Social Issues
Individually and in groups, create and script (e.g., through scenarios for improvisations and scripts), both individually and in groups, scenarios that develop tension and suspense between believable, interrelated characters.
Preface:
This is a very sensitive issue, please assess the student's comfort level before preceding.
Improvisation 1:
Set up the classroom in such a way that would illustrate a high school staff meeting. Post a sign outside on the door with this or similar verbiage:
"Principal (NAME) apologizes for calling this emergency staff meeting on such short notice. Thank you for attending. Principal (NAME) will arrive shortly to explain the situation. Please be patient."
In role as the principle, lead the class into the space. The information that you must share with the class is this: A student from this school was found dead last night by his/her parents. The police have confirmed that the student's death was caused by suicide. This is the first incident of this nature that has occurred in this school. It is up to the staff to come up with a plan of action to deal with this. Their time is limited though, they only have ten minutes to decide about what to do. Interspersed among the 'staff' are different roles which you may create at your discretion. For example, you may address one of the players as the physical education teacher who knew the dead student.
Improvisation 2:
Out of role, split the class up into groups (some pairs and some groups of three). Each pair will work on Improv A, and each group of three will work on Improv B. Each group will play simultaneously Each improv is as follows:
Imorov A
Setting: Character l's bedroom. No parents are home.
Character 1: You have had problems at home or at school, which have over-whelmed you. You are contemplating suicide. You have acquired some sleeping pills.
Character 2: You are Character l's best friend. You have a gut feeling that something is wrong. You decide to visit them, and find out what's going on.
Improv B
Setting: Before school
Character 1: You found out this morning that one of your close friends had committed suicide. You have called your other close friends (who were also close to the friend who committed suicide) to tell them. You don't think that telling them over the phone would have been appropriate.
Character 2 & 3.. You have been called to meet by Character 1 who has told you there is something that she/he must tell you.
If time allows, have students share their work.
Closure:
Out of role, initiate a discussion with the class. How do you feel about the activities we did today? What did you find effective about the improvs? Ineffective? If the students feel comfortable going more in depth: Would you like to share any of your feelings about the topic of teen suicide with others?
Created by Mark Schembri
