Number of players: 3 at a time, but typically done as a rotation through a large group
Tags: Exercise, large group, warm up, all levels
When: This is done as an exercise towards the beginning of class.
Overview: A series of short, three person scenes is performed. Three chairs are arranged so that one chair (for the driver) is in front (towards the audience) and two chairs (for the passengers) are behind. These three chairs are meant to roughly simulate a car.
Players will rotate between the three positions as a new player enters the scene. The new player (the hitchhiker) enters the car and takes the closest passenger seat. The player that was in that seat, will move to the other passenger seat. That passenger will move up to the driver’s seat, and the driver will rotate out of the scene.
The hitchhiker enters the car with a strong character choice. The other two players in the car will immediately take on that same character. We see a very short interaction between the three characters which includes finding out where the hitchhiker needs to go and the car driving off.
Very soon, the driver or either passenger will notice a new hitchhiker standing on the road and request that they stop to pick them up. The driver stops the car and then the players rotate allowing room for the hitchhiker to enter the scene with their character choice. Once again, all the players in the car will take on the new character, and the rotation continues.
Introduction: "This is an exercise where we have to quickly identify and take on a character being presented to us. The idea is that these three chairs represent a car with the driver in front and two passengers behind. They stop for a hitchhiker and the three players in the car rotate so that the driver leaves, the passenger furthest from the hitchhiker moves to the driver’s position, the passenger closest to the hitchhiker moves to the other passenger seat, and the hitchhiker can enter and sit in the empty seat."
"The hitchhiker enters with a strong character choice that’s different that the one previously in the car. As the other players in the scene identify the character, they take on that same character choice. The three players in the car all have the same characteristics and we’ll see a very short scene with them before the driver or one of the passengers notices the next person in line; the next hitchhiker. They stop the car, rotate positions, and then react to the hitchhiker’s new character.”
Details: There should be a line that forms on one side of the stage, where the hitchhikers will enter the car. The scenes are very short, just long enough to establish that all three players have the same characteristics.
And that point cannot be emphasized enough: all the players have the same characteristics. They are not playing opposite or against the hitchhiker character. The entire car becomes filled with same character type.