Westside Toastmasters is located in Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California
It's All About Stage Time
Using theater techniques for fun club meetings.
"Theater techniques are far from sacred. The techniques of the theater are the techniques of communicating."
- VIOLA SPOLIN
Although most business presentations don't require the talent or skill of a Robin Williams or Gilda Radner, we can learn much from actors and their craft. If you're skeptical about this idea - I was too, at first. But, when a friend and mentor suggested I take an improvisational theater class to add more punch to my presentations, I agreed and enrolled in a class given by Jack Rushen, a New York City actor and playwright.
I was nervous about performing, since an intimidating stage appearance had rattled me in third grade. But I reminded myself that I was now an adult, took a deep breath and sauntered into the room. I looked at the other students, all seated quietly, and we introduced ourselves. I was relieved to note that they represented a range of professions and had no particular advantage over me. Within eight weeks my nervousness disappeared and other members of the group told me how much more natural and spontaneous I seemed in front of the audience.
Since I took that class, I've introduced many theater exercises at our Toastmasters meetings and even held a special "improvisational theater evening." I've been amazed at how confident and creative our members can be. Improv exercises are now a club favorite.
Speakers at Norwalk Toastmasters range from beginners, afraid to stand in front of the room, to seasoned businesspeople and public speakers. We all have one thing in common: We want to sharpen our communication and presentation skills. What are the keys to a memorable performance? My acting teacher Rushen says it's "energy, confidence and clarity of communication."
It takes most actors years to be really compelling and it takes a lot of practice to become an accomplished speaker. Here are a few acting exercises, many by Viola Spolin, the author of Theater Games for Rehearsal: A Director's Handbook, that you can try in your Toastmasters group. Incorporate them into the meeting as part of Table Topics, as a transition between different sections of the meeting, or as a special events evening.
How to Prepare Before You Speak
According to Rushen, the first moments of a performance are important and set the tone, so it is vital that you are relaxed. Consider using exercises that actors do to warm up:
- Stand up straight and let your shoulders drop. Roll your shoulders and swing your arms.
- Stretch your entire body and all the muscles in your face. Repeat several times.
- Do something physical. Bounce up and down and shake every part of your body.
- Articulate. Say A words - apple, artichoke and avocado - and then B words - buffalo, bison and bear - and so on. This will help you prepare vocally.
How to Boost Your Vocal Variety
One speech in the Competent Communication manual is dedicated to vocal variety and the importance of pitch, rate and tone of voice. Actors also use vocal exercises to enliven their performances. Try the following exercises during the Table Topics portion of the meeting:
- Movie Lines - The Topicsmaster writes down the names of famous movie lines before the meeting. As an example he might write, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn" (From Gone With the Wind). Review the elements of vocal variety - pitch, rate and tone of voice - from the manual with the group. Each Toastmaster gets up in front of the room and delivers the line five or six times. They must vary it each time by changing one of the elements of vocal variety. This exercise was a big hit at our district conference.
- The Gibberish Interpreter - One player gives a speech or tells a story to the audience using gibberish (making sounds that resemble speech but have no meaning). The second player "interprets" what the first per-son is saying for the audience. He or she must wait for pauses, then interpret. At the end there is an evaluation. Did the interpreter communicate what the gibberish-speaking player was trying to say?
- Building a Story - A group stands or sits in a circle with a coach. The coach begins a story then points at random to a person who continues it. Again, the coach points to another person to keep it going. The story continues until everyone has participated.
How to Improve Your Gestures and Body Language
Actors work on a stage or a set and business presentations take place both behind a lectern and without one. In either case, the actor or presenter must feel comfortable and use some kind of physical movement. Try practicing these exercises with other people from your Toastmasters group to make your gestures more natural:
- Object Game - Stand in a circle. The first person imagines an object and describes it while pretending to touch it as the others guess what the object is. He or she then passes the "object" to the next person in line who creates a new object. Everyone usually gets very involved in the exercise and some may get the giggles.
- Mirror - Stand opposite a partner and choose who will lead first. Mirror what your partner does with his or her body and hands. Now let the other person lead. Your actions will become more spontaneous.
How to Stimulate Quick Thinking
A question-and-answer session usually follows business presentations. While there's no substitute for knowing your material, improvisational theater experience improves your ability to think on your feet in a fun and playful environment. It's challenging and exercises your funny bone. Try these:
- More Movie Lines - The group writes down lines from a movie or television program on slips of paper and puts them in a bowl. Each player gets up in the front of the room, plucks a slip and begins to tell a story. Then the same person picks two or three additional slips and continues the story. The audience usually enjoys this game.
- Another Story Game - Sit on a chair opposite a partner. The audience chooses the subject of the story and the relationship the two characters have to one another. For example, a boyfriend and girlfriend discuss where they will go on their vacation. One partner starts the story using a word beginning with the letter A. The other person continues the story with the letter B. The story goes on until they've used all the letters of the alphabet.
- Machine - Five people stand in front of the room. The first person chooses an action and a sound and acts out his role as the first cog in the machine. The next person becomes the second cog, choosing an action and making a sound that connects her to the first person. The other three people follow until the room is humming with the sound and actions of the machine they've created.
Toastmasters is all about stage time. The more frequently you stand up in front of the room, the more confident you'll feel. Take an acting or improvisational theater class at a college or continuing education program near your home. You'll improve your skills and have fun at the same time. You don't have to be Al Pacino to be a successful presenter at work, but learning some of these techniques will put you ahead of the game.
By Carolyn_Collen