“Hunter and Hunted” is a theatre game that can be used to help students experience the elements of theatre

Background Information for Teachers
Theatre takes many forms — from a formal production on a stage before an audience to
group improvisations conducted in school classrooms. There are, however, some commonly
accepted characteristics of theatre. For example, all theatre includes actors (whether trained
or not) attempting to communicate an idea to an audience. In Western cultures, the idea
being communicated often represents some sort of conflict for the actors or audience. As you
work through this lesson with students, lead them to this basic understanding.
“Hunter and Hunted” is a theatre game that can be used to help students experience the
elements of theatre. The hunt creates a dramatic conflict with an antagonist and a
protagonist. Their objectives are to hunt and to remain free, respectively. How the characters
behave is the dramatic action. Tension is created as they approach each other, and release
comes if they pass each other without making contact. The climax is reached at the moment
of contact. By engaged participation, students build relevant understanding, and new
vocabulary becomes meaningful.


There are many different definitions of theatre that include everything from a formal
production on a stage before an audience to group improvisations conducted in school
classrooms. However, there are three essential elements present in all forms of theatre: an
actor, a story with a conflict, and an audience.
• Acting: the process of creating roles and characters in dramatic context
• Audience: one or more persons who observe actors in a scene or play
• Conflict: when the desires of two or more characters are opposed to each other
• Costume: an actor’s stage clothing
• Dialogue: words spoken by the characters in a play to communicate their thoughts,
feelings, and actions
• Elements of drama: According to Aristotle, the elements are plot, character, theme,
dialogue, music, and spectacle
• Plot: the structure of the action of the play
• Script: the written dialogue, description, and directions provided by the playwright
• Setting: the time and place in which the dramatic action occurs
• Theatre: the imitation or representation of life, performed for other people; the
performance of dramatic literature



Warm-Up/Motivation
Ask the class to brainstorm answers to the following question, recording the ideas for future
use: “What are the various elements and characteristics of theatre?”
Lesson
Explain that the class is going to engage in an activity and that you would like them to think
about whether the activity is theatre.
The “Hunter and Hunted” activity is a simple game that can be used to introduce the
elements of theatre and demonstrate how those elements can be manipulated for greater
dramatic impact. The game works this way:
• The group forms a large circle.
• Two volunteers enter the circle. One will be the Hunter and one will be the Hunted.
• The volunteers are blindfolded and led to different places in the circle.
• The goal of the activity is for the Hunter to “get” the Hunted by tagging him or her.
The rest of the class must be very quiet so the players inside the circle can use their
sense of hearing to find or avoid one another. Members of the large group will act as
spotters, gently using their hands to make sure the Hunter and the Hunted don’t
leave the circle


After playing, discuss the following questions:
• Is this activity theatre? Why?
• Which elements from your brainstormed list are a part of the activity?
• Which elements are missing?
• Which elements from the list are needed for something to be considered theatre? In other
words, what are the essential elements of theatre?
Guide students to realize that the essential elements of theatre are an actor, a story with
conflict, and an audience. In this sense, “Hunter and Hunted” is a simple form of theatre
appropriate for the classroom.
Replay “Hunter and Hunted” with different volunteers. This time, enhance the playing by
adding story elements of character, plot, and setting. For example, one of the players might
be a sports hunter stalking another player who takes the role of a deer that is hiding in the
forest.
Talk about what happened, using these questions:
• How was this second playing of the activity different from the first?
• Is this theatre? Why?
• Which elements from your brainstormed list are a part of the activity?
• Which elements are missing?
View the “What Is Theatre?” footage and ask students to think about whether what they see
is theatre. Stop the tape after each example and discuss these questions:
• Is this theatre? Why?
• Which elements from your brainstormed list are a part of the footage?
• Which elements are missing?
• Is there a difference between classroom theatre (like “Hunter and Hunted”) and a
theatrical production like some of the footage?
Based on this work, ask the class to collaboratively write a definition for theatre.
Assessment
Review the collaborative definition of theatre to be sure it includes the essential elements of
actor, story with conflict, and audience.
During the playing of “Hunter and Hunted,” watch to see whether students display the
following drama behaviors:
• following directions,
• sustaining involvement in the activity, and
• cooperating within the group.