Magic Curtain

Magic Curtain is a structure that encourages learners to work together to create meaning through movement.

Steps:

1. Obtain a large, opaque sheet of material to be your magic curtain.

2. Find or clear a large space. Invite your learners to sit in the space, facing an area that will act as your stage.

3. Choose 2-3 learners to be your actors. Bring them onto the stage, and explain that you will give them prompts which they will need to silently act out. Then, choose 2 more learners to be your curtain masters. Explain that it will be their job to keep the actors' prompts and preparations secret by hiding them behind the curtain and that they will drop the curtain when the audience performs the magic curtain chant. If necessary, clarify that curtain masters do not speak.

4. Teach your audience (all the other learners) the magic curtain chant: "Magic curtain! Magic curtain! 1, 2, 3!" Explain that, on 3, the curtain will fall to reveal the actors. The audience must then guess what the actors are portraying.

5. Have the curtain masters raise the curtain and give your actors their first prompt. When your actors are ready, engage your audience in the magic curtain chant!

6. When the chant has been completed and the curtain has been dropped, facilitate the audience's guessing what they're seeing onstage.

7. Repeat steps 4-6 as desired. Rotate actors and curtain masters in and out, if you'd like.