Lesson Plan: Mime Isolations & Facial Expression

Topic: Creating Believable Illusions through Isolations and Expression

Duration: 60 minutes

Age/Level: Upper Primary, Middle or High School Drama / Beginner to Intermediate

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Demonstrate isolations by moving one body part while keeping others still.
2. Apply isolations to mime objects (e.g., walls) while maintaining consistent hand placement.
3. Incorporate elbow bends/pulls to sustain illusion when miming resistance.
4. Use facial expression to strengthen belief and communication of effort, emotion, and intention.

Materials Needed

• Computer/projector for video
• Open rehearsal space
• Chairs for reflection circle
• Whiteboard/markers (optional, for notes or diagrams)

Lesson Outline

1. Warm-Up (10 min)

• Body Awareness: Begin with a full-body stretch, then guide students through isolating shoulders, elbows, wrists, and fingers.
• Isolation Game: Students mime moving only one joint at a time while keeping the rest still (e.g., shoulder rotation while hands remain fixed in space).

2. Technique Introduction (10 min)

• Teacher demonstrates:
  • Wall Push: Place palms forward, mime pushing against an invisible wall. Emphasize elbow bending or pulling back slightly to keep palms in place.
  • Consistency in Placement: Hands remain “glued” to the object while the body adjusts.
  • Facial Expression: Show strain, effort, or frustration as if the wall is real.
  • Connect idea: The face sells the illusion.

3. Guided Practice (20 min)

• Exercise A: The Wall
  • Students mime pushing a wall, experimenting with leaning, pulling, and keeping hands locked in space.
  • Focus: Isolate body movement (legs or torso) without moving palms.
• Exercise B: The Sliding Window
  • Students mime sliding a heavy window up and down using isolations and elbow adjustments.
  • Focus: Resistance + consistent hand placement.
• Exercise C (if in a class): Pair Work – Mirror Wall
  • One student mimes pushing a wall while the partner mirrors, creating the illusion of two people sharing the same wall.
  • Add facial expression to exaggerate the effort.

4. Performance & Feedback (15 min)

• Individually or in small groups create a 20–30 second silent scene involving an obstacle (wall, door, heavy lid, etc.).
• Perform for class or video.
• Peer and teacher feedback: Did the illusion hold? Were isolations clear? Did facial expressions sell the story?

5. Reflection & Cool Down (5 min)

• Circle discussion:
  • “Which isolation was easiest or hardest to maintain?”
  • “How did facial expression change the believability?”
• End with gentle body relaxation/stretch.

Assessment / Success Criteria

• Students show control of isolations to keep object placement consistent.
• Clear demonstration of resistance and adjustment (elbow bend, pull back).
• Effective facial expression enhances believability.
• Active participation in group performance and reflection.