Quick Description
Instead improvising with your whole body, put two fingers on top of a chair and pretend it’s your character.
How to Play Fingers
Have the players use their hands like ‘miniature characters’ in a scene, utilizing the fingers to mimic the movement of legs. Each player provides the voice for their hand character as they interact with each other in the scene.
Notes
• Consider using a chair as the ‘stage’ for the hands. It will make it easier for the audience to watch the scene.
Variations
•Stunt Double: Use the ‘finger characters’ as ‘Stunt Doubles’ for a scene. The players improvise a scene and whenever the action gets dangerous the players shout “Stunt Double” and the players use their fingers to continue the action.
•Long Shot and close up. These are terms for shooting films. The players improvise a scene and whenever the host or players shout “long shot” the players use their fingers to continue the scene – and whenever the host or players shout “close up” the players stop using their hands and act the scene using their own bodies.
•Teaching Workshops. This is a great activity for people who are reluctant to act out a scene. The little bit of detachment provided by the hand taking the focus is often enough to release stress free improvisation. It is also good for actors who have physical limits. One teacher told me she uses this with her class of kids who are on the autism spectrum.
Origin
I believe I learned this technique from Keith Johnstone. I was lucky to study with Keith for many years. Starting in 1989 we brought Keith to San Francisco to teach at BATS Improv. We continued that yearly tradition for a long time. Additionally, I studied with him in Canada and London.
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