#taskparty

[cscnextgen]

NEXTGEN 2017: FIRST MEETING

Monday, September 18th was the first meeting of our new group of NextGen members. Lots of new faces, a few returning faces, and plenty of excitement and anticipation in the air.

For this meeting, we had a few activities planned. First thing on the docket was “graffiti boards” (aka giant post-it notes) on which everyone wrote words or phrases that come to mind when they hear the words “classic,” “stage,” and “company.” (See what we did there?) After writing ideas down, we discussed what came up: for classic, thoughts of timelessness; classical music; tradition. For theater, a stage; live performance; the presence of an audience. For company, a group of people working towards a common goal; corporations; an ensemble.

We discussed the rebranding that CSC recently completed (new logo, new website, etc!), and how the staff learned through that process that the word “classic” sometimes brings negative ideas to mind: stale, boring, passé. Kate (Dorman, Director of Education at CSC) explained that CSC’s mission is to turn towards the future while remembering the past; to reimagine classic pieces of theater as they are relevant to us now. People who find the word “classic” unappealing may in fact enjoy our work - even if they think they will not! CSC aims to make work that resonates with a diverse range of individuals (not just the old school die hard Shakespeare fans).

She also talked a bit about the history of the theater, and how a “company” can refer to a core group of actors who act in all the plays put on by the theater. At one time CSC did function in such a fashion, though that is not the case now. And speaking of the stage... the theater used to be a carriage house. #funhistoryfacts

After the introduction to CSC as a company, it was time become more acquainted with each other, as a company of young aspiring theater professionals. For that purpose we had planned a TASK party. If you don’t know what that is, you can read more about it here: https://oliverherringtask.wordpress.com/make-your-own-task/

The basic gist is that everyone writes down tasks on slips of paper and places the tasks in the task bowl. Then everyone pulls out tasks and tries to complete them. Some tasks involved using craft supplies (“Give a birthday card to a friend”); others needed merely one’s own person and imagination (“Be an animal for 2 minutes”).

Though many of the tasks were solitary, a few brought the room together, such as forming a human chain and playing duck duck goose. Others produced some lovely artwork:

“Present someone with an award”

“Bake a cake”

Note the “apple” headband made of a clown nose: “Do your hair with food products”

After about a hundred tasks and perhaps even a few new friendships later, it was time to clean up.

We tidied, we took some group photos, and then it was time to bid farewell. Parting is such sweet sorrow! But fear not, for NextGen will convene again on Monday, October 2nd. There we will talk about the actor/musician model that John Doyle, Artistic Director, uses often and has employed in CSC’s production of As You Like It. Complete with guest speakers from the show! Stay tuned.

P.S. If you’re curious about the tasks completed in our first meeting, here is a full list for your reading pleasure:

Adopt a pet giraffe

Tell someone about your summer

Change your appearance significantly. Remain that way till the end of the party.

Give everyone in the room a high 5!

Lead the room in an exercise class for 30 seconds

Take off your shoes and pretending you’re skating

Call the first person of your contacts

Compliment someone!

Serve someone a gourmet meal

Make up a dance move (name it)

Have someone tell a minorly embarrassing story (that they are comfortable with, of course)

Win an olympic medal

Move about the space like a dog/cat/animal of your choice

Propose to Shakespeare

Pet a very large dog

Choreograph a dance

Try and do a split

Give someone a genuine compliment on their appearance or personality

Whisper grapes in a person’s ear in a British accent!

Try to sell someone your shoe

Start a conga line

Play hide and seek

Sing a Disney song REALLY LOUD

Play tag!

Pretend to be a zoo keeper

Make more tasks!!!

Yell out pineapples in the harshest (but loudest) whisper!

Do a yoga pose!

Tell a funny story about yourself

Create a nickname for yourself (and for CSC NG to call you)

Yell out your birthday at any random time

Bake a cake

Get two people to tell the stories behind their names

Be an animal for 2 minutes

Make jewelry

Do your hair with food products

Sing the first verse of the first song in your head.

Drive an ice cream truck

Give a birthday card to a friend

Give someone a token of your affection

Turn off your phone from now on to tomorrow

Tight rope walk

Square dance

Perform this scene: “1: Hello! 2: Hello.1: Goodbye? 2: Goodbye….”

Teach someone a new song

Make up a poem about frogs

Go bowling

Make something out of yarn

Trade shoes with someone

Draw yourself

Dance like no one is watching

Make a new handshake with three people in the room

Do a split

Direct an orchestra

Write/perform a poem dedicated to someone in the room

Lead the whole group in a cheer

Get lost + ask someone to help you

Ask someone what their favorite holiday + food is

Join the circus

Get three people to recreate a famous scene from a famous movie

Sell someone something they don’t need

Count to 500 by 5s

Learn everyone’s name

Make a human chain

Make everyone play duck duck goose

Make a puppet

Recite a line of Shakespeare for the whole room to hear

Make up a riddle

Turn someone into a mermaid

Braid a guy’s hair

Become a bird

Recite the alphabet backwards

Finger knit something

Walk like a zombie for 10 minutes

Play night at the museum

Teach a bad lesson

Cross your eyes + squeal like a pig

Draw your spirit animal

Build a house

Make a human spiderweb

Say Sally sold sea shells at the sea shore 3x fast

Choreograph a group dance with at least three other people

Play hot potato

Find your light

Present someone with an award

Do 100 jumping jacks then make someone else do it too

Play football w/ 5 people

Solve this: There are 2 floors. On the first floor are 3 switches. On the second 3 lights. You can only go upstairs twice. The switches do correspond with a light. How do you find out which light goes to which switch?

Braid someone’s hair

Choreograph a music video

Take a group selfie

Impersonate cookie monster

Wear a helmet (make one first)

[craigroland]

Scenes from a TASK Party held at Warphaus on UF’s campus, April 24 2015.  More photos and information can be found here.