Come On—Do a WUP!

In the DramaMinds method, teachers are guided step by step in teaching a well-structured drama lesson. An important part of that is the warm-up, also called a WUP. But why is it so important?

One of the most common mistakes in drama is skipping the warm-up. Teachers often jump straight into the main task—for example: “Create a short scene about jobs without using words.” At that moment, students haven’t practiced the drama technique of pantomime yet, and their imagination hasn’t been activated around the theme of jobs.

So the teacher is asking students to do something that can trigger tension and insecurity. Going from nothing straight into a presentation moment raises the threshold—exactly what you want to avoid in drama. Without a warm-up, a drama lesson isn’t complete; it becomes more of a drama activity than a full lesson.

During the warm-up, students get introduced to—and practice—the technique that will be central in the lesson. With some techniques, like movement-based drama or acting with text, it’s even necessary to warm up the body and voice to prevent injuries.

Make sure the warm-up connects to the technique used in the main activity. If you’re working with tableaux, for example, a warm-up with frozen images—like “Stop the Dance”—fits well. The warm-up and main activity should also connect in content as much as possible. If the main task is about a sleepover, you can carry that theme through the rest of the lesson too.

A complete warm-up includes a whole-class warm-up and a small-group warm-up. In the whole-class warm-up, students can get used to the subject, the technique, and themselves as performers in a safe, anonymous way. In the next phase, they explore the technique further in small groups. This helps create a safe atmosphere—the foundation for an enjoyable and successful drama lesson.

But do you always have to teach a complete drama lesson? Of course not! There’s nothing better than helping students relax or energize through a short drama activity in the classroom. Just don’t use a full main-task assignment for that. In our method, under the “Exercises” tab, you’ll find hundreds of stand-alone exercises that can be done without special preparation. Perfect for a quick drama moment in between!