After two years of working with the same group of 18 students, we have finally reached the highest level of ensemble and functionality that can be achieved with secondary students. It is a sign that “now we can learn almost anything together!” What is this litmus test for a superb ensemble in the theatre world? Or maybe any creative group? Well, I think it is “a spontaneous yet synchronized deep whole-body laughter”.
It was a Thursday afternoon on a day before a three -day weekend. I had been out of school for two days because of a bad cold, and did not have high expectations for how the day’s lesson would go, as normally, my grade 8,9, and 10 students are pretty dependent on me. We had been working hard and making steady progress with regards to becoming more dedicated and focused on the production at hand, but I would have guessed we were still a month away from achieving the level of independent discipline and generosity it takes to be a high functioning ensemble. -- And to my pleasant surprise, on Thursday, my10th graders finally made the leap.
Can you remember the last time you were in a large group and during some spontaneous moment every person in the group was fully belly body laughing with no reservation? Needing to lean onto a chair or sit on the floor in order to manage the force of their laughter? When you’ve laughed so long that you forget what you are laughing about and are just laughing from the sound of someone else’s laughter? When everyone is included in the laugh and fully present, and the air rumbles and hums with a bubbling joy? And when the tears stop and the Kleenex have mopped up the tears of laughter and the calm breathing across the group returns, there is a renewal and a new commitment to working together—maybe even an unconscious understanding and appreciation for the gift of sharing comedy?
What a joy it is to create and craft comedy with a group of people who share a common funny bone for simple silly humor!
In the twenty-year career I have had teaching, I can remember this type of moment, occurring only four times. The artist in me enjoys the beauty of this moment; the scientist in my wants to know how to create it again. So with some analytical reflection, here is what I can identify as some key components:
The moment cannot be forced. It must be spontaneous.
We are working with a script that most of the students can fluently read and understand.
The teacher is completely comfortable with the group of students and is not on guard with a need of “managing” student behavior. Students are moving about a space with self-control and awareness. They are able to move about in high levels of energy and volume and very quickly able to change their energy and focus to a slower and quieter pace.
The group has a degree of respect and appreciation for the teacher. The teacher becomes one of the group in the moment.
Everyone is “in-tune” with each other. Communication is non-verbal.
There is a high degree of trust. Each person can “laugh himself or herself silly”, not worrying what they are sounding like or looking like to others.
The teacher is free in him/herself to laugh fully and deeply.
The moment was so full that no one spared a second to take a picture. It is a secret that all of us in the room together at the time now share.
I'd love to hear from my friends or readers what kinds of shows or comedy makes you laugh really big and long!
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