Honey, if you love me, won't you please, please smile?

[the_vulture]

:-D  This is my all-time favourite drama activity game. I've used it with a variety of pupils (though the younger ones seem to get into it a lot more eagerly). It essentially pits one person's ability to maintain a straight face and neutral response against another person's ability to be totally outrageous. It's great for practicing some basic acting skills, including delivering lines properly and displaying the required emotional response. It's also a great ice breaker activity and party game.  :-)
One person stands in the middle of a circle of other players. The person in the middle will select another player to stand in front of him/her. Then first player will deliver the following line:

"Honey, if you love me, won't you please, please smile?"

The player can deliver the line in any fashion, be it vocal or gestural,  in an attempt to make the other person smile or blow their line. However, no physical contact is allowed.

The second player, maintaining an absolute straight face, must reply with the following line:

"Darling, you know I love you, but I just can't smile."

Failure to do so means the second player will take the first player's place in the middle and the first player, victorious, can go to stand in the circle.

If the second player succeeds, he or she returns to the circle with all appropriate glory.

I usually allow the winner of the bout to choose the next player to face the person in the middle.

For those teaching the game to children, the easiest approach is to have everyone rehearse the two lines a couple times and then be the person in the middle for the first bout.

(Note: I've been known to crack pupils up before uttering a single word. *silly grin*)