.
And it's free.
No, I'm not traveling and teaching any more, but you can download the entire workshop in an easy to follow ebook totally free from Righteous Insanity's website.
Download it. Read it. If you have questions, email me and ask. Then give it a try for yourself. See if it doesn't make a difference in your drama ministry - and your actors!
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