ABSTRACT
I find this exercise so valuable that I now start every class or rehearsal with 5 minutes of free drawing. Almost every group, no matter what age or stage they are at, enjoys it, finds it helpful and wishes to do it as a starter to every session. Quietly doodling / scribbling / drawing allows people to become calm, to arrive more completely in the room and to express their feelings at that moment. I have been surprised and delighted to find that the quality of the work and the atmosphere within the group are so much better after this brief experience. For myself, when I need to move from working with one group to working with another, or from my life outside the rehearsal room to the world of the scene, the 5 minutes of quiet focus with everyone in the group give me the clarity and presence I need to do good work.
