Body Language in Drama: 8 Fun Activities

Body language is a cornerstone of expression in drama and theatre arts, going beyond the spoken word to convey emotions, relationships, and narratives. This tutorial provides drama educators and students with an in-depth exploration of body language’s role, coupled with practical exercises to hone this essential skill set.

Definition of Body Language

In Drama or Theatre Arts, body language encompasses all nonverbal communication forms, including facial expressions, gestures, posture, and spatial relationships. These are key to unlocking deeper narrative layers and character truths.

Why Body Language Matters in Drama Education

Body language is pivotal in Drama for creating authentic characters, engaging storytelling, and dynamic interaction. It fosters a deeper connection with the audience, enabling a more immersive theatre experience.

Key Elements of Body Language in Theatre Arts

• Facial Expressions: Reflects the characters’ inner emotions and reactions.
• Gestures: Enhances verbal communication with meaningful movements.
• Posture and Stance: Reveals character traits, social status, and mood.
• Spatial Relationships (Proxemics): Defines the distance between characters, influencing the scene’s tension and intimacy levels.

Activities for Body Language Skills In Drama

Activity 1: Mimicry and Observation

Teacher Instruction: Encourage students to observe and mimic the body language of various people around them or in media. This exercise enhances their ability to read and replicate non-verbal cues accurately.

Activity: Students select a public figure or character from a film and present a short study on their body language, later mimicking it for the class.

Actors to Mimic

Activity 2: Silent Scene Creation

Teacher Instruction: Task students with creating scenes that rely solely on body language to communicate the narrative, emotions, and character dynamics, emphasising the absence of dialogue.

Activity: In small groups, students develop and perform silent scenes, focusing on conveying clear messages and emotions through body language.

Activity 3: The Power of Posture

Teacher Instruction: Discuss how different postures can convey various emotional states and character traits. Highlight how changing posture can alter an actor’s presence on stage.

Activity: Host a posture workshop where students experiment with postures that convey power, vulnerability, excitement, and other states and reflect on how these changes affect their character portrayals.

Posture States

Activity 4: Emotional Replication Exercise

Teacher Instruction: Guide students through an exercise focused on replicating the physical manifestations of different emotions, helping them to internalise and project these emotions authentically.

Activity: Students cycle through a range of emotions, adopting the corresponding body language, which is then critiqued and refined with the help of classmates and instructors.

Emotions

Activity 5: Interactive Body Language Dialogue

Teacher Instruction: This exercise focuses on the interplay of body language between characters, emphasising how nonverbal cues can serve as a “dialogue” of their own.

Activity: Pairs of students engage in silent conversations using only body language, attempting to convey a predetermined scenario or conflict to the audience.

Scenarios

Activity 6: Eye Contact and Facial Microexpressions

Teacher Instruction: This exercise explores the subtleties of eye contact and facial microexpressions. These aspects are crucial for actors, as they can convey deep layers of emotion and thought, often without a spoken word. The eyes, in particular, are powerful conveyors of intent, trustworthiness, and emotion, while facial microexpressions can reveal fleeting feelings and underlying thoughts.

Activity: Conduct a workshop focused exclusively on the eyes and face. Students could re-enact famous silent movie scenes, which rely heavily on facial expressions to communicate.

Charlie Chaplin in “The Kid” (1921) – The Window Scene

• Classroom Activity:
  • Scene Summary: Chaplin’s Tramp character tries to rescue his adopted son who is being taken away in a car, leading to a series of desperate attempts to catch the car, involving running, jumping, and dramatic gestures of distress and affection.
  • Viewing and Analysis: Watch the scene and discuss Chaplin’s use of exaggerated gestures to express urgency and affection.
  • Reenactment: Students recreate the scene, focusing on conveying desperation and protectiveness purely through body language.
  • Reflection: Post-performance discussion on the effectiveness of their non-verbal communication and emotional portrayal.

Buster Keaton in “The General” (1926) – Train Chase Scene

• Classroom Activity:
  • Scene Summary: Keaton’s character is involved in a high-stakes chase on a locomotive, where he performs a series of physical stunts, including running along the train, manipulating railway switches, and interacting with various parts of the train to navigate through obstacles and enemies
  • Skill Development: Focus on physical comedy and the interaction with props—specifically, the locomotive.
  • Performance: Students perform selected stunts and movements in a controlled environment, mimicking Keaton’s precision and comedic timing.
  • Critique: Analyse the balance between comedic effect and clear storytelling through physical actions

Harold Lloyd in “Safety Last!” (1923) – Clock Tower Sequence

• Classroom Activity:
  • Scene Summary: In a thrilling and comedic climax, Lloyd’s character finds himself hanging from the hands of a large clock high above the street, struggling to maintain his grip, which showcases his physical comedy skills and the dramatic tension of height.
  • Demonstration: After watching the sequence, discuss the physical demands and safety aspects of such stunts.
  • Simulation: Students simulate the scene with safe ground-level activities that mimic hanging and climbing, focusing on facial expressions of fear and determination.
  • Feedback Session: Discuss the physical expression of emotions and how effectively these convey the narrative.

F.W. Murnau’s “Nosferatu” (1922) – Count Orlok’s Creeping Shadow

• Classroom Activity:
  • Scene Summary: The menacing shadow of Count Orlok ascends a staircase, projecting an eerie and foreboding presence, captured through innovative use of lighting and shadow to create suspense and horror.
  • Study of Shadows and Light: Explore how lighting and shadows can be used to create suspense and horror.
  • Recreation: Use lighting and body movement to recreate the creeping shadow scene, emphasizing the eerie and menacing portrayal of Orlok.
  • Group Discussion: Reflect on the impact of non-verbal cues in creating atmosphere and tension in storytelling.

Mary Pickford in “Sparrows” (1926) – Swamp Escape Scene

• Classroom Activity:
  • Scene Summary: Pickford’s character leads a group of children through a dangerous swamp to escape their captors, demonstrating bravery and leadership through expressive body language and determined actions amidst challenging conditions.
  • Leadership and Emotion: Discuss how to portray leadership and bravery through body language.
  • Group Performance: Students act out the escape, focusing on conveying urgency, fear, and protective instincts without dialogue.
  • Evaluation: Review performances for effectiveness in expressing complex group dynamics through non-verbal cues.

Lillian Gish in “The Wind” (1928) – Battling the Storm

• Classroom Activity:
  • Scene Summary: Gish’s character struggles to keep her home and herself safe against a relentless dust storm, using her body to express physical and emotional turmoil as she battles the overwhelming natural force.
  • Physical Acting: Analyze Gish’s physical struggle against the storm and discuss how to physically manifest battling against an unseen force.
  • Mime Exercise: Students perform a mime sequence where they battle against a simulated storm, focusing on the physical strain and emotional turmoil.
  • Group Critique: Feedback focuses on physical storytelling, emotional expression, and engagement with the ‘unseen’.

Activity 7: Physicality and Movement

Teacher Instruction: Discuss how a character’s walk can reveal aspects of their personality, background, and emotional state.

Activity: Students develop distinct walks for various characters, focusing on pace, posture, and gestures. Have them perform these walks for the class and analyse what each walk conveys about the character.

Character Walks

Activity 8: Emotional Transformations

Teacher Instruction: Introduce the concept of emotional transformations, where actors transition between contrasting emotions in a scene.

Activity: Give students a scene with a neutral starting point. Call out different emotions and have them continue the scene, seamlessly transitioning between the emotions using body language. Discuss how these transitions affect the scene’s tone and narrative.

Emotional Transformation Scenes