Drama Game: The Coffee House

Type: Improv, Creativitycoffee house drama game

Purpose: A great improv game for more advanced students. Incorporates elements of improv, gibberish, sound and movement.

Procedure:

  • The room is transformed into a bohemian coffee house. The stage becomes a small performance area within the coffee house.
  • Ask 4 players to take the stage.
  • Assign each player a role as follows:
    • Player 1 = Foreign Poet (he/she must choose a specific country to be from)
    • Player 2 = Musician
    • Player 3 = Interpretive Dancer
    • Player 4 = Translator
  • The players are going to present a poem to the coffee house audience. Ask the audience for a suggested title for the poem.
  • Once the title has been decided, the Foreign Poet presents first. The Foreign Poet improvises a poem from the suggested title using gibberish that resembles the country he/she is from (length should be about 4 stanzas).
  • Next, the Musician provides musical accompaniment for the Interpretive Dancer who translates the poem into movement.
  • Finally, the Translator translates the poem into English for the audience.
  • Encourage the Musician, Dancer, and Translator to mirror the same emotion of the Foreign Poet when presenting their interpretations.
  • NOTES:
    • Consider encouraging the foreign translator to include rhymes into the poem (in gibberish). This will help give it a sense of rhythm.
    • If you have a big class and would like to involve more students, consider doubling up on the Musicians and Dancers.

Have a comment or suggestion?  Leave it below! 

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3 thoughts on “Drama Game: The Coffee House

  1. Jeannette Bonilla says:

    Hello I’d like to do this activity for my observation, my question to you is should the dancer and musician perform at the same time as the interpreting and the Poet?

  2. Heather Fin says:

    When I have taught this exercise, I have had the musician and dance perform the same time as the poet, adding to the spontaneity of the scene.

  3. Heather Finley says:

    When I have taught this exercise, I have had the musician and dance perform the same time as the poet, adding to the spontaneity of the scene.

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