Write a script of what happens in your scenes: Due Tuesday, April 22.

Write a script of what you are going to do, where and when. It might look like this:

The Crazy Restaurant
(Start with a description of “the stage” do this each time you have a new scene)

There is a hostess stand up center (UC) where patrons can check in. There is a front door Up Right (UR). It opens into the restaurant. There is a door to the kitchen Up Left (UL). It is a double swinging door that opens in and out.
There are three table, each with two chairs, Down right, Center, and Down left.

Here is a picture of that set, if you actually had the furniture. I am planning this scene to be about a waiter, so I don’t even need any of the furniture. I just need to see it in my mind.

If I were going to play a patron, I would just need the chair(s) I was going to sit in. (It is really hard to mime sitting for very long, so I always allow chairs)

Next page

(Now I Iist the actions of my character (the waitress) and any other “mime characters” that might happen. Notice that in a performance, an audience will see the waitress (me) but they will have to imagine the patrons. And they will, because it is universal.)

Waitress
Creates the kitchen door and enters the restaurant UL. She crosses to the hostess stand UC and take out a reservation list. She studies it.

Patron 1
Enters the restaurant UR and looks around.

Waitress
Sees the patron 1 and grabbing a menu from a cubby, crosses downstage of the hostess stand to meet her RC.

Both
Crosses to the table C.

Waitress
With one hand -Pulls out the right side chair and creates the table top.

Patron 1
Sits at the table in the chair.

Waitress
Hands the menu to the patron and pulls a pad of paper out of her apron and a pen.

Patron 1
Opens the menu and points to several items.

Waitress
Shakes her head a few times before pointing to an item.

Patron 1
Says yes.

Waitress
Writes down the order, puts her pad and pen into her apron, picks up the menu and crosses UR to the kitchen and exits.

Patron
Waits. Gets impatient, looks at her watch. Pulls out her phone from her purse to text someone.

Waitress
re-enters with a glass of water and a plate of bread.

(The phone rings)

She thinks about answering it, but then decides not to, but she is distracted, so she trips and spills everything all over Patron 1.

Patron 1
Leaps up, brushing water off and storms at the waitress

Waitress
Steps back as if to defend herself.

And so on… I might have another patron enter. Or maybe the chef comes into the scene…

Notice that if you decide you don’t want to perform the scene just on your own, you could easily give this to anyone in your family and they would be able to figure out how to do the other parts with ease.

Keep practicing your scene until you can do it smoothly and the same way every time.

6. Find a piece of instrumental music that seems to create the mood you want for your scene. You might have different songs for different moments. You do not need sound effects, but you could add them if you want.

7. Video your scene with the music playing in the background (Or if you are video saavy, you can add the music after during an editing session). You can always video several takes if you make mistakes.

You can video it as if the camera is the audience

Or
If you can edit video, you could even video it from different angles and create a little movie with different shot techniques. Whatever your desire.