This strategy is used to explore conflicts and specific circumstances that need to be solved.
Divide students into two groups: one of actors, one of audience members. Discuss what a frozen image is (doesn’t move, captures a moment in action using the body and face, strong point of view) and how to make one using your entire body.
The first frozen image to create is one of the real life situation. For example, make an image of what it feels like to take a test. Encourage students to make strong choices that represent the real situation. You can have students create this real image individually (and at the same time), or as a group.
When students are frozen, ask the audience to describe what they see. "What do you see in this image/these images? What could be happening?"
Have the students making the images relax, and brainstorm as a class what the ideal situation could look like. For example, "Now that we've seen images of how taking tests makes you feel, how would you like test taking to feel? What could the ideal situation look like?" After brainstorming, have the same group of actors create an image of the ideal situation.
Ask the audience, "What do you see? What changed? What stayed the same?"
Have the two groups switch and repeat the sequence so everyone gets to create and see images.
*Note: if you create group images with students working together, have them play the same characters in both images, so the audience can track the relationship between the two pictures.
Describe: What stuck out to you from the real images? From the ideal images?
Analyze: What were the main differences between the two? What are some strategies the characters in the images could use to make the ideal situation a reality?
Relate: How does this relate to our thinking about __________ ? (insert relevent content)
"Create an image of what this feels/looks like in real life."
"Think about the ideal situation, and how you can show that with your bodies."
Ask the players to create a picture and let the audience title it.
Give the players a title first and have them build an image of the title.
Boal, Augusto. Games for Actors and Non-Actors. 2nd ed. Trans. Adrian Jackson. New York: Routledge, 2002. Print.