TUG OF WAR--eye contact, part eight

TUG OF WAR

THIS IS ANOTHER ACTING GAME THAT CAN BE USED TO STRENGTHEN EYE CONTACT.

See an imaginary person in front of you.

Pick up a tug of war rope.

See him/her pick up his/her side of the rope.

Say any sentence, from a film or from a book, or from a quotations page . . . or just make up one.

As you say it, pull that rope, and the other person, in your direction, keeping your eyes, all of the time, on that person's face.

Then, allow that person to pull you in the opposite direction, as you say the same sentence.

See the person's face the whole time.

Then, with a real person, play the same game.

When speaking, when you look at a person, you are tugging that person, with your eyes--and an imaginary rope--in your direction, until you have finished your thought.

Then, you play tug with another person, eye to eye, pulling that person in your direction, and not letting that person get away

The exercises builds eye focus and intensity, getting your eyes accustomed to these techniques, making you more likely to use them when speaking.