Summary
One actor sits or stands as the “storyteller” and narrates a story directly to another actor — but as they tell it, the rest of the group physically performs it in real time. The storyteller controls pace, introduces new characters, shifts locations, and can complicate the plot at will. Actors playing the story must listen carefully and justify whatever the narrator throws at them. The storyteller can also address the actors directly (“and then John turned around to face the dragon”) which forces immediate physical response. Great for building the narrator-performer relationship and teaching actors to trust the story over their own ideas.
Example
Storyteller begins, “Once there was a woman who ran a very small post office…” One actor becomes the postmaster. “One day, a very large man came in with a very small package…” Another actor enters, miming carrying something tiny with great effort. “And then what happened? The package started moving.” The actor reacts.