One-off Workshop: The Sound of Silence

David Porter
Sunday, March 1, 2020

Often the silences between people say as much, or more, than actual words. Silence can be friendly or hostile, comforting or threatening. This 90-minute session explores silences as a device for developing both devising techniques and character building.

Learning objectives

To develop devising skills
To improve characterisation techniques
To work collaboratively

ContrastsNoise is opposite of silence, but there are shades and gradations. Partial silence, temporary silence, silence that changes from warm to cold, silence apparent to some but not others – all can be explored through dramatic scenarios.

Warm-up possibilities: (15 mins)

Start by sitting, listening to the silence of the space around. How far away can anything be heard?
Pairs game: Silent and Serious (see resources)
Unpleasant noise (baby crying, cat screeching, out of tune singing) gives way to sudden silence and relief
Teacher enters and brings sudden silence to class
Change to soldier or an enemy bringing sudden silence to a party
In small groups, silence is used to intimidate a person
Repeat with some physical actions to make it even worse
In pairs, two close friends eating a meal in amicable silence with no embarrassment
Repeat but add one thing which turns the silence uncomfortable
Still images of people in different poses with mouths taped closed.

Process of workshop development

1. Teacher-led discussion: (10 mins)

Lead a discussion on perceptions of silence. One example is white noise, many (younger) people do not hear it; others are bothered by it. Ask if silence actually has a sound? Silence may be just a pause in action or dialogue but can be effective. Pauses/silence may be filled by mime or by nothing at all.

Discuss how silence may be delivered. Is it just no speaking? How can it be made sinister? Unsettling? Terrifying? What impact could silence have on people/the story? People talk of breaking their silence after a long time, after disappearance, after fear, after a traumatic event or revealing the truth about something or somebody.

2. Outline of activities

In small groups, learners explore by devising one or two ideas through at most a couple of scenes, and share progress with peers. They will create credible characters who are affected by events portrayed.

3. Tasks and timings: (30 mins)

Option A: We Don't Talk About That or Him/Her. In a social situation, a newcomer mentions or asks about an event or person that everyone else had chosen to stay silent about. Why? What happened then? Why the secrecy? What happens now it has been asked about?

Option B: There Is Only Silence. A more challenging story of a person who is deaf or traumatised and can hear only what is inside his/her head. What happened then? What happens now? Is there a way out of a nightmare world? Could that inner silence work to help/save someone or put them in more danger?

Alternative idea CUsing the lyrics of the 1964 Simon and Garfunkel classic song, The Sound of Silence, a narrative piece of drama is possible https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/simongarfunkel/thesoundofsilence.html

Dangers of silenceBeware of reducing/removing words and filling space with boring, tedious action, like walking onstage/offstage endlessly, unless it's part of the plot. Give each piece of silence a purpose in showing insight into characters(s) and/or advancing plot.

Sharing and showing so far: (30 mins)

Depending on time available, it is useful to time limit devising for the first scene. Share it with the class, invite suggestions and comments and repeat with next one. Occasionally the same group could share a scene again after improving it in light of peer reviews.

Reviews

Self, peer and teacher reviews of work have places in improving group devising. If learners are approaching exams, then one of the sets of exam board criteria for devising will be useful.

A short (5 mins) plenary session is useful to reinforce learning and guide students to incorporate it into future drama work.

Summary of learning

Ask students to make notes of progress in shaping ideas, polishing and presenting. Question close collaboration.
Encourage them to discuss others’ opinions of their work as a means of learning and justifying making changes or not.

Following up

Invite students to watch TV drama, soaps and films and note all the times that silence adds tension, character development or advances the plot. Check out YouTube on uses of film silences: www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4j3zij8fXk

Materials, resources and research:
Drama Game: silent and serious www.bbbpress.com/2015/12/drama-game-silent-and-serious/

The Value of Silence – the Drama Teacher https://thedramateacher.com/the-value-of-silence/

Pacts of Silence in Family Drama – Exploring Your Mind https://exploringyourmind.com/pacts-of-silence-in-family-drama/

The Elements of Drama https://entertainism.com/elements-of-drama

Pause in Speech and Drama www.thoughtco.com/pause-speech-and-writing-1691492

The Top 10 Uses of Silence in Film https://fstoppers.com/video/top-10-uses-silence-film-171338