Acting

Many students take drama class not because they want to, but because they have to. They might need an arts credit to graduate, or there aren’t any other options for them to have a full class schedule, or they are looking for a class that they think is easy. So how do we engage our potentially less than enthusiastic drama students? Something that might help your students is learning about how drama skills, particularly those learned while studying acting, are used in everyday life. Drama skills are transferable skills that are used in everyday life, particularly in the working world. Let’s look at a few of them: 1. Listening and taking directionStudents will inevitably be in situations where they need to receive instruction and training. From copywriting to piercing and tattooing to cattle farming, every job has equipment to learn how to use, rules and regulations to follow, techniques to execute the job responsibilities correctly, and policies and procedures in place to ensure the work is done right. Students need to listen, follow directions, receive and apply corrections, and perform in a consistent and safe manner — often under pressure. These skills are all taught and practiced in drama class. Students listen to their scene partners and their director, execute blocking and character notes given by their director, make adjustments, and perform (especially if they’re working on an extracurricular show that presents multiple performances). Change director to manager or trainer, and lines and monologues to employee manuals — it’s pretty similar. 2. Memorizing and presenting information and speeches clearly and conciselyLots of jobs require memorization and presentation of information. Restaurant servers must be able to tell customers about all the different meals and drinks they serve and the daily specials. Ride operators at theme parks need to memorize safety spiels and oftentimes are performing whilst operating the ride (the Jungle Cruise ride at Disney World is a great example of this!). Politicians give speeches all the time. In the corporate world, business executives create and share presentations to land clients, introduce new products and services, and improve their financial results. Being able to memorize and present information in a clear, confident manner is an important skill to have, and is something that is practiced frequently in drama class when students are memorizing and presenting lines and monologues. Not only that, but students need to present the information that engages their audience (or customers/clients/guests) and makes them listen and understand. 3. Problem solving and improvisationWhen something inevitably goes wrong during a performance, the actors need to remain calm, figure out a solution on the fly, and make sure the show continues. Every job requires problem solving and quick thinking. What does a retail employee do when a customer angrily returns an item that they think is subpar? What does a model do if their shoe breaks midway down the catwalk? What does a professional wrestler do if their opponent falls out of the ring instead of executing their next move? Outside of the work world, people need to problem solve all the time. What does a parent do if their child begins to melt down in public? What does a homeowner do if a pushy door-to-door salesperson rings their doorbell? For all of these situations, the answer is: figure out a solution, or at least fake it ‘til you make it! Students may also have to use their acting skills to appear calm and confident in situations that make them feel escalated, stressed, or angry. Have your class brainstorm a list of jobs, careers, and everyday situations that require acting skills. For each one, have students think about what acting skills they would use and in what context. Have students stand up and improvise that situation in pairs or small groups. For example, have them improvise a scene with a customer, a retail associate, and a manager. How would the customer work up the courage to return an item? How would the retail associate de-escalate an angry customer? How would the manager train or coach the retail associate, before, after, or in the moment? Have different students improvise the same situations and see how their experiences differ. Think about moments or experiences in drama class that were similar, and how they could be applied or adapted to situations in everyday life. Additional Resources: • What Skills Do You Need to Work on a Show? • Finding Theatrical Opportunities Outside the Drama Classroom • Teaching Life Skills Through Virtual Drama Class

A director friend recently sent me a message asking for advice about how to help her students with their upcoming show. _Hi Kerry, _ Any tips on helping my students to slow down and stop rushing? There are a few spots in the show where moments are “urgent,” but I feel that the audience is going to miss things as the students rush. We do walk-throughs, I explain and ask them to slow down, but they seem to get caught up in the excitement. Or perhaps they’re convinced it doesn’t look authentic? Maybe this will naturally evolve this week as they become more comfortable off-book, but any suggestions in the meantime would be helpful. I guarantee this is not the first director dealing with students who rush their lines and movements. Your first task is to try and discover why your students are rushing their lines and/or movements. Then, you can try some of the following 12 tips and techniques I’ve used in various situations with my students to help them slow down: 1. “Slow down” might not be specific enough for your students. Try adding gestures or facial expressions at specific points in the scene to help your students focus on their full performances. Some students are visual learners, so physically demonstrating the movements you want may be helpful. Our Physicalizing Emotions article might help with this. 2. You may also want to try building in specific pauses and physical stops during students’ lines to force them to slow down. Try giving the exact counts you’d like the pause to be (for example, three seconds versus one second). Alternatively, have students try pausing for one beat for a comma or semicolon and two beats for a period, question mark, or exclamation mark. 3. Some students don’t believe us when we tell them what they’re doing until they see it themselves. Try filming students’ run-throughs and show them exactly what they are doing and how much they’re rushing. (I had a director do this to me once — it worked and I finally made the correction!) 4, You could also make rehearsal reference videos of the time(s) when students perform the scene the way you want them to, and make those the official templates of what they need to do each time. 5. If students are not fully off-book or are feeling shaky with their lines, they may be rushing to get the scene over with. Here are some tips to help students memorize their lines. The sooner they have their lines learned, the easier it will be for them to sink comfortably into the scene and avoid rushing. 6. Many students deal with nerves or anxiety, which may cause them to rush their lines or movements. Try some mindfulness techniques to help them combat jitters and see if that helps them slow down and stop rushing. 7. Try having students run their lines deliberately slowly — at half-speed or even slower. What they feel is half-speed is probably an appropriate speed for the stage! 8. If students are rushing their movements during the scene, have them try the scene while moving at half-speed or even standing still or sitting. How does that affect their performance? 9. If you find students are rushing their stage combat choreography, fight directors say that stage combat performance speed is maximum 75% of a “real” fight. Both because the two combatants need to be able to see what’s happening and the audience needs to know what’s happening. If they move too fast, the audience will miss the important moments. It’s not like on film, where the action can be sped up. Onstage, we have to suspend our disbelief in order for the action to be seen and understood. 10. Think scientifically. Have students consider what their bodies do biologically when they are excited or nervous. What happens when students feel an adrenaline spike? Explain that if they are rushing now in rehearsal, they’ll rush even more when show week adrenaline hits. Your 90-minute show may end up being only an hour! 11. Put yourself in the audience’s shoes. Sit your students down and have a frank conversation, considering the situation from the audience’s perspective. The students know the show — the audience doesn’t. The audience paid to be there and hear the story that the actors are presenting. If audience members can’t understand what’s going on, that’s not their fault — it’s up to the actors to help them understand. 12. Have students perform their scenes in front of their peers and have their peers give feedback on the speed. Sometimes having the feedback come from their friends and classmates can be more palatable to students. Alternatively, have someone who isn’t part of the show (such as another teacher) sit in on a rehearsal and watch/listen for rushing, as a neutral party who isn’t familiar with the scenes.

Want to give your students some fantastic acting material that they can really sink their dramatic chops into? Consider doing an issue play for your next production. Issue plays explore problems and topics that are current and relevant for your students, including body image, bullying, mental health, identity, individuality, and human rights. Students are able to resonate with the issues that the characters face, and these plays can be a great way to entertain and educate at the same time. While issue plays are rewarding, they can be challenging as well. Issue plays can bring out some strong emotions when you and your students are working on them, and it’s important to approach them with thoughtfulness and care. Here are some tips for acting the issue play: 1. Be wary of how many times your character expresses extreme emotion. In a one-act play, characters should only cry once. Shout at each other once. Hit once. Scream once. If you abuse the extreme emotion it becomes ineffective. The more you shout, the less the audience will listen. All they will hear is the noise, and not the content. 2. Fight the urge to ‘act’ sad. Sad plays are already sad. The text is sad. Use all forms of emotion to react to the issue. Anger can be quiet, sad people laugh, and so on. That is what will make the moment alive instead of stereotypical. 3. Always remember the audience. The issue play can sometimes turn into an insular experience for the cast if they get too involved with what they’re doing. Always keep in mind that your job is to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. That has to be done in a variety of ways. Variety is the key. It’s always more effective to make an audience laugh right before you hit them in the gut with something dramatic. Silence works in tandem with shouting. Always have a moment of stillness after a moment of chaos. 4. Take the most dramatic moment in the play and rehearse it with the opposite emotion. If there are two characters screaming at each other, turn the moment on its head and have the characters laugh at each other. It will give you a fresh perspective of the scene. You’ll find new rhythms in the pace of the dialogue. It’s a great way to create a break between the character going through the issue, and the actor. On that note… 5. Remember that it is the characters who are in the issue, not the actors. Every time you rehearse a tense, emotional moment, create a clean break. Play a silly improv game at the end of rehearsals. Sing. Do yoga. Play duck duck goose. Create a ritual to bring yourself out of character. 6. Have an outsider watch the show. If you and your cast are knee-deep in your issue, you may not think the show is straying into the overdramatic. A fresh eye (that you trust!) can let you know if the show is on the right track.

Sometimes we get caught up in all the bells and whistles of a theatrical production. Sumptuous sets, elaborate costumes, piles of props, mountains of furniture – they’re all wonderful, but shows can be equally great without them. Many shows achieve success with the actors only using one significant costume, prop item, or signature piece of furniture each, to show their character. The decision to put on a stripped-down production may be because of a tight budget or it may be a stylistic choice, but students and teachers shouldn’t feel limited – selecting the perfect item for your character can open up a world of possibilities for the actor and the show itself. Here’s an exercise you can do with your class – or cast and crew of your show – to explore the challenges and possibilities of using only one item specifically chosen for each character. This can be a theoretical exercise or a practical exercise – instructions are included here for both options. Theoretical1. Each student will select a theatrical piece that they would like to work on; the piece must have at least 10 characters. 2. Read the script and copy out the dramatis personae (list of characters). 3. Assume that all the actors will be dressed the same: black pants, black shoes, and black shirt. For each character, select one costume item, prop, or piece of furniture that best complements that character. 4. For each item: • Describe the item. • Include a sketch/clipping or swatch/photograph/image of the item. • List two-three points per character that explain WHY you chose this item and how the character would use the item. Practical1. Students sort themselves into groups of three to four. Each group will select a theatrical piece they would like to work on, read the script, and select a scene from the play that they would like to present. Make sure that there are the same number of students in the group as characters in the scene. 2. Students will cast the scene amongst themselves, block the scene, and memorize their lines to present to the class. 3. Each student will each select and acquire/make one costume item, prop, or piece of furniture to use in the scene that best complements their character. 4. Each group will present their scene to the rest of the class. For the presentation, students will wear black pants, black shoes, and a black shirt. They will each use the costume, prop, or furniture piece they selected for their character and no other item of props, costumes, or furniture. 5. Upon completing the presentation, students will each submit an individual Reflection.

We asked drama teachers: What is your advice to an actor who forgets their lines during a performance? Let’s hear from teachers on the front lines. It’s more than memorizationParker M. says “SUBTEXT!! Know what your character is trying to say, not just the specific words from the page. If you know the point your character is trying to get across, you can always say something that keeps the play moving.” Rachel H. says “If they know the sequence of events and are engaged in the moment when someone goes up on lines, they’ll be able to ad-lib something that makes sense until someone onstage can get them back to the text.” Elizabeth T. says “I always tell my kids they know what needs to happen in the story, so say whatever you need to say to move the story forward.” David I. suggests “Have a conversation ABOUT the situation. Work through it using subtext until it comes back to you, or until the booth starts the next track. Also, stay calm the audience doesn’t know the script, and their disbelief can be suspended as long as you stay with your character.” Look to the teamColleen S. says “The most important thing is to teach onstage generosity – the other actors need to have her back. They can prompting and help and be a part of a team.” Valerie V. recalls “I was taught that everyone (all actors onstage) needs to know what’s going on at all times.” Leilani B. says “Your fellow actors are there to save you if you stumble. Just as you are for them.” Improv and ad-lib skills are your friendMeredith O. says “I always say, that’s part of why we practice improv. Know where the story needs to go and cover for others who forget by making up a line in context that might help them remember what to say.” Kathy S. says “We actually practice ad-libbing “just in case.” The kids know the subtext, so they can create lines that help the plot more along. Makes the kids more comfortable if they really do forget the a line.” April R. says “Know your character well enough to ad-lib something similar for other actors to go with until you are able to move forward with the scene.” David B. says “Know what it is you have to accomplish in the scene, improvise and get to it to move the scene forward.” Stay calm, breathe and carry onAndrew S. says “Don’t stress about it. It happens. Just play it off and make something up to cover it. The audience doesn’t know what your line there was supposed to be so don’t let it show on your face that you messed up!” Matt B. suggests “Try to relax, pause for a moment and try to remember the basics of what you were going to say. Just remember, there is a difference between a dramatic pause and dead air.” Norm F. says “It happens. Stay in character and trust those around you. It is a team and the audience will never know because they’re not sitting there with a script.” Roy N. says “Breathe. Actors will often hold their breath waiting for the line to come. If you just exhale, it often ‘pops’….” Amber C. says “Don’t panic. Stay in character. Repeat the line before then hopefully you will remember the following line.” Sandra L. says “Be in the scene, the moment and be the character. Breathe and continue.”

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 student actors, receiving their costumes is a really exciting day. However, once students are actually in their costumes challenges can crop up. Many directors request that students come to rehearsal wearing comfortable clothes that they can move in. While that is useful for learning choreography and blocking, it’s less useful if the students will be wearing costumes that are not workout-gear-esque. Costumes definitely affect an actor’s performance – for better or worse. Let’s look at some ways that costumes can affect performances and character portrayal, starting from the feet and working our way up to the head. 1. Feet and Lower Body• Shoes • People walk differently in boots vs. sneakers vs. heeled shoes vs. sandals vs. bare feet. • In general, avoid wearing flip-flops on stage, as they are super noisy and do not provide good traction. • Heeled shoes can be noisy both onstage and off. Students should practice walking in them to avoid looking and sounding clumpy. • If some students are wearing shoes and some are barefoot, the students with shoes on must take extra care not to step on the barefoot students’ feet. • While this should be done before every show regardless, it is especially important to sweep the stage of any debris before the show if any of your students will be barefoot onstage. • Solution – Get your shoes early and practice with them during rehearsals. • Skirts and Dresses • People sit, stand, and move differently depending on the length and fit of the skirt. Larger and longer skirts can be a tripping hazard. Shorter and tighter skirts can impede movement. • Students frequently will try to wear older-style period skirts down lower on their hips (modern) rather than at their natural waists. • It is important that students wearing skirts and dresses wear appropriate undergarments, to avoid “wardrobe malfunctions.” • Also be sure to give special consideration to accessories such as bustles, petticoats, and crinolines, which can be noisy (lots of rustling) and make it difficult to sit down. As well, the more layers of clothing you add, the hotter and potentially heavier the costume is going to be. 2. Upper Body• Shirts • Some shirts can impede arm movement, depending on how tight or billowy the sleeves are. • Jackets, coats, capes, and shawls • How do you put them on and remove them? • Gloves • Gloves can make it more challenging to grip props (could be slippery or tight enough to impede hand movement). • Jewelry • Putting on and removing jewelry can be challenging, particularly if it is being done onstage. • Jewelry is easily lost and/or broken. • Solution – Use necklaces/bracelets/chains with magnetic clasps. • Solution – Have multiples/backups available just in case. 3. Head and Face• Hats and Headpieces • Hats fall off easily if not secured properly. • Caps and wide-brimmed hats throw shadows on actors’ faces. • Large brims can hide actors’ faces entirely. • Headpieces (such as fascinators and tiaras) can get tangled in long hair making them difficult to remove. • Wigs and Facial Hair • Wigs are in constant danger of falling off. • Care must be taken to keep wigs looking fresh and tidy. • Wigs and wig caps should not be shared between cast members. • Both hats and wigs can affect or interfere with body mics worn at the hairline or on the cheek. • Fake facial hair must be applied with spirit gum (a special adhesive), which can be challenging to put on and requires a special product to remove. • Masks and Specialty Makeup • Masks can impede actors’ vision and facial movements. • Masks also force students to emote differently, since the face is hidden. • Some masks can muffle the voice. • Makeup can pose allergy concerns. • Makeup can also smear onto costumes or other actors. 4. Overall Concerns• Quick changes • Solution – You may need to layer your costumes, if that’s possible. • Solution – Have costume team members available to assist. Be sure to practice any quick changes before technical and dress rehearsals. • Movements such as dancing, stage combat, and even sitting or standing can be affected by any of your costume pieces. • Storage • Ensure that all costumes are neatly hung up and taken care of (rather than left all over the floor or in a random pile, where they can get stained, stinky, or wrinkled.) • Rule – No eating or drinking anything while in costume, other than plain water. • Rule – Any mending, cleaning, or maintenance needs must to be reported to the costume team immediately for them to deal with. Don’t try to fix a broken item yourself without consulting the costume team. Don’t wait until the day of the performance to speak up – it is most likely the team will not be able to do anything at that time. The most important takeaway is for students to practice as early as possible with important costume pieces. In this case, “important” can refer to items that are difficult to work with and/or new and unfamiliar to the student. Characters must look as though the items they wear are completely normal and natural for them. The more natural an actor looks in their costume, the easier it will be for them to sink into their character. Click here for a free mini-exercise and reflection.

Props can add so much to a production, but they can also be challenging to work with. Here are five common props challenges, rapid-fire style, with suggestions about how to deal with them! 1. Dealing with a huge list of props• Always – start early! Start amassing props as early as possible, to avoid stress and overlooking needed items. • Double-check the props list to see if every prop is absolutely essential. Cut out those props that aren’t necessary to your production. • This post has lots of tips about how to find/make/acquire props on a budget: Props on a Budget: a Resource Guide. • Divide and conquer: assign the acquisition of different props to individual team members. Have the rest of the cast and crew assist – maybe there are items they can loan/acquire. 2. Difficulty working with props• Start working with props as early as possible in rehearsal, to take advantage of muscle memory. • If the actual prop isn’t available right away, use a rehearsal prop (a substitute) in the meantime. • Ensure that props are safe to use – for example, use plastic drinkware instead of glass. Anchor items on trays or tabletops. Avoid using actual liquid onstage unless absolutely necessary. Prop weapons must be locked up and kept out of sight when not in use. • Students need to be aware of potential dangers and issues that might happen with props and be ready to help each other out if necessary (while remaining in character). For example, if a prop falls onstage, someone will need to try and grab it and get it out of the way. If someone forgets to bring on a prop or remove a prop, what will the team do about it? If something breaks or spills onstage, how will the team get it cleaned up? 3. Consumable props• Always have extra of any consumable props – you will need them for tech, dress, and still a few more extras “just in case.” • Ensure that food/beverage props are stored properly (refrigerated/stored in an airtight container) so they don’t spoil or attract bugs. • Food/beverage props should be labeled very clearly as props, so they don’t get eaten accidentally. • Consumable props are not just food or drinks – they might also be items that are destroyed, altered, or used up during a scene, such as a letter that is ripped up, a trick chair that breaks underneath an actor, or makeup that is applied onstage. They might also be stage combat-related items such as blood/water packs or caps for cap guns. 4. Broken props• Assign a props master to maintain and mend props. • Have duplicates or backups of essential props available – near enough that they can be grabbed quickly if needed, but not so close that they might get used instead of the actual prop. • Rule – Any broken props must be reported to the props master right away to be fixed. Props reported as broken within five minute of curtain probably can’t be fixed on time. • Rule – “If it isn’t your prop, don’t touch it!” • Rule – “Even if it is your prop, when you don’t need to use it, don’t touch it!” 5. Missing props• Create a props table or shelf backstage, with clearly marked spaces for each prop. (Use painter’s tape and a marker to label the table directly, or put a large piece of butcher paper, newsprint, or parchment paper on the table and label that.) This way, missing props will be easily spotted. You could even outline the prop on the paper so it’s even easier to see if something is missing. • Have a complete list of props pinned up near the props table/shelf. Include the name of the actor who uses the prop onstage. This will help the props master know who to reach out to if a prop is missing. • Small props should be kept in larger, easy to find containers on the props shelf. • Rule – Props must be immediately returned to the props shelf when not in use. • Rule – Establish consequences for students found messing around with props.

Creating a theatrical piece is a bit like baking a cake – choose your recipe (the show), add ingredients (cast and crew), stir together and bake (practice and rehearse). At the end, you’ve got a fabulous cake… I mean, production! Following this analogy, it would seem that, just as adding decorations to the cake (icing, sprinkles, cream, cherries, and so on) comes at the end of the baking process, it would seem that adding theatrical “decorations” (costumes, props, lights, sound effects, set pieces, furniture, and so on) would come at the end of the rehearsal process. And, for many time-crunched teachers and directors, that often happens. But, while that works for baking, adding the theatrical “decorations” during the final few rehearsals – or, worse, at tech and dress rehearsals – creates a very stressful atmosphere when working with student actors. Add too many new elements at once, and all the initial progress on entrances/exits, lines, character work, movement and choreography seems to just vanish, leaving the actors stressed out and the director frustrated. It’s hard enough for students to remember their lines when they aren’t worrying about what prop they’re supposed to be using, what costume they’re supposed to be wearing, or what scene comes next in the show. So, going back to the baking analogy, I suggest that, instead of “decorating” at the end of the process, directors and teachers “mix their decorations” right into the rehearsal process in layers. Rather than adding the extra elements right from book-in-hand rehearsals or leaving them all to the end, use a calendar to figure out what layers to add when. Here’s how you do it! First layer: Figure out when off-book day will be.Off-book means that the actors must have their lines fully memorized and are no longer holding their scripts onstage. Depending on the show, I usually make off-book day halfway to two-thirds of the way through the rehearsal process. This gives students a specific date that they must adhere to, but also provides a little leeway in case someone slacks off in the lines-learning department. Second layer: Determine when you will add furniture, props, and costumes.Whenever possible, sooner is always better! My preference is to add furniture first (to assist with blocking and transitions early in the process), props second (to help with muscle memory for bringing items on and off the set), and costumes third. The exception to this is if a student is working with a specific prop or costume piece that is vital to their character or that they need to get used to (for example, character shoes). You should incorporate those items as soon as possible. Work with the various design teams to get started on acquiring/making these items as soon as possible, and get them into rehearsal. Use stand-in rehearsal props and furniture if the actual items are not available right away. Third layer: Start planning your technical elements early.If you know you’ll need sound effects or scene transition music, start planning that as soon as possible. Use them in rehearsals as much as you can. That way, when your actors get to tech rehearsal they won’t be totally distracted by strange sounds they’re hearing for the first time. If you are directing a musical, you will of course be working with your music right away (whether that be with accompaniment tracks or a rehearsal pianist). If your show employs a band or an orchestra, you will need to add a sitzprobe to your rehearsal layers schedule so the actors, technicians, and musicians can hear what the others sound like. Fourth layer: Make your schedule.For one of my previous productions, we had a 14-week rehearsal schedule. We devised a schedule that added a new element on each of those 14 weeks, beginning with basic blocking and character work, then adding (in this order) furniture, off-book day, props, costumes, and technical elements (sound effects/music and lights). Below is a sample schedule as well as an exercise your students can use to try making a schedule of their own. Adding show elements in layers allows your student actors time to adjust to each new aspect of the show. It can be overwhelming to actors and crew to have everything thrown at them at once. Help your students by making the process as easy and streamlined as possible! Want more info?

We asked drama teachers: How do you address scheduling conflicts? Between sports and students’ activities, how do you ensure that your rehearsals are attended and your students are prepared? Let’s hear from teachers on the front lines. Schedule, Schedule, and more Schedule.Kathleen S. says, "I give all rehearsal dates and times prior to auditions and they turn in a conflict sheet at auditions. Then, I build the actual schedule around the conflicts in order to minimize the number of missing students." Tatiana B. says, “I put our rehearsal schedule, especially tech and dress in the school calendar as early as possible!” Sarah P. says “Students submit availability upon auditioning based on a detailed calendar in their audition packet. I do my best to schedule them for their rehearsals around their other school-based and religious commitments.” Get commitment up front.Roxanne F. says, “Get learners and parents to sign that they agree to all rehearsals on an audition form.” Lisa T. says, "I give students a detailed schedule of dates and times in a contract that is to be signed by both parent and student.” Collaborate with other school groups.Josh H. says, "Work with the other clubs and sports to know when all major tournaments and events are scheduled before making a detailed rehearsal calendar. This pays off huge in the long run." Melanie F. says, “For students involved in other activities, I work with the other teacher sponsors as much as I can. Cooperation and clear expectations are so important.” Susan B. suggests “If you are able to use the same weeks every year, it also helps. If the whole faculty and coaches know for example, that the third week in May is your tech week, they can cooperate better.” Geoff D.M. says “We work with the local sports clubs. We try and get them onside early and avoid weekend rehearsals where possible.” Find creative solutions.Jody P. explains, “Maybe you can’t be in both the fall and the spring musical because you want to play tennis. I’m sorry, you’ll have to choose one - but I can still use you on my stage crew that I won’t need a lot of until tech week.” Roxanne F. says “Double casting also works well because the learner who misses can catch-up in their own time with the help of the other cast members.” Be tough when necessary.Chris E. says, “They know in advance what the schedule is. Can’t make it? See ya next audition.” Stephen P. says “I tell students that “if you are called then my expectation is they should be at rehearsal” If they miss I’ll say “you missed rehearsal, you better figure out what you missed”. Yes I try to sound mean or disappointed but in a way they know it’s not too serious. The closer to opening it becomes a bigger deal and they will know they are letting down their cast mates.”

Drama Teacher Podcast.Scott Giessler is a teacher and a playwright. He went into theatre teaching without any training. Not only is he still doing it, but he has a strong philosophy for how to do it. He’s well aware that what you need as a teacher isn’t necessarily what your students need. Scott is adamant that there is a seat for everyone at the table in the drama classroom. Learn from his experience by incorporating these tips into your own program, from the Drama Teacher Podcast. 1. It’s not about YOU, it’s about THEM.What you get excited about is not necessarily what’s going to light their fire . Get to know the needs of each particular group of students. What do they bring in the door with them? Realize that every year, every semester, as the group changes, so will their needs. You’ve got to constantly learn and adapt. 2. Build trust.In a math classroom, trust is going to be built with “I’m going to show you how to do this and, when it works, you trust me.” With a theatre class, you’re asking them to dig down into themselves and take some social risks. Building a relationship with them is key. If you don’t have a relationship with them, you won’t have the type of trust you need for them to take those social risks. 3. Find a place for everyone – well beyond the actors who already love theatre class.You have the guy who is in the construction trades class who, for some reason, gets dragged in because his girlfriend is in the program. We send him over to the scene shop and we can’t live without him. We’ve got the kid who doesn’t want anything to do with the stage but just loves the costume room . We have the kid who is really great with Photoshop and wants to do all the posters for us . We have kids who just want to be a part of the magic and end up being our house crew or backstage crew. Find the place that each student is comfortable, and you’ll be on your way to building a great program. 4. Help them realize that they are ALL an important part of the team.In basketball, if the third-stringer player doesn’t show up, well, it’s not really a problem because we’ve got two other strings to send in. Whereas, in theatre, anyone that doesn’t show up, it throws a monkey-wrench into the whole works. Embrace the concept that there is no unimportant cog in the machine. We need every last piece to make it move. Instead of “the show must go on,” the proper phrase really is “the show will go on as long as the people running it are a concerted group of people who care a great deal about the outcome.” 5. Include everyone. Don’t cut anyone out.For the same reason that a math teacher doesn’t throw a kid out of math class because he can’t get the hang of math, don’t cut a kid from a high school theatre program because he’s not very good at theatre. The moment they make a commitment to be there, they’re there and we’re going to invest time in them. More importantly, though, they’re investing time in others. Click here to listen to the full podcast or read the transcript. Scott’s got lots more to share, including details of his play Finishing Sentences.

There comes a point in every rehearsal process when the dreaded “rehearsal blahs” start to set in. This tends to be mid-way through the rehearsal process, when the initial excitement of casting and read-throughs has become a thing of the past, off-book day has just happened (and the resulting stumble-through of the show was not pretty), and opening night seems like it’ll never come. This is the time of endless refrains of “do it one more time” and lectures about “if you don’t practice at home, it won’t be as good as it could be.” What’s a director to do?Next time you’re feeling the rehearsal blahs sneaking up on your cast, try this exercise called “Warm Fuzzies.” Many of my director friends use this in rehearsals and it never fails to brighten up a student’s day! The exercise is called “Warm Fuzzies” because it’s meant to make students “warm and fuzzy” inside upon receipt. The purpose of the exercise is for students to observe other students contributing positively to the rehearsal process and compliment them anonymously on it. This helps students to shake off the rehearsal blahs by refocusing their energy (giving them a small, different concept to think about other than the show itself and stressors that go with it) and giving them opportunities to both demonstrate good rehearsal behaviour and to catch others doing the same. At your next rehearsal, have a jar or small box available with small slips of paper and some pencils beside it. This is the Warm Fuzzies container. Bonus points if the container is decorated! During your rehearsal (when students are not onstage rehearsing or otherwise engaged), encourage students to quietly observe the actions and performances of their peers. During break time or when they are not working, students will write a positive note or a complement to another classmate on a slip of paper and put it in the Warm Fuzzies container. Students should not write their own names on the slip–the point is for the notes to be anonymous. Warm Fuzzies can be great for onstage performances or positive contributions to the class. Examples of Warm Fuzzies might include: • Devon always arrives early and helps to set up the rehearsal space. • Jenny did a great job projecting her lines. They were really clear and easy to understand, even when I was sitting at the back of the audience. • When he wasn’t onstage, Mark helped other students with their lines. • Sam was quiet and focused backstage. • Jeremy helped another student review choreography that they missed. • Mika’s accent was so funny; it made her really stand out onstage. And so on! At the end of class, take five minutes to select some Warm Fuzzy notes and read them aloud to the group. This exercise can be repeated at as many or few rehearsals as you wish. The Warm Fuzzies exercise can also be useful in the drama classroom to complement positive class contributions and skill improvement. Optionally, you may wish to collect all the Warm Fuzzy notes and give them to students on closing night or at the final class, as a souvenir of the process. Note: It’s important to keep track of the number of Warm Fuzzies that are given/announced out loud to the same people over and over, to ensure that students aren’t feeling left out. If you have a student acting as Assistant Director or Stage Manager, you might encourage them to keep an eye out for opportunities to create Warm Fuzzies for those people who may not have received one yet. Teachers and directors are encouraged to write Warm Fuzzies as well! During the rehearsal process, once a student has received at least one Warm Fuzzy note, they will complete a written reflection, to be submitted to the teacher.

Last semester, one of my classes consisted of a group of students who had little theatrical experience. Most of these particular students had never performed onstage before. They were eager and enthusiastic, but as we got closer to our final showcase performance, the nerves really started setting in, and their anxieties came flooding out in the form of what seemed like a million “what if” questions. During one class, it seemed like every student’s fears came bursting out, all at the same time: “What if I got sick and had to miss the showcase?” “What if I fell and broke my leg before showcase?” “What if I get to showcase and I forget all my lines?” “What if my scene partner is sick on showcase?” “What if I forget my costume shirt?” “What if I throw up during the showcase?” I had to laugh a little, because the questions came at me so quickly and fervently. At that moment, my poor students looked like they were going to faint from worry about all these hypothetical, but in their eyes, catastrophic events that might occur. And it almost seemed like my students were making a game of the “what if” questions, trying to “one-up” each other by describing increasingly distressing scenarios: “What if one of us was hit by a bus on the way to the showcase?” “What if one of us DIES before the showcase?!” (In that extremely unlikely case, we’d have much bigger issues to deal with.) It took some quick thinking, but I was able to help my students with their fears to the “what if” problem with a five-part solution, as follows. Feel free to try these ideas with your students, if you see or hear nerves taking over! 1. Introduce and/or remind students of the concept, “THE SHOW MUST GO ON.” Aside from “break a leg,” “the show must go on” is probably the most common theatrical motto. It means that no matter what happens, the show will be performed in some fashion. The cast and crew must bond together, assess the situation, come up with a solution, and take steps to enact that solution, while remaining calm at all times. 2. Brainstorm possible solutions. Next, turn the questions around on the students by asking them, “What do you think we might do in this situation?” Have students brainstorm ideas that might help solve the hypothetical problem at hand. For example, “What happens if someone gets sick before the showcase?” The absolute worst-case scenario would be to cancel the show, so eliminate that as an option right away. Possible solutions might include: • Seeing how sick the student is just before the show and see if they can perform anyway. • Having an understudy in place. • If the role is double-cast, sending the alternate actor onstage. • Having a member of the ensemble play the role “on book” or “with book in hand” (aka going onstage with a script). • Planning out who will cover the missing student’s transitions as a group before the show. • If the student’s illness is that they have laryngitis or have lost their voice, having someone sing/speak their lines backstage while the student mimes the role onstage. • An assistant stage manager or member of the staff plays the role. • Starting the show a few minutes late if the student is feeling better. Right there, are eight possible solutions for the hypothetical sick student. Your students will have even more ideas. 3. Act out possible solutions. Once your students have brainstormed some different solutions, have students get into small groups of 4-5. Each group will receive a “what if” situation, and the groups will create two brief (1-1:30 minute) scenes. The first scene will be a silly, over-the-top solution, with the purpose of trying to make the class laugh. The second scene will be a more realistic, practical solution, that could actually be enacted should the situation actually occur. Each group will present their scenes to the class. If time allows, encourage discussion of the solutions afterwards. What solutions were the most practical? What solutions would be the easiest to enact? 4. Share some of your own stories. I think every director has had some sort of “horror story” that has happened to them during their time in the theatre. For example, I have experienced not one, but two power outages during two different shows. Fortunately, both had happy endings with the show going on in the end. For one show, we brought in emergency floodlights from the wood shop and were able to finish the show, and for the other, since it was a nice summer day, we planned to perform outside of the theatre in the courtyard–but then the power came back on, and we were able to perform in the theatre (albeit two hours behind schedule, but the show still happened!). Share these stories with your students and particularly focus on the creative solutions you and your cast/crew employed to keep the show going. 5. Encourage positive thoughts and healthy habits. It doesn’t do to dwell on the negatives, and remind your students of that. Yes, it’s normal to have worries, but by focusing on all the “what ifs” that might happen, students can’t truly engage in the process. Encourage students to journal about their worries if they still occur, but to also come up with ideas on how to overcome the hypothetical situations. As well, encourage your students to take up healthy habits, such as getting enough sleep, eating well, using their planners to keep their schedules in order (which helps avoid stress and double-booking), avoiding situations such as participating in extreme sports or screaming their guts out at concerts right before the show, getting their acting bags/costumes organized ahead of time, and drinking lots of fresh water. Focusing on self-care can help to ward off stress, illness, and injuries. Healthy students = a more successful show! Good luck!

Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays For…Advanced Actors. You have students who can go to the next level. They are ready to tackle scripts beyond the norm of character development and realistic story lines. You want to raise the bar and we want to help you do that. Check out our top ten plays for advanced actors. It’s a great mix of issue driven, ensemble driven, character driven work. Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. All the best with your search! Clowns With Guns A theatrical and absurd look at the repeated and seemingly endless cycle of school violence. This story is mean. There are guns. This play packs a theatrical punch. Censorbleep The Bleep Bleep Girls are the greatest group in school. They know what’s best. And when students try to stand up for themselves, or don’t do the “right” thing, they get dealt with. A great character driven piece where teenagers are turned into garbage and disappear. Breathless Three girls named Summer. Summer Adams is looking for love in all the wrong places. Summer Robertson is hanging on through her battle with cancer. And Summer Davis refuses to lose, even at the expense of her body and her friends.Three races of discovery. Will they crash or fly? A beautiful mature character piece with strong female leads. The Blue and the Grey Charlie is surrounded by ghosts: her father, a classmate’s sister, and the grey. Who are the grey? Civil war soldiers. A chance for an ensemble to build a haunting, exhilarating, and theatrical landscape. Power Play A gunshot is heard. Which of the five characters did it and why? Was it the Goth girl? The football star? What are the realities and the stereotypes of high school violence? Violence is about power. So is high school. This play has absurd moments, vivid characterization, and a powerful message. Stroke Static Russ is an eighty-three year-old man in a nursing home struggling with multi-infarct dementia. But in his mind he sees himself as a boy of eighteen, and thus is played by a young actor. The ensemble plays a variety of real and imaginary characters in Russ’ mind. A heartbreaking look at what goes on in the mind of someone who can’t communicate. Tick Talk The teenagers in Tick Talk have a lot to say, but no way to say it. Most characters are limited to only ONE WORD for the whole play. A fascinating challenge for actors: What happens when a character has just one word to express hopes, fears, and frustrations? What if they have something terribly important to say but can’t? Emotional Baggage One of the most unique plays we sell. There’s no dialogue. The play is based solely on non-verbal storytelling through mask and movement. Seven strangers meet in a train station. Instead of luggage, they all carry their own “emotional baggage.” Chemo Girls and Other Plays A collection that examines the impact of cancer through the eyes of teenagers. Characters deal with the difficulty of saying the word out loud, the difficulty of admitting a friend or family member has cancer, and the difficulty of finding the energy and the attitude needed to fight. Have You Heard? A play formatted solely in monologue. The story follows what happens in a school when rumours and secrets spin out of control. What makes a secret more powerful: When it’s the truth? Or when it’s a lie?

We asked drama teachers: What are your tips for bringing shy or hesitant students out of their shells? Do you let them have the time they need to get comfortable participating, or does it work better to put them on the spot and show them they can do it? Let’s hear from teachers on the front lines. Build trust.Jim M. says “Ask the student what he or she cares about, loves to do, etc., and then see if you can find a play about that subject. Let the student read it and pick a character she or he would like to try out as an acting exercise.” Josh H. says “Kids need to trust that the environment is safe. In my experience, shyness is a defense mechanism so I always work to build relationship to figure out what the needs are and then how we move forward from there.” Focus on the ensemble, not the individual.Eileen H. says “Build a strong sense of ensemble then start physical skills. We do a lot of ensemble building games where no one has to stand out and then our first performance unit is pantomime in a group.” Kathy D. says “Give them opportunities on stage in a scene that they don’t have to drive the action but be a part of a scene that is well received in class helps to build their confidence.” Give them time.Kayla W. says “We start the year with improv games and I won’t call on students at first. Students will volunteer and the hesitant students will take it all in until they are comfortable.” Kathy D. says “Be careful not to label a student as shy because you don’t know their underlying spirit. Give them a safe stage and let them learn to love acting. It might be that they are not as shy as they are afraid of being laughed at and ridiculed.” Embrace the goofy.Denise E. says “I demonstrate and get them laughing. If they see me being a goofball they’re more likely to give themselves permission to do the same and not make so much of it. Play the play.” Rachel W. says “Try exercises/games where everyone is doing the same action, silly or not, at the same intensity.” Take the lead.Stephen H. says “Don’t ask for volunteers….ask that particular student to lead an exercise, or be the lead…” Debb A. says “Give the students honest, specific feedback with a strength and a weakness. And to some students, the strength would be the courage to do X (you pick) or lack of hesitation when getting on the stage, etc.” Empathize.Cassie M. suggests “Explain the difference between fear and danger – when you’re new to something as socially risky as theatre, your brain gives you the same panicky signals as if you were being chased by a bear. The bear is danger; being on stage is fear. The more you get on stage and stay there, even when you’re afraid, the more the brain learns that you don’t die being up there.” Join the chat on our Facebook Page and add your own experience to our list!

From Kingston to California, drama teachers everywhere deal with similar concerns with their drama students and their theatrical productions. Here are five common rehearsal problems, rapid-fire style, with solution suggestions! 1. Constant, never-ending talking (it’s enough to drive you bonkers). • Give students a minute or two of “talk time” before you get into rehearsal mode. • Do a warmup that lets students talk (or forces them to talk) to get it out of their systems. • Only call to rehearsal the students who are in the scene you’re working on, so others aren’t bored. • Mix up what you’re rehearsing in one session to keep students on their toes. For example: One hour, review vocal music. For the second hour, work on choreography. • Have a signal or ritual to indicate “quiet down.” • Sit and stare at the ceiling until students stop talking; then remind them how many rehearsals are left until opening night. • Take a break–for your sanity and theirs. • “Let’s practice being quiet in rehearsal so you can prove you’ll be quiet backstage.” • Have the cast sit onstage, in total silence, for thirty seconds. After the thirty seconds is up, ask them how they felt. Then remind them how long your show is. 2. The dreaded phone issue–students always on their cell phones. • Rule – Rehearsal is a phone-free zone. • If phones are found in rehearsal, the teacher/director or stage manager is allowed to take them away until the end of rehearsal. • Have a hanging shoe pocket rack on the wall for students to put their phones in OR phones get lined up on the director’s table OR have a “phone jail” box where students put their phones in and then retrieve them after rehearsal. • Optional Addendum – Phones are not permitted in rehearsal but books/magazines or homework are allowed between scenes. • Alternative – Phones are permitted in rehearsals (kept on silent mode), as they keep students not onstage at that moment quiet and occupied. However, if a student misses a cue or entrance, the phone goes into “phone jail.” 3. Students frequently losing their script or personal items. • Rule – Scripts and personal items must be labeled with students’ names, and valuables should be left at home. • Charge a penalty fee for replacement scripts. • Assign a consequence (like push-ups or cleaning the rehearsal room) to earn back a script or personal item left behind after rehearsal. 4. Students leaving the rehearsal room a mess. • Rule – Nobody leaves until the rehearsal room is tidy. All students and staff help clean up. Don’t leave it for the director or stage manager to tidy the room. • Option – Create a rotating clean-up schedule so every student has their assigned day to help tidy. • End rehearsal five minutes early so there is enough time for students to help put the rehearsal room back the way it was. • Have clearly labeled areas for rehearsal furniture (chairs, rehearsal blocks, benches, etc.), props, and costumes, so everyone knows where items need to be returned. 5. Never having a full cast in the rehearsal room at once. • Have a clearly laid out rehearsal schedule in advance, and a strict deadline for giving conflicts. • Schedule specific rehearsals around known conflicts if you can (i.e. don’t plan to choreograph “Bushel and a Peck” from Guys & Dolls if you know Miss Adelaide and the Hot Box Dancers are absent that day). • Set a certain number of rehearsals as “blackout” dates that are absolutely mandatory (not being able to attend blackout dates prohibits a student from participating). • Determine your attendance and lateness policy (three strikes?) and stick to it. • Explain procedures and consequences for missing rehearsal (students must get caught up on missed material on their own time; consequences for a missed rehearsal may include lines being reassigned or removing that student from the choreography/scene). • Double-cast roles, or assign understudies. • Give students tips for time management.

From Shakespearean tragedies to zombie thrillers, stage blood can be an exciting addition to a show–it adds a sinister realism to dramatic moments, and really makes the audience gasp with surprise when they aren’t expecting to see it. However, using stage blood can be challenging, no matter how experienced your cast and crewmembers are. Here are five tips to consider if you are thinking about using stage blood in a show. 1. Seek guidance from a trained fight director. I strongly advise seeking assistance from a trained fight director before using stage blood in a show. He or she will be able to assist with determining how much stage blood is needed, acquiring the stage blood (and help you to get a good quality product), and advising how to use it safely. They can also help you obtain the accessories needed to use the blood (squibs, blood packs, syringes, etc.) and train you and your students on how to properly handle it. They can also choreograph the scene where the blood is used to make it look exactly the way you want it, but keeping the students safe at all times. 2. Test out your recipes. Recipes for fake blood are easy enough to find but they vary in quality. Some recipes make blood that is thin and watery, thick and gloppy, or even lumpy and gross. Some recipes claim to be easy to wash out and/or edible, but there are no guarantees! If you do end up making stage blood from a recipe, always do a test run of the blood on a garment that is a similar material to what your actors will be wearing (but that can be sacrificed in case the recipe doesn’t work). 3. Don’t swallow it! Many varieties of stage blood are not edible. On top of that, some are made with glycerin or soap-like products, which are great for removing stains, but will cause upset stomachs if swallowed. If an actor must have stage blood in their mouth or swallow it, you must ensure that it is food-safe. As well, ensure that the actors working with the stage blood do not have any allergies or skin sensitivities that would worsen by coming into contact with the stage blood. 4. Consider the technicalities of using stage blood. This is the most obvious point, but know that you (or your costume team) will be doing mountains of laundry. Even the best quality stage blood will stain if it isn’t washed immediately after the performance. Unless you’re willing to do all the laundry yourself, you will want to assign a laundry crew who is responsible for washing all the items in between shows and bringing them back promptly for the next show. Perhaps family members of the students involved may be willing to sign up for a rotational laundry schedule. You may want to have a bucket of soapy water backstage (in a safe place, where it won’t get accidentally knocked over) so bloody costumes can immediately be removed after the scene and soaked until they can be taken away and washed. If you have two-show days, you will have to do laundry in between shows, or have a second set of costumes available. Ensure the costumes that will get the bloodiest are the most washable and durable you have. Be wary of clothing with lots of beading or lace–those items will be incredibly difficult to wash. Don’t presume that just because an actor doesn’t work directly with stage blood that they won’t get blood on them too. They may have to lift, dance with, or be in close proximity to those actors who are bloody. Backstage crew members aren’t safe either–stage blood has a way of getting everywhere. Think about the colour of the costumes that your actors are wearing. If an actor is wearing black, is there any point for them to get bloody when the redness of the blood won’t be visible? In that case, a water pack could be substituted, to show the wetness of the “blood” without the sticky mess. On top of the piles of laundry, your actors will need to ensure they have undergarments that they are willing to get bloody as well. Stage blood will soak through the costume and get blood on actors’ undergarments and skin, which can stain. Actors and props team members who are handling the stage blood will need to wash themselves and any personal items quickly, thoroughly, and frequently to avoid looking like a tomato. Stage blood can also be a hazard onstage, especially if it lands on the floor. You’ll end up with a slippery, sticky mess that will get tracked everywhere if and when actors cross the stage and step in spilled stage blood (not to mention trailing hems of long skirts, which will become wet, sticky, and heavy as well). Your stage crew will need to mop the stage thoroughly and immediately after each show, and depending on the extensiveness of the blood in the show and when it occurs, you may need to mop in between scenes. If that is the case, your team will have to work very quickly to ensure that the transition is not too long, and your actors will have to be doubly careful not to slip on the newly clean but still wet stage. 5. Consult your actors before using stage blood. Even though it’s fake, using stage blood can evoke some deep-seated fears and stress from your actors. Speaking from experience, I was really scared the first time I used stage blood in a performance. It can be frightening for the other actors in the scene as well, even if they aren’t the ones getting bloody. Humans have a visceral fearful reaction when they see blood, and it can bring out feelings that your students weren’t expecting. If your students express discomfort with using stage blood, see if there is an alternative–or remove it from your production altogether. Kerry Hishon is a director, actor, writer, and stage combatant from London, Ontario, Canada. View her blog at www.kerryhishon.com.

How do Theatre and Autism fit together? Do you have students on the spectrum in your classrooms? Have you ever put on a sensory friendly performance? All of these questions and more were answered in a Drama Teacher podcast with James Lekatz, program director of the CAST program (Creative, Accepting, Sensory-Friendly, Theatre) at the Stages Theatre Company in Hopkins, MN. We’ve shared a few highlights here to help you in your classroom. Click here to listen to the full podcast! How do you help a student who is on the spectrum make the most of the theatre classroom? What can the student do to make the most of the class?Structure and schedule. James says, “We make sure that students know what we are doing every day and make sure it’s very clear. I’ve used this in all my classes now because it works really well as a schedule of events…” Many students on the spectrum are meticulous. They need to know exactly what is going to happen in the class so they can prepare themselves and know that A goes to B, B goes to C, C goes to D. You can help them by ensuring a consistent and constant schedule. Patience and understanding. James relates, “Being able to work one-on-one with students on the spectrum is really useful and being able to ask questions helps navigate a situation.” After you’ve given instructions to the group, connect with the student one on one. For example: “Did you understand what’s happening?” “Yes.” “Do you know what you need to do next?” “No.” “Oh, okay. So, go find a partner and sit down and talk about A, B, and C. Great. There you go.” Giving that extra support to each student will help them to thrive in the classroom. Breaking it down to the smallest step is essential as asking for a partner might be a huge barrier for a student. Explaining the ‘how’ is very important. Use physical tactics. James explains, “With my students on the spectrum, I say, “I’m going to come up to you. Can I touch you to help move your body around?” If they say no, I just say, “Watch my body.” If they say yes, then you can go ahead and do it, but I always ask them permission first. Physical theatre is acting from the outside in, even if a student is unable to start on their own – i.e. “I don’t know how an angry person looks.” The teacher can model: “Well, look at my body. I’m going to start in actor neutral,” which is a great place to always start from when working with physical theatre, “And, now, I’m going to be angry.” So, I’m going to tense up my body. “See how my body is tensing?” Ask them, “Can you see my body is tensing? Tense up your body. Okay, now, relax. Now, I’m going to change my posture. My shoulders are going to come up and I’m going to keep my body tense. Do you see how that is changing?” If they say no, then you can help them move their body to that way. You can use the physical approach of how our body replicates emotions and have that be the starting point for students to create characters and stories from. Find peer mentors. James suggests: “If you are able to have peer mentors in your classroom as well, having a neurotypical student in the classroom helping model, it achieves so much more than just having a teacher or two adults in the classroom. Modeling is very, very, very important.” Further to working with students in a class setting, James has four years experience of putting on sensory-friendly performances. Would you like to do the same? Want to learn more? Listen to the entire interview or read the transcript here. UPDATE FALL 2018: James Lekatz is now the Artistic Associate at Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts. The mission of Interact is to create art that challenges the perception of disability.

It’s a situation that directors hope never to have to face, but unfortunately it happens: an actor, for whatever reason, has to drop out of the show at some point during the rehearsal process. While we don’t like to think about it and hope it never happens to us, it’s best to be prepared in case it does happen. Here are some tips for dealing with losing an actor in your production. 1. Temper your reaction to the student who has to leave and their reason for leaving. It’s fairly easy to look past reasons like illness or a family emergency. Other reasons can be more frustrating to deal with (like quitting because they don’t like their role, leaving to pursue a different extracurricular activity, or having to drop out because their grades are slipping). Do your best to be supportive to the student who has to leave. They probably did not come to this decision lightly, and they are likely worried about letting you down. 2. Figure out how to cover the role. Before telling the rest of the students involved about the loss of the cast member, you will need to figure out how to cover that student’s role. Here are some ideas to consider: • If the role is double-cast, will the other actor assume the role fully? • If the role has an understudy, will they be called up to assume the role? (If so, will another actor have to assume the understudy’s current role?) • Is there another cast member who can take on the role? (Either instead of or in addition to the role they are currently playing?) • Will you have to bring in a new student to cover the role? • Can the lines be divided up and assigned to other cast members? (Remember: the playwright must approve any changes to the script in advance!) • Can the role be eliminated? If so, how does this affect blocking or choreography? • For more tips about dealing with not enough actors, check out this blog post. Be sure to have your plan in place before you inform the rest of the cast. However, if your solution involves a large casting change (like an understudy being called up), be sure to speak privately to the student beforehand, to ensure they are comfortable with the change. 3. Determine how to inform the rest of the cast and crew about the change. Be aware of how you approach the topic with the rest of the students. Informing the cast and crew has to be on a case-by-case basis. You’ll need to discuss this with the student who has to leave (and sometimes with their parents, depending on the situation). It’s best to err on the side of privacy (“unfortunately Susan has had to step away from our production”) and take a positive approach. Focus on the solutions and describe your plan of attack going forward, while expressing consideration for the student who had to leave. Classroom Activity: “Negative/Positive”Divide students into pairs. Each pair will have 10 minutes to create two brief scenes. One partner will play the actor who has to drop out of the show, and the other partner will play the director who has to react to the student leaving. The first scene will illustrate a negative reaction on behalf of either the “actor” or the “director.” For example, a negative reaction on behalf of the actor might involve them quitting because they don’t like the part they got, or being upset with how the director reacted to them quitting. A negative reaction on behalf of the director might be yelling at or berating the actor for leaving, or telling the rest of the cast the private reason the actor left. The second scene will illustrate a positive reaction (again, on behalf of either the “actor” or the “director”), showing how the first scene could have been handled in a better way. Scenes will be presented in front of the class. If time permits, allow students to discuss what each pair did well, and other methods/approaches that might work. Students will complete an exit slip question afterwards.

Recently we shared a post about theatrical time management for students . However, it’s not just students who need to plan ahead and consider their schedules. Teachers and directors need to be even more organized, since they have to consider not only their schedule, but everyone in the cast and crew’s schedules! With some smart planning and clear communication, directors can keep their rehearsal and production schedule running smoothly. Here are five tips to help directors reduce scheduling issues during the rehearsal process. 1. Be upfront about your rehearsal schedule and performance dates, as well as your expectations and any rules for missing rehearsal. Let students know these dates during auditions or beforehand (if possible). It will hopefully save people from disappointment, if they’re cast and then have to drop out because of conflicts. Also, be very clear about your expectations regarding attendance and lateness. Do you have a three-strike policy? Who do students contact if they have to miss a rehearsal? When rehearsals are missed, how do students get caught up? Are technicians and crew members expected to attend all rehearsals? It should go without saying, but it is unacceptable for a student to miss a technical or dress rehearsal, or any performance dates. The only way a student could continue to participate is if there is a predetermined solution that has been approved by the director (for example: a substitute technician or available understudy). 2. Ask for conflicts from your cast and crew in advance. Get this information in writing so you can refer back to it later. Let everyone know when the cut-off date for conflicts is. After that date, no more conflicts will be allowed. This will cut down on the number of instances a student comes up to you at the end of rehearsal and says, “I won’t be here at next rehearsal. I have ________ conflict.” A technique I’ve found very useful is to take a calendar template, highlight the rehearsal dates, and mark down the names of anyone who has a previous commitment in blue pen. If someone is absent without letting us know in advance, their name goes on the calendar in red pen. If they are late, I use another colour. It’s a really simple yet effective way of keeping a visual record of attendance. 3. Make a rehearsal schedule in advance and let students know about it with plenty of time. Don’t waste students’ time by calling them to a rehearsal they’re not needed to attend. They’ll just sit there, possibly distracting the other students, and feel resentful that they’re not doing anything. Try to give at least two weeks of rehearsal schedules at a time, so students can plan ahead. Sometimes calling all students to rehearsal is necessary (even if they aren’t in every scene being rehearsed), so encourage them to bring along a book or some homework to keep them occupied and quiet during downtime. Or, even better, they could be using the time to work on learning their lines. 4. Respect everyone’s time. Don’t keep students for hours after the scheduled rehearsal time to cram in those last few notes or to run that scene “one more time.” We all know in theatre that it’s never just “one more time!” Students are so busy with homework, part-time jobs, other extracurricular activities, and are frequently at the mercy of parents and family members for rides. Get a big clock and set it up where you can see it, and end rehearsal right on time (or better yet, five minutes early, so everyone can help tidy the rehearsal space before they leave!). 5. Give clear and specific timelines to everyone involved in the show —actors, crew members, designers, technicians, etc. Let them know when you expect off-book day to be. Let your costume and props team know when you’d like to have a costume parade and when you want to start working with props. Work with your producer to find out what dates you want certain marketing to occur on. The more organized you are with your timeline, the better your show process will run.

If you were to make a graph of emotions throughout a rehearsal process of a show, I think it would take on a U-shape. The process starts on a high note, with everyone excited about the show and learning tons of new material. Then it starts to dip down into a valley once the “newness” wears off, and the hard work of the rehearsal process sets in–practicing, reviewing, repeating, doing everything “one more time” (which is never just “one more time”). The excitement comes back with the addition of all the “extras” that make a show better–props, costumes, sound and music, sets, lighting, special effects–and then peaks with a fabulous show. If you and your students are at that mid-way dip in the valley and rehearsals are feeling forced rather than fun, it can be hard to mix things up to get yourselves out of the rut you’re in. Don’t stress though–try going back to the basics. Sometimes we forget that theatre is, at its simplest, a form of telling stories. Through movement, songs, speeches, gestures, facial expressions, and humour, we create an experience for our audiences. It’s easy to get caught up in the spectacle and forget the rudimentary storytelling aspects of theatre. So when you’re feeling stuck, go through the checklist below and see how you measure up for each basic idea. Or go over this checklist with a friend and help each other out. You can use the reflection below to help you solidify your thoughts about where you’re at and how you’re feeling about the rehearsal process. The Basics of Theatrical Performance1. Volume – Are you speaking loudly enough to be heard? If you can’t be heard, the audience won’t know what’s going on. 2. Diction and Enunciation – Are your words clear? Is every word distinct? Are you pausing for punctuation? 3. Pacing – Are you rushing through your lines? Taking too many dramatic pauses? Or (as Goldilocks says) are you “just right?” 4. Posture – Are you slumped over or slouching? Are you supporting your diaphragm? Is your posture an active choice or are you being lazy? 5. Focus – Are you actively engaged in the scene, or waiting around until your next line? Who is speaking, and are you listening to them? Where are you looking? Who or what should you be looking at? 6. Facial Expression – This ties in with focus. Are you making an active choice in facial expressions, or are you “dead faced?” Or, are you going over the top and simply pulling faces, rather than making a more natural choice? 7. Body Details – Are you aware of your body at all times? For example, are you extending your fingertips, pointing your toes, and fully raising your arms in your dances? Are you turning the correct way? What is your face doing? 8. Your “what” – First and foremost, do you solidly know your lines? If not, get them memorized! Then, when you say your lines, do you truly understand what you’re saying? What about song lyrics? If you have questions about what you’re saying, the audience won’t know what you’re saying either. Ask questions. Ensure you understand exactly what is going on. 9. Your “why” – Or your motivation. Why is your character there? What is their purpose in the scene? Why are they important to the story? 10. Storytelling – Everything seen or done onstage must contribute to the story. Every actor, no matter their role, is a piece of that puzzle, a crucial gear in that machine, that all adds up to the whole point of the show–to tell a story. Are your choices adding to that story, or taking away from it?