Alumni Stories - Sam Marsden & Acting Games for Improv
Sam Marsden, an alum of BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre and Education, shares insights into her new book, Acting Games for Improv (A Pocketful of Drama).
Drawing on over 15 years of teaching experience, Marsden introduces a series of portable books designed to support drama teachers, with the first installment focusing on improvisation. The book offers diverse exercises to help students connect with their intuition and imaginations.
Congratulations on the upcoming release of Acting Games for Improv (A Pocketful of Drama). Can you share a bit about the inspiration behind this book and how it complements your previous work?
I’ve had lots of drama teachers tell me that they carry my previous book, 100 Acting Exercises for 8 - 18 Year Olds, with them everywhere they go. So I had the idea to create a series of portable little books in a series called A Pocketful of Drama. I’ll be releasing ten of them over three years to support drama teachers. The books are designed so that they fit into your bag, (or a big pocket).
The first book is Acting Games for Improv. It’s very easy to dip in and out of and you can create full drama lessons from it. The book promotes the power of play, and has lots of content to help students connect with their intuition and imginations.
The exercises in the book are designed to be suitable for all ages and skill levels. How did you approach creating activities that can be tailored to such a diverse range of students?
Improvisation is a subject that can be enjoyed by everyone at any age, or skill level. The class will naturally match their skill level to the exercise. I love how you can give the same activity to two different groups and they’ll come up with two different interpretations. The book is suitable for all ages, and I’ve included an age guide for each activity.
How has your training on Central’s BA (Hons) Drama, Applied Theatre and Education course influenced the techniques and exercises that you share in your books?
The best improv class I ever had was with a teacher called Liselle Terret at Central. She made a huge impact on me. Before her improv was scary, and after her it was fun. I thought of her while writing this book. I wanted to bring the joy and fun into improv that she showed me.
With 15 years of experience teaching drama in various settings, how have you seen it transform lives, and in what ways do you believe the book can contribute to that transformation?
I’ve seen drama empower so many students. My main hope for this book is that it can bring more drama into the classroom. I hope teachers from other disciplines might consider using this book so that drama gets a further reach. Drama helps students to find their voice.
How can incorporating improv into drama lessons help young people?
Improv helps students with intution, awareness, confidence, creativity, empathy, life skills, listening, problem solving, storytelling, and teamwork. All skills that will benefit students in other areas of education also, and later on in life.
What do you hope readers take away from Acting Games for Improv, and how do you envision it making a positive impact in the world of drama education?
I hope teachers, and facilitators, will find the book easy to use, and that students will enjoy the content, so that more and more drama gets taught in schools, youth groups, and work places.
Explore the world of improv with Acting Games for Improv (A Pocketful of Drama).
To learn more about Sam Marsden, visit her website, and stay updated by following her on Twitter @SamMarsdenDrama