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Directing

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Explore practical directing tips, rehearsal strategies, and creative approaches for both student and teacher directors. From first read to final performance, find what you need to shape strong, confident productions.

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How to Prepare a Stage Manager’s Prompt Book
Directing

How to Prepare a Stage Manager’s Prompt Book

One of the stage manager’s most important tasks is to create and maintain the prompt book – sometimes known as the “show bible” – which is a master copy of the script and contains everything...
5 Qualities a Stage Manager Must Possess
Directing

5 Qualities a Stage Manager Must Possess

The role of the stage manager is a vital one in the theatrical process. Stage managers truly make the show happen. Without a great stage manager, rehearsals go awry, cues don’t happen, and the show...
So, What Does a Stage Manager Do, Anyway?
Directing

So, What Does a Stage Manager Do, Anyway?

“The show must go on” is a common phrase in the theatre world, and a stage manager is one of the crucial people who ensures that the show does go on. The stage manager works side by side with the...
Round-Up: Dealing With Production Challenges
Directing

Round-Up: Dealing With Production Challenges

It’s never a question of “if” something will go wrong during a theatrical production…it’s completely a case of “when” something will go wrong! But when things do inevitably go wrong, will you and...
So, What Does a Producer Do, Anyway?
Directing

So, What Does a Producer Do, Anyway?

The role of the producer is often a mysterious one and hard to define. No two producers are alike, and each producer sees his or her job differently. In the simplest terms, a producer’s job is to...
Practice How You’d Like to Perform
Acting

Practice How You’d Like to Perform

Teachers and directors – have you ever watched a run of your show, noticed a particular student, and wondered, “Now where did that performance come from?!” I’m talking about the student who plods...
Dealing With Nerves
Directing

Dealing With Nerves

Performing onstage with friends, family, peers, and even strangers watching can be extremely nerve-wracking. Putting yourself out there, being vulnerable, and taking risks onstage takes a lot of...
Creating Pre-Show Routines and Rituals
Acting

Creating Pre-Show Routines and Rituals

Creating pre-show rituals and routines is so helpful for students. It clears their minds and gets them into their “theatre brains” – the mindset needed to leave their personal issues at the door...
How to Take Great Production Photos
Directing

How to Take Great Production Photos

We all know a picture is worth a thousand words – so make sure it’s saying the right things about your productions. Your actors’ performances aren’t afterthoughts. Capturing their moments in the...
The Running List: What It Is and Why You Need It
Acting

The Running List: What It Is and Why You Need It

An organized backstage is a calm backstage, and a running list can help keep things running smoothly during a production. What is a running list? It’s a scene-by-scene breakdown of scene changes...
Tips & Tricks for a Less Stressed Tech Week
Directing

Tips & Tricks for a Less Stressed Tech Week

Tech week…the phrase alone can send shivers down the spine of the most calm and unflappable theatre professionals. Tech week has the reputation of being long and taxing. But it doesn’t have to...
Musical Theatre in the Drama Classroom
Acting

Musical Theatre in the Drama Classroom

Have you ever considered including musical theatre in the drama classroom? Does the thought of singing in front of others scare your students to death? Does it scare you to death? If you’re going...
Backstage Blues: How to Deal With a Messy Cast
Acting

Backstage Blues: How to Deal With a Messy Cast

Cleaning up anybody else’s mess is no fun. Cleaning up a messy backstage after a show is especially disheartening – it takes away any good feelings that were cultivated during a good performance,...
How Costumes Affect Your Character
Acting

How Costumes Affect Your Character

Costumes are such a fabulous part of theatre – they help tell the story, they help actors get into character, and they immediately tell the audience something about what’s going on. For many...