This activity was originally designed by the fine folks in our Education department for classrooms, but it is appropriate to any fairly large group (you probably want at least six to eight participants to make the activity work).
I'M NOT THE GIANT YOU THINK I AM
In The Big Friendly Giant, several actors play multiple roles, and they change their voices to show that they have become a different character. Try your hand, or rather mouth, at becoming a different person by changing your voice.
1. As a warm up, sit in a circle and talk about vocal disguises - ways to disguise yourself by changing your voice. Each participant should try experimenting with different voices before you begin.
2. Once everyone has warmed up and stretched out their voices, choose one participant to be the guesser and have them sit in a chair facing away from the rest of the group.
3. Choose one participant to disguise his/her voice and say the sentence "I'm not the ginat you think I am!"
4. Have all of the participants say to the guesser, "Come on back!" The guesser then rejoins the group and has three tries to guess who the disguised speaker was.
This activity helps develop listening, focus and concentration skills, and encourages vocal participation. For those interested in performance, the activity helps to teach them to make strong and specific vocal choices.
