
I have just completed my first year at the University of Windsor in the School of Dramatic Art. I’m teaching the Drama in Education and Community students. What has impressed me the most about my students is their willingness to dive into the unknown.
I was inspired by a unit I had at Dell’Arte; Mask and the Plastic Space. We built larval masks and brought them to life. These masks force you to communicate with your body- you no longer have the option of communicating story through dialogue. How do you show love? How do you show anger? How do you tell a story to an audience? My students were challenged in that they could no longer rely on words or indicating everything via gestures. They had to show, not tell.
Instructions were as such:
- Here’s some cardboard, tape and paint: Make a mask.
- With your partner, make a scene about a virtue.
- Show us.