Adverb Charades
Adverb Charades
Materials: Shakespearean text, slips of paper in two different
colors, pencils/pens, two hats or boxes.
Grade: 5-12
Goal(s): To explore the variety of ways in which words can be expressed.
This ACTivity requires some prep prior to the actors' arrival. From the Shakespearean text, write out on to individual slips of paper the dynamic or interesting words. Each slip of paper should have one of the chosen words written on it. There should be at least one Shakespearean word for each actor. Place these
slips in one of the two hats or boxes.
Here is an example of text. Words highlighted in bold would be written on the slips of paper and placed in the hat/box:
Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!
1. Distribute blank scraps of paper
(2 or 3 per actor). These slips should be a different color paper than the
prepped sheets. The actors write an adverb
on each slip of paper. The writing must be legible as other actors will use
the slip of paper and will need to be able to read the writing on it.
You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout
Till you have drench'd our steeples, drown'd the cocks!
You sulphurous and thought-executing fires,
Vaunt-couriers to oak-cleaving thunderbolts,
Singe my white head! And thou, all-shaking thunder,
Smite flat the thick rotundity o' the world!
Crack nature's moulds, an germens spill at once,
That make ingrateful man
2. The actors' adverbs are collected and put into the other hat/box. One hat/box
has the actors' adverbs, the other has the prepped slips of Shakespearean words.
3. One at a time, the actors choose a slip from each hat/box. They say the
Shakespearean word in the manner of the adverb. For example:
Shakespeare's Word (Hat/Box
1)
said in the manner of
Actors' Adverbs (Hat/Box 2)
winds
Greedily
rotundity
Angrily
all-shaking
Slowly
Vaunt-couriers
Majestically
4. Encourage the actors to use their entire bodies and a full voice.
Suggested Variation(s):
Grades Pre/K-3, preselect and write out both Shakespearean text and adverbs.
Grades 4-12, have the actors select the Shakespearean words as well as the
adverbs.
Raising The Bar:
Collect short pieces of dialogue or monologues from Shakespeare's plays. Place
these selections in the first hat/box. Once the actors have created the adverbs,
have each actor choose one of the short pieces and speak the piece in the
manner of the adverb.
Return to Stage 1
Return to Stage 3
Return to Main
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