Redefining Objects Through Pantomime

In this exercise, players take a real object (for example a shoe, a ball or a hat) and redefine it so that the new meaning becomes recognizable as quickly as possible. Everything is done in pantomime, without words ("sounds" are allowed). For example, the player can hold the shoe to his ear and pretend it is his phone. Or he cradles it in his arms as if it were his baby.

Procedure: 1, 2 or 3 players do the exercise, the others watch. The players stand next to each other and close their eyes. The instructor fetches an object (for example from a bag he brought along, so that the players cannot see it beforehand) and places it in one player's hand. The players open their eyes and off they go. As soon as the audience recognizes what the object is meant to represent, they call it out, and the object is passed to the next player, who turns it into something else. The exercise can be played against the clock (how many different things does the player or the team manage in 60 seconds?). Repetitions and "too similar" objects are forbidden and do not count. With several players, this "pantomime relay" is easier, because each player gets short breaks in between.

Variant: The audience stays silent and the instructor simply calls out "point" as soon as he recognizes the object. Someone else keeps the time.

Note: in principle, any object can be turned into a "baby" or a "phone". Advanced players should therefore try to let themselves be inspired by the actual shape of the object and rather come up with something unusual than fall back on familiar "standards".

See also

• Alienated Objects (game)