Stories

RE:PLAY Family Activity

The performers in MUMMENSCHANZ are known as “The Musicians of Silence.” Finding rhythm in the quiet, these shapeshifting artists will surprise you with each artful scene in RE:PLAY. It’s as much about what you don’t see as what you delightfully do!

In this Family Activity, transform your household objects into characters, discover the unnoticed creatures around you and play a game of charades to bring you into the quiet world of the show.

At Home

The performers in RE:PLAY are known as material manipulators and creature conjurers—you can be one too! In this activity, create a character and then gather some simple materials in your home to bring your creation to life.

Materials: Assorted items in your home like a tissue box, blanket or spoon

Step One: Imagine five emotions that you have experienced. For example, you could choose the following

  • Happy
  • Sad
  • Angry
  • Excited

Step Two: Now, search the house for an inanimate object that you feel matches this emotion. Then, bring that object to life by using that feeling. As an extra challenge, don’t use any sound!

On the Way

Adding facial features to inanimate objects can make you see the world in a brand-new way. On your journey to the theater, create a Facebook or Instagram story to conjure a MUMMENSCHANZ-inspired creature creation and share it with your friends!

Follow the steps below to learn how. For an alternative option, you can also use the markup feature in your photos app.

Materials: A cell phone or tablet with a camera

Step One: Open Instagram and click the camera icon in the upper left corner. Take a photo of an interesting object you see on your way to the theater.

Step Two: At the top of your photo, there will be a squiggly line. Click on that to start drawing! Draw some hair, eyes, mouth, arms, legs or whatever else you can think of to conjure a unique creature out of everyday things. BONUS: Swipe up to search for gifs and emojis to add some extra flair.

Step Three: Tell your friends what your creation is all about! For example, you could click to type, “Ready to see #MUMMENSCHANZ in RE:PLAY at @NewVictoryTheater” as a caption!

Most importantly, make sure to tag us @NewVictoryTheater! We might end up sharing your masterpiece in our own story.

Step Four: Click your icon in the bottom left to add it to your story.

If you don’t have Instagram, you can edit your photo on your phone. Are you unsure of how to do that? Take a look at this guide for iPhones or Androids for assistance.

If you don’t have Instagram, you can edit your photo on your phone. Are you unsure of how to do that? Take a look at this guide for iPhones or Androids for assistance.

Here are some creatures we saw on our commute to the theater!

After the Show

After seeing the show, reflect on a few of these questions.

  • What were some of the materials you remember seeing on stage? Which scenes were the most fun to watch?
  • The performers in MUMMENSCHANZ are known as “The Musicians of Silence.” However, if you could add a soundtrack to the show, what kind of music would you add?
  • If you could bring an item in your home to life, which one would it be and how would it come alive?

Now that you’ve thought of your answers for the above questions, take some of the characters and creatures you conjured in the previous activities and play a game of charades!

Materials: Paper, pen or pencil, five objects, a hat.

Step One: On a piece of paper, write out five to ten activities, like painting a picture or surfing a wave. Tear the paper so each activity is on a separate slip.

Step Two: Fold the pieces of paper in half and put them in a hat. Remember to shake it up!

Step Three: Take turns to select a random activity out of the hat and act it out with an object from the previous activity.

When it is your turn, have your friends or family try to guess what activity you are performing with your character. Remember the biggest rule, you must do the action in complete silence!

Here is an example:

And Beyond

  • Learn more about the company and its fascinating history here.
  • Check out some of MUMMENSCHANZ’s early work.
  • Flex your “master of silence” skills at a Silent Disco.