1. GENERAL HEADING: Warm-up Exercises

2. TITLE OF EXERCISE: "Murderer"

3. GOALS: To build concentration, alertness, and a group dynamic.

4. NUMBER OF STUDENTS: Group Exercise: unlimited maximum

5. EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES: None.

6. CLASS TIME NEEDED: 10 - 30 minutes

7. STEP-BY-STEP-DESCRIPTION: Have the actors sit on the floor in a circle with their eyes closed. Tap one actor on the head. This actor is the "murderer." Once the murderer is picked, the actors open their eyes and try to discover who the murderer is without being "killed." The murderer kills victims by winking at them. When winked at, a victim silently counts to three, makes a disgusting noise, and dies. If an actor in the circle thinks he or she knows who the murderer is, he or she closes his or her eyes and raises a hand. As soon as three students think they who the murderer is, ask them to whisper the name to you--if they are wrong--they are killed instantly. The round ends when three people correctly identify the murderer. The exercise can then be resumed with another murderer.

8. POINTS FOR OBSERVATION, DISCUSSION: The importance of concentration. The creation of group dynamic. The importance of observation.

9. SOURCE/REFERENCE: Greg Atkins. Improv! Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann, 1994.

10. ADDITIONAL READING: N.A..

11. VARIATIONS: N.A.