Character Improvisation

The day, led by Gowtham Upadyaya, began with a grounding exercise, followed by a comprehensive warm-up. A “head-to-toe” exercise activated each part of the body, preparing participants for a physically expressive day. Gowtham then guided a voice exercise, where participants practiced breathing techniques to enhance voice projection and control.

The next session, led by Ganesh Shankar, focused on character improvisation and began with a thought-provoking question: “Who wants to be a superstar, and who wants to be an actor?” Ganesh emphasized understanding a character’s motivations and introduced the “pace scale” to explore how varying speeds affect portrayal. Participants practiced embodying specific scenarios, such as losing a job or overhearing a secret, adjusting their physicality and expressions to bring out nuanced reactions.

In the afternoon, participants formed three teams for a "portrait" exercise, creating still scenes to practice staging and spatial awareness. Each team crafted visual narratives through body positioning, expressions, and focal points, with Ganesh guiding discussions on the choices they made. Teams repeated the exercise with different scenarios to build versatility and were assigned a scene preparation task for the next day.

To conclude, Ganesh held a short theory session on character development essentials, covering physical appearance, psychological mindset, and emotional expression. The session wrapped up with a reflection, closing a day of deep insight and focused practice.