Rehearsal

I love starting the rehearsal process on a new show! There is so much promise and energy in the room when the performers come together for the first time. And of course, I want to focus that energy into a working ensemble. During that first rehearsal, my highest priority is to get the actors to start thinking, and working, as a singular cast as quickly as possible. Here are two first rehearsal activities I use to help my cast start the process of becoming an ensemble. 1 to 20This is a simple but challenging activity. Sit the cast in a circle and tell them the objective is to count from 1 to 20. The catch is they can’t do it consecutively around the circle. And they can’t try to coordinate the order through any kind of obvious communication. Once the first number is spoken, any person can say the next number, and the next number, and so on, until they reach 20. However, if two people say a number at the same time, the game resets, the number goes back to 1, and the counting starts again. It can be surprisingly challenging for a group of people to successfully count to 20 if they are not focused on what is happening in the group, so encourage your cast to really pay attention to their fellow castmates and what is happening in the moment. WHY USE IT: This activity creates the foundations for a functioning ensemble and establishes the expectation of social and situational awareness throughout the rehearsal process. As an added challenge, you can have your actors close their eyes and try to get to 20 focusing only on the energy of the group. Keep It UpThis is another simple but effective ensemble building activity. Have the cast stand in a circle on the stage or your designated rehearsal area. Blow up a balloon, bounce it into the air, and challenge the cast to keep it in the air as long as they can. When the balloon touches the ground, the game is over. Tell them that no person can touch the balloon twice in a row, but that they are free to move around the stage as long as they do so SAFELY. Have the entire cast shout out the number of times the balloon is touched: ONE!...TWO!...THREE!...and so on. Encourage the cast to support each other towards the common goal of keeping the balloon in the air as long as possible. WHY USE IT: This game quickly turns a diverse group of people into a team. Better still, this activity can reinforce ensemble throughout the rehearsal process by making it an ongoing warm-up. Challenge the group to break their record each time they play, and emphasize encouragement and support throughout the process.

Every rehearsal is important, but not every rehearsal is created equally. Sometimes actors or spaces are only available for a limited time, or maybe you’re rehearsing in a class period. When rehearsal time is short, directors need to pack as much productivity in as possible. You also need to be super organized! Here are some thoughts for putting a play together with limited time. Choosing a PlayIf you’ve only got 30-minute rehearsals, a full-length or a musical probably isn’t going to work, unless that is your one and only project for the year, and if so, go for it! (Don’t let a blog on the Internet tell you what you can or cannot do). Consider a one-act as your play of choice with limited time. This will help with the overwhelming feeling that you’ll never be able to run the whole thing during a rehearsal. There are a lot of great 30-minute scripts out there (Check out these Theatrefolk plays!) that will give students a rewarding experience and fit into your rehearsal schedule. If you’re working with a class on a production, Vignette plays are another option. Vignette plays offer short scenes on a theme. This way, you could have several scenes being rehearsed at once, while you move from group to group keeping everyone on track. This is also a great job for a student stage manager or assistant director. If everyone is working, it’s amazing how much gets done! Director TypeThere are numerous directing styles, from collaborative to “my way or the highway.” With a limited amount of rehearsal time, a go-with-the-flow approach probably isn’t going to be your best option. If you want your rehearsals to be productive, you should know what you want, be clear with your rehearsal objectives, and execute accordingly. Having said that, you could also add a week or two at the beginning of your rehearsal schedule for exploration. If you crave collaboration from your student actors, build it in. Set time to play, discuss, experiment, fail, and try again. Then, when it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty of putting a play together, you have all that collaborative knowledge at the ready to combine with your own rehearsal objectives. Set ExpectationsWhen you have limited time, everyone has to be on the same page. EVERYONE. It won’t work otherwise. When your students come into class or into your rehearsal space, they have to know exactly what to do. (For example, check in with the stage manager, put your phone away, get your script/pencil, go onstage and start stretching.) Just like classroom procedures, use a rehearsal or two to practice your rehearsal procedures. If things get lax and you realize you hardly rehearsed for five minutes, practice the procedures again. There just isn’t time for chatting and goofing off when you only have 30 minutes. 30-Minute Rehearsal Plan StepsWhat goes into planning for 30-minute rehearsals? Step 1: Make a rehearsal calendar. Start with your performance days and work backwards. How much time do you have? Don’t forget to include tech week, run-throughs, and blocking rehearsals. The typical rule of rehearsal is that for each minute of performance on stage, you will need one hour of rehearsal time. That means for a 30-minute rehearsal, each minute takes two rehearsals. Think about how you want to introduce the play at the beginning. Do you want a week of collaborative exploration? Or a week of ensemble building exercises? How much time do you need to set up procedures? Once you’ve put your calendar together, take a good, hard look at it and make sure you have the time to give this show all the attention it will need. Step 2: Lay out each rehearsal. Know exactly what you want to accomplish in a rehearsal and communicate it clearly to your actors and team (stage management, assistant directors). Then with that rehearsal goal, set up a framework that more or less runs the same way each rehearsal. For example: • 5 Minutes: Warm-up and Check-In Circle A vocal exercise, a physical exercise, and a check-in circle. Let everyone say something in one or two sentences. For example: “Say something good,” “Say how you’re feeling,” “Say something you want to do in rehearsal.” This will give you insight into the temperature of the group and whether you need to adjust your tone in executing your rehearsal goal. • 20 Minutes: Work Session In a 30-minute rehearsal, realistically you only have 20 minutes to meet your goal. That means you’re rehearing in small chunks: one page, or less than one page, at a time. Or you’re doing one character improv exercise (Click the download below for three rehearsal exercises!). Or you have the opportunity to fix one moment of messy blocking. Keep that in mind: What’s the one thing I want to achieve? It’s also suggested that you block your scenes ahead of time. It’s all about being efficient with your time. If you walk into rehearsal and say “I don’t know where you should go….” then your rehearsal will be over. Many directors make their rehearsal calendars and then tell actors whether or not they will be needed at any given rehearsal. For a 30-minute rehearsal, which is really just a 20-minute rehearsal, it’s suggested that you call your actors for every rehearsal. Because of the lack of time, there’s always something for your actors to do: rehearse the moment you went over with them in the last rehearsal, complete a character profile, run their lines, prepare to meet with you in the next rehearsal. This will all be noisy, but it will help you stay productive. • 5 Minutes: Show Session and Check-Out Circle Have one group of actors show something they’ve done (it should only be a minute or two) and then end with a check-out circle. Keep your check-out circle rehearsal-specific. What’s one positive thing they did or saw? What’s one thing they need to work on? What’s one thing they want to improve? Step 3: Remember, it’s a play! If all of this feels a little militant, you’re not wrong. It’s written with the objective of helping you be productive and keep your show moving forward. It’s so easy to get caught in a chat session and run out of time. But of course you can throw your plan away one day and do a character dance party. Or sit down and talk about the themes of the play for the entire time. Or play games because everyone is frazzled. Don’t forget that it’s a play and having fun is part of the experience. You know your students best. Do what works for you and your situation to get the play from auditions to opening night.

When you’re creating a rehearsal schedule for your upcoming production, whenever possible you should only call student actors to rehearse for the scenes they’re actually in. There’s no sense in asking students to attend rehearsals for scenes they aren’t in, as they will likely feel like their time is being wasted and they may distract other students. However, there may be rehearsal days when some students are called for different parts of the rehearsal with breaks in between scenes being worked on (for example, Student X might be rehearsing for Scene 1 from 3–4 pm and Scene 3 from 5–6 pm, but they aren’t in Scene 2 which is being rehearsed from 4–5 pm), or perhaps your school has a policy in place that requires you to call all participating students for the full rehearsal time, whether they’re in the scenes being worked on or not. Whatever the case, you’ll need your students to keep themselves occupied during these times, so you can focus on the scenes you’re working on. So here are 10 tasks that student actors can do during rehearsals to improve their own performances and make the best use of their time, when they aren’t rehearsing the scene at that moment. Print this page out for students to keep with their scripts (see below for a printable pdf) or post it in your rehearsal space to refer to. Feel free to adapt/eliminate any tasks as appropriate to your show. NOTE: Please remain quiet and don’t disturb others, especially the students who are currently rehearsing. Stay in the rehearsal space or whatever the assigned location is; please don’t wander away or disappear, because even though you are not currently the focus of the rehearsal, you are still under the care and supervision of the teacher/director. If you’re needed for a part of the rehearsal later, be ready to go when it starts. 1. Review your lines and blocking for scenes that have already been blocked. A good rule of thumb is that if a scene has been blocked, you should be off book for that scene at your next rehearsal. We have lots of tips to help with line memorization as well as great advice from drama teachers to help with learning lines. 2. If you’re working on a musical, review your vocal lines, lyrics, and harmonies. Take recordings of your vocal lines during music rehearsals and listen to them over and over (with headphones, please, so you don’t disturb others). If you can, go to another room close by and practice your songs aloud. Review rehearsal videos for dance and stage combat choreography, again, with headphones. Get together with your scene partner and review everything in slow motion, paying attention to details such as pointed toes, what to do with your free hand, and avoiding looking at the floor. 3. Work ahead. Look at your rehearsal schedule and see what scenes are on the docket to be rehearsed soon, and read over those scenes so you’re prepared to come to rehearsal familiar with the scene and with ideas about how you might perform your role. Don’t memorize your lines ahead of time unless your director has specifically asked you to (you might memorize them in a particular way and your director might ask you to do something different) but do be familiar with the lines, entrances and exits, and overall purpose of the scene. 4. Do character work. The better you know your character, the better you’ll be able to portray them onstage. Try one of the following character analysis exercises: • A Quick Tip for Character Analysis • Character Analysis Exercise • Character Analysis: Your Younger Self 5. Go through your script and make a list or highlight any costume changes, prop needs, entrances and exits, and any other notes for yourself to remember. Colour code them if it helps. Having your own personal running list will come in handy during tech week and show week. 6. Do some research and deepen your understanding of and connection to the show. Many Theatrefolk plays have free classroom study guides available for this purpose. Read articles or books, watch videos, or listen to podcasts about previous productions of the show. Learn more about the playwright and why they wrote it. If the show is set in a particular time period, learn five facts about life in that era. If the play is based on a book or movie, read or watch the original piece. For example, the musical Cats is based on T.S. Eliot’s book of poetry, Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. Note any differences or changes from the source material to the current script you’re working on. 7. Advertise your show on social media in a positive way. Share rehearsal photos or videos, do TikTok trends (such as “shake my hand in character” or similar), or create a countdown to opening night. Always be sure to include a link to purchase tickets in any posts you share! 8. Observe the current scene being directed. Listen to notes and advice the director gives to your fellow students. See if you can apply those notes to your own performance. 9. Offer to help others. Get together with other cast mates and quietly practice lines, lyrics, blocking, and choreography together. Read in lines for another character for scenes you aren’t in, or watch each other perform and give each other feedback. Keep feedback focused on technical aspects such as line and lyric accuracy, clean footwork and correct steps, and so on. Avoid giving directorial notes; leave that to the director. 10. When all else fails, complete your homework or read quietly. Use your time effectively so you can go home feeling accomplished.

So you’ve chosen to produce an issue-based play with your students. Awesome! Issue-based plays are a great learning opportunity for your students and your audiences, as they tackle issues such as body image, racism, censorship, social issues, mental health, gender identity, and bullying in a theatrical manner. Issue-based plays aren’t always heavy and serious — some are comedic, some absurd, some are musicals — but addressing serious topics is still a challenge, no matter the style or format. It takes a lot of mental and physical energy to tackle an issue-based play. Therefore, it’s imperative to take care of yourself and teach your students to take care of themselves throughout the rehearsal process. Here are a few practical tips for working on these types of shows in rehearsal. 1. Do check-ins and take breaks.Self-care is important throughout any theatrical process, and that goes double for issue-based plays. Students may resonate deeply with the subject matter, which can feel heavy for them when they’re working on the material. Doing check-ins before, during, and after rehearsal (you as director with your students, students with their peers and scene partners, and you with yourself) can help to separate the real-life people from the characters, and remind students that they themselves don’t need to carry the burdens that their characters are holding. It’s also helpful to take short breaks so everyone (students and staff alike) can rest and recalibrate during rehearsal. Try not to talk about the show during breaks; allow yourselves to fully separate from the work, even for a couple of minutes. If you’re worried about forgetting something important, write it down and come back to it when rehearsal starts again. Refresh yourself, reset, and re-enter the rehearsal space with renewed energy. 2. Shake up the energy.While we’re on the subject of energy, we’ve mentioned that issue-based plays often “carry weight” or “feel heavy.” That can result in feelings of sluggishness, pacing issues, and low energy during rehearsals or performance. While it’s important to make an emotional impact through the performances, you don’t want the show to feel bogged down. If you’re feeling this way, take a moment to shake up the energy. Try a verbal exercise such as doing a speed-run of the lines or saying each line like it’s a question, or a visualization exercise such as performing the scene while each character is floating in a pool, experiencing zero-gravity on the moon, or holding onto a high-powered helium balloon. Raise some energy by doing a stretch break, dancing like crazy for 30 seconds, or doing 10 jumping jacks. Even something as simple as opening some windows or turning on a fan can help alleviate feelings of weight. It might seem silly in the moment but can really help to lighten the mood. Our brains enjoy and often crave novelty, because it activates the dopamine system, which helps to raise our mood. Additionally, be aware that plays that “feel heavy” can result in pacing issues. Check out our tips to address any potential pacing issues, and remind students to keep the energy flowing so it doesn’t drag down the running time of the show. 3. Use humour.Sometimes you need a laugh to lighten the mood and ease the tension. I’m not saying to turn the show into a farce or let rehearsals devolve into silliness, but a well-timed joke or funny code word/phrase, when used sparingly, can be helpful. Even something unintentionally humourous can turn into an in-joke with the cast and crew, and become a useful tool in rehearsal. Recently I directed Carrie: The Musical with high school students, which is based on the novel by Stephen King and deals with many difficult topics including bullying, violence, and death. At one rehearsal, we were rehearsing (spoiler alert!) the big, highly choreographed destruction scene at the prom. After running the section a few times, the students were clearly tired, so we took a short break. At the end of the break, I announced to them, “Ok, we’re going to run the scene a couple more times so please go back to your death positions!” For some reason, the students found that hilarious, and would use it as a recurring joke throughout the remainder of the rehearsal process: “Should we go to our death positions now?” “I don’t know if I’m in the correct death position,” and so on. It’s probably not funny to anyone who wasn’t there, but it helped us to lighten the mood when we were working on heavy material. Don’t forget to include and enjoy humourous moments in the show as well. Even the most solemn and dramatic of plays will have moments of lightness and mirth. Lean into those moments; it’ll make the more serious moments even more effective. 4. Be available to answer questions and provide support.As mentioned earlier, some students will resonate strongly with the topic of the issue-based play you’re working on. Students may have lived experiences that mirror the issues in your play. You may need to provide support for these students throughout the rehearsal process, such as physical resources or referring them to people who can provide guidance or counselling. As well, students may discover concerns or boundaries that arise during the rehearsal process that they didn’t expect. That’s ok, it’s a new experience. Just be ready to point students in the direction of support, and use self-care tools (breaks, check-ins, closure practices, etc.) to help. Conversely, some students may not resonate with the material, and might require additional education on why the material in the play is important and relevant. Again, arm yourself with educational resources that you can share with these students. Do not depend on or expect any students with lived experiences to provide education or examples to other students, unless they volunteer to do so. It’s not their responsibility. As well, if you are aware of any students with lived experiences that they haven’t disclosed publicly, don’t share that information with other students or even hint that someone in the cast/crew is dealing with or has dealt with the issue. It’s nobody’s business, and unless that student wishes to share, it’s better to keep real life and the life of the play separate.

The last few weeks before showtime can be weird. The initial excitement has worn off but things are not quite ready for performance, so a lot of rehearsal is spent reviewing and doing things “one more time” even though it’s never just one more time. It can also be stressful, especially if you feel like things are behind schedule or students aren’t in a good headspace. Everyone probably feels tired and unfocused. But don’t let weirdness or stress get you down! Try these tips to get back on the path to a fantastic show. 1. Mix things up. Rehearsal slump may have set in, so it’s time to bring fresh energy into the rehearsal room. Try rehearsing backwards, starting the run at different scenes, doing line runs, or letting your student assistant director run rehearsal. Invite a trusted guest to watch a run-through and give feedback. Sometimes having an audience helps shake things up for students. 2. Rehearse with costumes and props. As soon as you have costume and prop items, add them to rehearsals. It’s too much to try and add them all at once, especially right before showtime. Use rehearsal props if necessary, and definitely have students rehearse in the shoes (link: /blog/need-rehearse-characters-shoes) they’ll be wearing in the show. 3. Review and practice transitions. Messy or slow transitions bring the flow and pacing of a show to a grinding halt. Do not leave this until the last minute. Who does them? Who moves what? What is the cue to begin the transition? Where do people doing the transition enter and exit, and where do the items go once they’re offstage? 4. Choreograph and practice bows. Some directors leave bows until the last minute because they think it’s bad luck. However, like transitions, messy or unnecessarily long bows take audiences out of the moment. Plan them out and practice them whenever you rehearse or run the final scene of the show. Come up with clever groupings for bows so the audience isn’t sitting (or standing!) for ages. 5. Take breaks. It seems counterproductive when there’s so much to do, but even a five-minute water break can help. Make sure YOU take a break too — have students hold their questions and resist the urge to check your emails. Get up, leave the rehearsal room for a moment, and visit the washroom. Take care of your basic human needs! 6. Do run-throughs. By this point you’re hopefully doing run-throughs of the show, or at least one of the acts. Make notes of what needs review or what has been missed during blocking/choreography rehearsals (there’s always something) and schedule time to address that. As well, ask students what they think they need to work on. Work on that. 7. Have your technicians and crew members come to rehearsal to learn the show. Some student technicians only join the show during tech week, and then have to learn the show super quickly, which can be stressful. Whenever possible, have any students who will be working offstage on the show (running crew, stagehands, costume dressers, sound and lighting technicians, spotlight operators, wireless mic assistants, etc.) watch rehearsals earlier in the process so they’ll know in advance what their responsibilities will entail. Have the stage manager call out cues during run-throughs so students will know what to expect. (This is important for onstage students as well! There will be way less confusion when students know they have to pause for a sound effect or exit/enter in a blackout before tech rehearsal, and sometimes this gets missed in rehearsals for whatever reason.) 8. Share something exciting. Maybe you’re having great ticket sales, your show shirts have arrived, or one of your social media posts about the show has gained a lot of traction. Good news is always welcome! If you share good news at the beginning of rehearsal, it can set a positive tone for the rest of your time together that day. If you share good news at the end of rehearsal, everyone gets to leave on a positive note, regardless of how the rehearsal went. 9. Praise your students. We’re all guilty of occasionally leaning too heavily on constructive notes. We know we’re picking apart all the little details because the students are doing a great job and notes help to make their performances even better. But there comes a point when you need to pump your students up, and positive praise can enhance the really great moments. If your student hears you saying “That was hilarious!” or “Great work, that moment was amazing!” they’re likely to apply that same energy to the rest of their performance. 10. Persevere. You’re almost there. Showtime will arrive quicker than you expect. And if things seem bad at the moment, remember that the “theatre fairies” always seem to sprinkle their magic dust and pull things together in the end. You’ve got this! Additional Resources:Tips to Keep Your Rehearsals Focused Round-Up: Dealing With Production Challenges Tips and Tricks for a Less Stressed Tech Week

Having additional personnel working on a school production can be incredibly helpful. Co-director, associate director, assistant director, director’s assistant, artistic associate — they’re all different titles with different levels of involvement, leadership, and decision-making capabilities, and when used effectively, can really help to ease your workload. On a musical, they may double as the choreographer or musical director, or they may be in a separate position. The key to employing someone in this type of role is clear communication; otherwise, having an additional staff member can cause more issues rather than solve them. Here are some discussion points to consider when you’re working with an additional director. PURPOSE: To start, establish the purpose and responsibilities of the additional team member. Are you looking to have another adult around to supervise and lead rehearsals (especially when you’re working with large groups of students? Are you looking for someone to cover rehearsals while you’re away? Do you want to double up on rehearsal plans and have a small group of students working in one room with one director while you work with others in a different room? Are you looking to mentor a new director to take over the responsibility of running the school show? Conversely, do you expect them to take the lead on directing the production while you act in a supervisory role? Will you expect them to take on any administrative or producing tasks, such as budgeting, scheduling, or discipline, or are their contributions strictly artistic in nature? EXPECTATIONS: You also need to know what the additional team member’s desires and expectations are for their involvement in the show. Are they a new director wanting to gain experience, grow their skills, and build their resume? Are they an experienced teacher or director looking to move into a new role or job? Are they hoping to direct scenes for the show or learn by observing and shadowing you? Do they want to take over parts of being a “do it all director” to ease your load, such as create a lighting plan or design costumes or sets? Will they be responsible for a specific task during the show run, such as operating lights or sound, being backstage as an ASM, or calling the show? What do they hope to get out of the process? Do their expectations line up with yours? TITLE: What will their official title be? There are some perceived discrepancies between the various titles. Co-director implies that there are two directors of equal power, with equal decision-making privileges. The difference between associate and assistant director is less clear-cut — which is considered a higher-level role, especially if you have both an associate and an assistant. Will you also have a student assistant director, and if so, who does what during rehearsals and showtime? A director’s assistant is a non-artistic role. This person’s job is to help the director with tasks such as photocopying, running errands, liaising with others, and additional tasks as required. ARTISTIC INPUT: How much artistic input will they be allowed to give? Do they get to give ideas about the overall concept or aesthetic of the production? Will they direct full scenes or sequences, or help with aspects such as character development, line memorization, or technical acting elements such as vocal projection and diction? Are they allowed to give notes? Can they veto your artistic choices, or can you veto theirs? Who gets the ultimate say in artistic decisions? TIME COMMITMENT and COMPENSATION: What is their time commitment? Are they full-time or part-time? Are they going to come to all rehearsals or just the ones on Mondays and Wednesdays? Or are they not available on Thursdays after school? Will this affect their title designation? On top of that, do you have an available budget to pay for this person’s time, or is this role a volunteer position? Be sure to make this aspect of the role clear to the candidate, because it will affect whether or not they are willing to commit to the position and how much effort they may expend on the show. VIBE CHECK: Have you worked with this person before, and if so, in what capacity? Do you get along with them? What assets do they possess that will help the production? How do they react in stressful situations? Do they know and/or get along with any additional team members you have on the show? Do they know the students? If they aren’t a teacher at your school, have they worked with students before? Do you need to fill out any paperwork before they start working on your show? Do they need to submit any accreditation or complete a background check prior to working with your students? Will they benefit the production process or create more work?

In the world of theatre, orchestrating a seamless production is a delicate balance. Directors often find themselves having to gracefully handle overcommitted students juggling demanding schedules. It’s helpful to have practical insights and strategies that strike the right balance between individual commitments and the collective rhythm of rehearsals. But how do we find the finesse required to keep the show running smoothly while supporting each performer on their individual journey? We went straight to the source to get the inside scoop from those who’ve been there: drama teachers. We asked: How do you manage overcommitted students who miss rehearsals? Engage in Open CommunicationIt is very frustrating to have this happen, and I go to great lengths to outline the time commitment (the rehearsal schedule is out before auditions happen) and make it very clear that the expectation is that the show is the priority for the duration of the process. Parents are told all of this, students are told all of this — every cast member knows it. It helps, somewhat. Luckily, I have had casts who are at least honest about requests for time off, and most of them, I decline (no, you can't miss this rehearsal to go and audition for another play). Sometimes, I accommodate actors who have previous commitments, if they are particularly focused and able to put their full attention into the rehearsals that they can attend. I have little to no patience for those who have been accommodated and then show up and use the “I wasn't here, so you (me, the director) need to fill me in.” (Anne M.) Literally had this happen last show. I pulled her aside and said, “I think you’re too busy. You need to make a decision on what things are important to you right now. No hard feelings if you quit.” She agreed and then quit the next day. I told her it was the right decision and that if theatre was still an interest, and she made time, she should definitely audition again. Her leaving left an opening for another student and she did wonderfully. Sugar coating things for kids is dangerous and not healthy. Treat high school students like the young adults they are and middle school students like the young, inexperienced children they are. They are all much more resilient than anyone gives them credit for and it gives the students some advocacy in their lives and builds their confidence. It also allows for students to step up to some responsibilities. (W.T.) Establish Clear ExpectationsOof. This is big. I had three actors show up to my first one-act rehearsal. I called them in and told them that I wanted to see more commitment or I'd have no choice but to cancel the show. I haven't had issues since. (Caitlin D.) We send a letter home to parents and students outlining the commitment at the beginning of the audition process. Then, if they are cast, they must sign a contract pretty much agreeing to the three-strike rule and that they have full availability during production week. This seems to keep both students and parents accountable. (Natalie C.) Everything is made very clear up front and an agreement is signed when auditions take place and when rehearsals start. (Cherish T.) I try to meet them in the middle. I also make them sign a contract at the beginning of the production. This contract creates a limit for missed days. (Baldwin PR) We assigned understudies to every role, and our policy is after two absences the understudy gets the role. It does two things: 1) the cast knows up front how important attendance is and 2) the understudies really learn the parts! (Philly P.) Prioritize Essential RehearsalsI require that the show take precedence two weeks before we open. I also don't cast people who have more than one consistent conflict a week. I've also started doing shorter rehearsals during the week and adding a Saturday. (Spartan Drama) Implement ConsequencesHave understudies to replace them. (Elliott H.) I recall telling one particularly overscheduled student that I would need to assign them as the understudy. They were a bit sad, but in the end thanked me for taking the pressure off. (Jeff M.) Cast swings! Miss three rehearsals and the swing gets the part! (Linda) Involve Parents or GuardiansDepends on the circumstances. If their leaving is detrimental to the performance and we have no alternative, I try to talk to them and their parents about finding solutions to alleviate their stress in order to retain them. If their leaving isn’t impactful, I wish them well on their way and congratulate them on making a hard decision in learning how to manage their own stress levels. (Vicky B.) Sit them down with a parent present. Tell them they seem overcommitted because they have missed rehearsals. Tell them it’s not fair to the rest of the cast. Then spell out that a solution to remedy this includes permission to leave the show. Ask if they want you to step out for five minutes while they talk. Then get an answer right then and there. (Susan G.) Discuss Schedules & Time ManagementI ask for conflict dates AND a list of other activities and when they participate. If this entails missing what is too much for ME to deal with, then they are cast in a smaller capacity. They usually drop anyway. This gives those hard-working although often second-level people a chance. This goes for kids and adults. (Beatriz E-M.) Parents also need to see when their child has too much on the go. Allowing them to step down from something doesn't mean they failed. Casting someone who has a lot on their plate usually results in roles they aren't happy with. You can't cast someone into a role that requires time and dedication if they aren't going to be at rehearsals due to too many other commitments. (Cherish T.) They need to ask themselves, how did they become over committed? Being an adult is about time management and honoring the commitments that you make. You don’t get to be everywhere and be in every show and do everything you want because what happens is you stop showing up for the things you really don’t want to do. (Carolyn R.) Discuss CommitmentIf their role is main, I try to talk with their parents and the student to get them to finish what they started, and if that doesn’t work, replace them. If they do stay and finish, I make a note never to cast them as a main or pivotal character again, unless they somehow prove that they are prioritizing better. They broke trust in their commitment and one way they can prove they are trustworthy again is by doing smaller or insignificant jobs well. (Adra L.) It's hard to find a balance sometimes, especially when they have multiple passions that pull them in many directions. However, a production is a commitment and there comes a time when a decision has to be made. You either make the time and commit to the cast, crew, and show or you appreciate your time spent and move on to what matters more to you. You can have many passions in life but if you aren't careful, you'll burn out. That seems to be a major factor in today's teens/youth. (Cherish T.) It is impossible to give 100% to each activity at the same time. Kids learn from making hard choices, from time management, from failure as much or more than from success. If it were me I would approach it as a collegial lesson. “The cast depends on each person to create a whole performance. People count on you. Their time and effort is wasted if you are not prepared on stage the night of the performance. It harms the play, the cast members, and you. Another person from tryouts who is interested and prepared but not chosen is harmed as well. You take their chance to shine away by taking the part but not fully committing to it.” (Dianne F.) Theater MUST have its place and time amongst all other activities! Anything worth doing is worth doing well and that means effort. (Mandy G.) Create a Supportive EnvironmentI try to be really accommodating because they are 6th–8th graders, but it is incredibly frustrating. (Eliza L.) With extreme patience! (Jane R.) I am big on speaking for people who will never speak. Folks who say no to things to honor being in the show, miss out on events or re-schedule events to honor the show needs, skip lunch because otherwise they will be late, teach others it is fine to say no. You do not need to do anything. I have been in situations where other production members don't see that. More often than not, what I say goes or I say "Okay, when x, y, z happens (and it almost always does) it's on you to deal with and not me. (Kevin S.) I try to work with mine but unfortunately some of our other programs aren’t as flexible. In those instances I make sure my students know it’s not me forcing them to choose. (JMS) In our small school, I am always sharing with all athletics. It makes for late nights. I'm tired, they're tired. I make sure we have lots of snacks and water. I try to give grace when I have to. It's so hard. But if you think they're not committed, I always say they are always auditioning, showing who they are. (Dotty D.) I’ll work with kids. They get small parts that don’t really influence the show whether they are there or not. But I want a kid to be able to be in a show if they want to. If they aren’t honest and aren’t there, they aren’t in the scene and lose lines, etc. I used to fret. Now I just allow them to do their thing. (V.F.) Additional Reading: Helping Drama Students Understand Commitment

Ever found yourself at the helm of a lively, energetic, and occasionally disruptive drama club? In search of practical strategies and teacher-tested tips to maintain positive energy and curb disruptions? We went straight to the source to get the inside scoop from those who’ve been there: drama teachers. We asked: How do you handle rowdy or disruptive cast members during rehearsals? Provide alternative roles or outletsAssuming much of the rowdiness/disruption is during their downtime, I give them a job/assignment/task, whether it’s to help design a prop, run lines with a beginning actor or struggling reader, take notes, learn the sound system, etc. But above all else, if I can’t keep the students engaged and busy with valuable contributions to the production 80% of the time I ask them to be there, then I haven’t created a very empathetic rehearsal calendar. (Barry H.) Downtime for long periods while you block shows organically and expect students to be quiet and focused is not good for anybody. Give idle students a task if you have to focus on small group scenes. Make sure they learn when it’s almost time for their cue when backstage. I have also learned that reward gets more students onboard with behaving. So have a reward system. (JS) Self-control, respect, and remaining on task are expectations and can be achieved. That being said, I try to remember the age of the students with whom I am working. I try not to push them past what is developmentally appropriate. We take breaks often and regroup so that everyone can refocus. Team building games really help everyone feel like they matter, whatever role they play during a production. (LB) Establish clear expectationsI was a high school English teacher at the start of my career and quickly learned “the look.” It would stop them in their tracks. In the beginning I would also firmly and quietly say, “Not acceptable.” The kids knew they had crossed the line and I never had a problem again. (Denise H.) We have a culture of respect. Our contract, which must be signed and turned in before auditions, lays out the ground rules for participation. Then, we have a point system, and kids who are top scorers earn tickets for friends and family. The stage manager handles all point totals. We have very few problems. (Buena HS) It is part of their grade. Parents see that up front as well as the students. Be up front about expectations/rubric. (FG) Implement a warning system & consequencesRepeat offenders who have already been talked to, redirected, given a chance, given tasks to combat boredom — they get the boot. Safety issues and blatant disrespect are the things that are zero tolerance for me. (Angela H.) They would be replaced. The theatre is a dangerous place and there is too much work to do for the production to put up with that nonsense. One reason for that behavior is boredom. High school kids inclined to do that need training and a lot of responsibility. My experience is that they tend to be good leaders if given the proper direction. (John H.) I am there to work and so are the rest of the cast and crew. If you need a minute to collect yourself, go for it. Can't? Come back when you can. (Cherish T.) I dismiss them from rehearsal immediately. (Lisa H.) Call their parents to come get them. (Roberta L.) Create a safe spaceI begin with understanding needs and creating an atmosphere of safety. From there, I work to create an environment that everyone, no matter their circumstances, can enjoy the process and experience and thrive within. What many directors fail to understand is that mental health issues or neurodivergence can ignite so-called disruption in rehearsals. However, knowing how to hold space for the rehearsals to be equitable and inclusive is important because we want to build opportunities for everyone, not just those who can meet all the needs of our subjective expectations. (Traci F.) Sometimes this is ADHD, spectrum, or neurodiverse behavior. I try to take my cues from the other young people. Are they bothered by the disturbance? Because sometimes I can’t concentrate when there’s too much disorder, but the students are fine, and sometimes I think what I am presenting isn’t holding their attention. And then, if all of that seems to not be the issue, then it’s time for a one-on-one chat, where I ask them questions such as, “If I ask you to do such and such and you don’t do it, what are you telling me?” and “If I have to ask you several more times what do you think I should do?” Then that way they are basically firing themselves if they do the behavior, assuming that they can control the behavior. (Barbara M.) I think it starts with relationships. You build on the relationship and leverage goodwill. (TT)

Stepping onto the stage is an exciting journey, but, inevitably, conflicts and disagreements among cast members can occasionally take centre stage during rehearsals. To avoid chaos, directors need effective strategies and creative solutions to minimize conflicts and foster a harmonious theatrical experience. So, we went straight to the source to get the inside scoop from those who’ve been there: drama teachers. We asked: How do you handle conflicts & disagreements among cast members during rehearsals? Step Back & Talk It OutTake 10… Come back with suggestions… 😎 (Chris C.) Count to 10 (or 5 slowly!) and ask what the issue is. Then say, “No one is trying to be difficult. How do we move on?” (Guy N.) Each person gets their say. We decide what compromise can be made. If not, I’m the final decision. (Heidi T.) Do Team-Building ActivitiesStop and do a bonding activity. My fav is apologies, ahas, and appreciations. Everyone says all of those. Strong reset. (Cassandra G.) Hold Mediation SessionsI can’t tell you how many times I’ve said, “Keep the drama on the stage! Now… the two of you — you have an appointment with me at 2:30 today. See you then. For now, let’s get back to rehearsal.” (Rogue Playhouse) They can submit a form with me during rehearsal, and I mediate conflicts during breaks or after rehearsal. (Spartan PA) Establish a Code of ConductI explain that in the workplace we don’t always agree with our co-workers but we must remain respectful. (Claire PM.) Leave the egos at the door and focus on the production. The rehearsal process is a time for trying out or playing with ideas. At some stage I believe the person nominated as the director will focus on bringing it all together. (Gordon B.) The Director Gets the Final WordThe rule of acting is that only a director can comment on someone's acting or the stage manager on the loss of a line. (Deborah F.) Theater is a benevolent dictatorship. The director has the final say, always. Ideas can flow, but in the end the director decides. (Colleen M.) I tell my casts that every director has their own style, and while I consider myself collaborative, we don't have time for consensus. Someone has to make final decisions and that someone is me. If that is clear from day 0, then no conflict can fester. (Isaac W.) Additional Reading: Problem Solving: When Students Don’t Work Well Together

This rehearsal exercise takes its name from one of my favourite improv games, Scenes from a Bag. If your actors are feeling a bit shaky or uncertain with their lines during the rehearsal process, try one of these three simple rehearsal exercises. The basic premise of each variation is drawing a slip of paper out of a hat and starting a scene using the prompt that’s on the slip. This keeps your student actors on their toes because they don’t know what will be drawn from the bag! You’ll need some small slips of paper, a writing tool, a bag to draw the slips of paper out of, and a copy of the script for reference. Three Ways to Play:1. Write each actor’s name on a small slip of paper and put the slips in a bag. Draw a name. That student will say any line they have in the play — any act, any scene. The next student must say their line, then the next, and so on to continue the scene. When you get to the end of the scene or the beginning of a song (if you’re rehearsing a musical), draw a new name and start again. 2. Select some random lines from the script. Write the lines on small slips of paper, but don’t write the character name. Put the slips in a bag and then draw one at random. Start and continue the scene. For a bigger challenge, only put the first few words of the line on the slip of paper and have the student recite the rest of the line. (You may want to write the act, scene, and character name in small letters on the edge of the slip in case you don’t think you’ll know who is supposed to start the line — just don’t share it with the students unless they get really stuck.) 3. Write a selection of numbers on small slips of paper that correspond with the number of pages in the script. Then draw a number out of the bag and turn to that page in the script. Have a student choose a second number between 1 and 10 to determine the starting line. Count down the page to the selected line number — for example, if the number is 4, count down four lines from the top of the page. (If there are fewer lines than the selected number — like if the line is at the end of a scene — choose the closest applicable line.) Say the line aloud, but don’t include any vocal intonations or the character’s name that says the line. Students must continue the scene. If your students enjoy some friendly competition, divide them into two teams. Students who say their lines correctly and in the correct order earn points for their team — one point per correct line. The team with the most points at the end of the session wins. To make it extra challenging, if a student forgets their line or needs to be prompted to say their line, they lose a point for their team. This exercise is a good way to see for yourself how your students are doing with their line memorization work. After the exercise, you may wish to check in with your students and see how they’re feeling. Some students might be feeling anxious or unprepared. Ask them, “What is the next step? What action can you take today to help make you feel more confident for the next rehearsal?” You can share 9 techniques to help students memorize their lines to help them out. Then, re-visit the Lines from a Bag exercise at a later rehearsal to see how far they’ve come with their memorization work. Related Articles: Tips For Memorizing Lines and Advice to Actors If They Forget Their Lines Dealing With Rehearsal Rut Feeling Stuck? Go Back to the Basics How to Deal with Rehearsal Burnout

If you’re working on a show with a tiny budget, one way many drama teachers have saved funds is by having student actors wear “rehearsal blacks” onstage — plain black pants and long-sleeve shirts. These items create a neutral visual palette. They’re easy to find and buy, generally easy to move in, and they allow the focus to be on the students’ performance. But rehearsal blacks don’t have to be plain. Let’s elevate our rehearsal blacks and use them as a tool to enhance the play. The following exercise gives students the opportunity to consider how thoughtful and creative choices with rehearsal blacks can denote character, status, mood, atmosphere, and more. Students can complete this exercise by sketching, using online images to create a mood board, or using black clothing items that they own to create character looks. Instructions1. Introduction: List and analyze various pieces of clothing and the words, phrases, moods, or feelings that each item conjures. Don’t think about the colour of the items or items with logos; just imagine plain clothes for this section. Here are a few examples: • Tops: tank top/muscle shirt, t-shirt, long-sleeve shirt, button-down, turtleneck, crop top, sweater, sweatshirt • Bottoms: dress pants, yoga pants, leggings, jeans, skirts, cargo pants, capris, cutoffs/”jorts” (jean shorts), sweat pants • Shoes: sneakers, flats, heels, boots, flip flops, crocs, slippers • Layering pieces: cardigan, hoodie, jacket, vest, bathing suit/coverup • Accessories: hat, cap, belt, jewelry, scarf, bag/purse, hosiery/socks, tie/bow tie, hair accessories • Miscellaneous: sports wear/uniforms, work uniforms, scrubs, military uniforms, suits, tuxedos, gowns, vintage/retro items Be sure to write down any interesting ideas that you think of. 2. Next, compare and contrast different fabrics and style choices. For example: • A dress made of cotton vs. satin vs. denim vs. lace • Ripped jeans vs. unripped jeans • Skinny jeans vs. baggy jeans, flared vs. straight-legged, capris vs. cutoffs • A black suit vs. a black tuxedo • A baseball cap worn forwards vs. backwards What do the different fabrics and style choices make students think about? What feelings or moods do they evoke? What do they say about the character and their personality and their choices? 3. Select a character from a play you’re studying or a play of your choosing. Using only black clothing and accessories, create a costume design for the character that shows their personality, evokes a particular mood, or is appropriate for a part of the play. Students may present their design in one of the following ways: • A costume sketch, with clearly labelled item and fabric choices • A digital mood board, using images found online • A physical mood board, using magazine clippings and fabric swatches • A live costume creation, using students’ own items or items borrowed from friends/family/school costume stocks (either presented live in class or through a series of photographs showing front, side, and back of costume, with optional close-ups of accessories) For example, if students are studying Romeo and Juliet, they might choose for Juliet a short black summer dress, black sandals, and a black bangle bracelet at the beginning of the play, or a long black dress, black slippers, and black veil when she is in the tomb at the end of the play. 4. Regardless of the method of presenting the costume design, students will include a brief (one page or less) written piece describing why their costume design choices make sense for the character. Why did they choose those specific styles or fabric choices? What mood are they trying to evoke? Why are those items appropriate for that character? What are they trying to say, or what story are they trying to portray through the costume choice? 5. Take it a step further: • Option 1: Using only black clothing and accessories, create three costume designs for your character that show their character arc throughout the play. Using the Romeo and Juliet example, Romeo might wear a black hoodie, black ripped jeans, a black cap, and black Converse sneakers at the beginning of the show; a black suit when he and Juliet get married, and a wrinkled black t-shirt (instead of the hoodie) when he kills Tybalt and is banished. • Option 2: Using only black clothing and accessories, create an overall “look” or “aesthetic” for groups of characters, to show their connection or social status. Perhaps Romeo and Benvolio wear Mad-Max-style black leather jackets and combat boots, while Lord Capulet and Tybalt wear black suits. Why did the student choose that aesthetic for that group? Give examples from the text as applicable.

We recently discussed how to help students who are rushing their lines and movements. Now we’re solving the opposite problem: what to do when the scenes are dragging and putting the audience to sleep. Let’s look at four common pacing issues and some tips for improving the flow of the scene. 1. Issue: Preparedness (or lack thereof)Pacing issues are frequently the result of students being unprepared. If students don’t know their lines, struggle to remember their cues, miss their entrances or exits, or mess up their transitions, the pacing of the scene will slow right down. If this is the reason for your pacing issues, go back to the basics. Review lines and cues, and encourage students to keep practicing and reviewing at home. Do Italian line runs, where students say their lines as quickly and accurately as possible with no blocking. (Check out the giveaway below for tips for success when doing an Italian line run, a great line check exercise.) Have students write down their entrances, exits, transitions, and any other notes that they need in their scripts. Post a running list backstage to help students remember what they’re supposed to do and when. If students are consistently missing entrances and exits due to goofing around or being distracted, consider adding a backstage supervisor to monitor things like cell phone use and behaviour. They can also be an extra set of hands for quick costume changes and the like. 2. Issue: Stilted conversations and awkward pausesTwo common beginning actor problems are students going all in on their lines and then checking out once their lines are completed, and not listening to their scene partners in general. This can result in stilted, unnatural-sounding scenes with pauses at weird times. If available, show your students professional video clips of the scenes they’re working on and have them observe how the actors make the lines sound natural and conversational, rather than presentational. Try observing each other having regular conversations, noting things like breathing, pausing, jumping in, cutting each other off, and other nuances. Have students work on active listening exercises. Are they truly listening, or just hearing? Remind your students that they’ll make themselves look good by making their scene partner look good. And make sure students use dramatic pauses sparingly — too many and they lose their effectiveness. Check out this video all about controlling pauses. 3. Issue: Long transitions and scene changesScene changes and transitions need to be quick and precise. Audiences don’t want to sit in the dark or stare at the closed curtain while stagehands struggle to change the scenery. It takes them out of the story and ruins the mood. Allot some rehearsal time for your stagehands to practice completing scene changes. If they’re really lagging, time them with a stopwatch and have them sit and wait the same length of time. It can be very eye opening! If your students like competitions, challenge them to reduce their speed at the next run, while maintaining calm and accuracy. If the stagehands physically cannot complete their transitions quickly enough, consider adding more students to assist (actors can help) or reducing the amount of scenery, furniture, and props they need to change. You also might try adding music to the transitions or adding some transition scenes in the very downstage area of the stage to mask the set changes occurring behind and give the audience something interesting to watch. 4. Issue: Too much “stuff”Then, we have the opposite problem. In an effort to keep our students engaged and active onstage, directors will often try to add more, more, more: more ensemble members to every scene, more costume changes, more furniture and props, more grandiose blocking and choreography. This unfortunately may result in longer transitions, more traffic jams getting on and offstage, more stress backstage, and — you guessed it — pacing issues. Sometimes, less is more. Where can you simplify things? Where can you reduce? Do you really need two different couches for the two living room scenes, or can you reposition the same couch and toss a throw blanket over it from scene to scene? Can you condense the number of costume changes? Sometimes adding or removing a jacket or hat is all you need. Do all seven reporter ensemble characters need a camera, notepad and prop phone? Can you have each actor only hold one item? Do you need all seven reporters onstage in the scene? Remember** :** Changes to the script (line edits, scene cuts, etc.) must only be done with the permission of the playwright, regardless of any issues, pacing, or otherwise.

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.

You’ve chosen the play, paid the royalties, done the script analysis, held your auditions, and cast the show. Tomorrow is the first rehearsal. Are you ready? Really ready? The Rehearsal Companion can help! Will you be ready if an actor drops out? Will you be ready for the mid-rehearsal blues? Will you be ready to have your tech week run as smoothly as possible? Will you be ready with a comprehensive strike checklist? You CAN be ready for all these rehearsal situations and more. The Rehearsal Companion is a comprehensive e-book that will be your guide through problem-solving, getting organized, choosing the best warm-up for your play, giving notes, and keeping track of production goals. There’s more to think about than blocking and learning lines – be the director who’s ready for anything!

As a director, I cannot stress enough to my students how frustrating it is to have to give the same note over and over during rehearsals. It feels like I’m not being listened to, and it wastes time. On top of that, I know how frustrating it is for my students to hear the same note over and over. To students, it can feel like they’re being nagged or picked on, and eventually they may just stop trying. How can you alleviate this problem? By teaching students how to make good rehearsal notes! It’s so satisfying to look over a script that’s been marked up, noted on, and well used. The script is an actor’s tool, after all, and tools are meant to be used. They’re not meant to stay pristine like the day they’re handed out. And it’s equally frustrating to not only find a script that’s been left behind after rehearsal, but one that looks like it’s barely been opened, let alone written on. Writing notes on a script not only helps to identify whose script it is (hot tip, students: write your name on the front of your script!), but also shows that the student is putting thought and effort into their onstage performance. There are lots of different ways for student actors to make rehearsal notes, and there’s no one right way.* But there is a wrong way — not taking notes at all. Any notes are better than no notes. Ultimately, the best notes are the ones that the student understands, that they will remember, and that they will apply to their performances. Here are our top seven note-taking tips to share with your student actors. There’s a printable version available below, so you can print out the tips and hand them out to your students at your next rehearsal. 1. Write out physical notes in your script. Always use a pencil — your director may ask you to change something later. Physically writing the notes out will help them stick in your brain — it’s all about muscle memory. If you type faster, you might try making notes on your phone or dictating notes into a voice recording app. However, be sure to go back and copy any digital notes into your script by hand. (Many directors don’t allow phones in rehearsal, so get into the habit of writing your rehearsal notes by hand.) 2. Don’t rely on your memory. Make notes the moment you receive them. If you try to remember them for later, you won’t. Yes, you do have to eventually memorize your lines and cues, but when you’re first hearing your notes and doing the initial work, make your life easier and write your notes down right away so you don’t forget them. 3. Be precise. Write notes where they happen in the script. For example, if you enter in the middle of someone’s line, make a mark (such as a circle or an arrow) at the exact moment during their line when you enter. 4. Write notes that make sense to you. You might choose to write out full, descriptive sentences, or use shorthand (for example, XDS for cross downstage). You might draw pictures or diagrams of where you need to move. You are the one who needs to understand and apply the notes, so try different approaches until you find a note-taking system that works for you. 5. When receiving line notes, circle or underline the words that you missed , so you can ensure your lines are word-perfect while you’re reviewing. You also might find it helpful to circle or underline a few key words in your scene partner’s cue lines to help jog your memory. 6. If you are performing in a musical, be sure to make notes about music and choreography , even if there are rehearsal recordings. Circle your harmony notes and write out or draw a basic outline of your moves, and note where in the script they occur. 7. During a post-run note session, listen to everyone’s notes, not just your own. You might find that you can apply certain notes others receive to your performance as well. Write down anything your director mentions multiple times — clearly, it’s something they think is important. Treat a note session like a free acting masterclass — the information is there, so use it! Again, the best notes are the ones that the student understands, that they will remember, and that they will apply to their performances. You may have to verbally remind students to take notes, provide pencils for them to write with, and give up a few precious minutes of rehearsal time for students to scribble down notes in their scripts. However, getting students into the habit of making rehearsal notes will only be a benefit — less stress, fewer frustrations, and more confident performances. * Remember that this is aimed at student actors — a stage manager (whether student or staff) must have extra-clear notes so that anyone could pick up their prompt binder and call the show from it. Check out our post How to Prepare a Stage Manager’s Prompt Book_ for more on that._ Additional Resources: • On Line Notes • Communicating Rehearsal Notes in Three Different Ways

If you’re riding the struggle bus at rehearsals and scenes are looking stagnant, dull, or flat-out boring, you and your students may be suffering from a case of rehearsal rut. Rehearsal rut tends to occur in the mid-to-late stages of the rehearsal process, when the newness and excitement have worn off, the costumes, props, and sets aren’t done yet, and your students are not quite ready for an audience. Students may feel like they’re going through the motions while working on their scenes, and you might be wondering if the show is ever going to come together. Sometimes, the best way to solidify a scene is to approach it in a new manner, outside the standard rehearsal process. Here are a few exercises to try: Emotional sceneDivide the scene you are working on into four sections. Give each section a defined emotion. Don’t worry about making sure it matches the dialogue, just come up with four different emotions. You may even draw them out of a hat. Then play the scene switching from emotion to emotion. How does the scene change when a specific emotion is forced upon it? Part switchPlay your scene but switch parts. What do you learn about the other character? What do you learn about your character when you see them played by another actor? Action onlyDo the scene without speaking. What happens? Is the blocking easy or difficult to remember? Do you find yourself sitting in the same spot for a long time? Does the blocking help tell the story? Do this exercise in front of an audience. What does the audience get out of the scene when they don’t have the dialogue to rely on? How do your characters come across? Game playPlay the scene, but instead of doing the blocking, play a game. It has to be a game that doesn’t require a lot of talking (e.g., Plinko, Jenga, Snakes and Ladders). Stay in character and keep the conflict and tension in the scene as you play. If you end the scene before you end the game, just start back from the beginning. Back to backPlay the scene with the actors standing back to back. How does the scene change without eye contact?

The rehearsal process is often exciting and often frustrating. The frustrations are the worst when they have nothing to do with the play itself. What do you do when… The cast doesn’t get alongIt’s inevitable that arguments will break out in your cast. Life gets in the way and it’s natural for fights to occur. First off, is this an issue of minor or major proportions? A tiff that will blow over, or a fight that is going to spill over onto the stage? Talk to each party individually. If you talk to them together, you may not get to the truth of the matter. Ask them how they feel about the production — can they put the play above their fight? If not, put the ball in their court. Give them a timeline for change and what will happen if the situation doesn’t change. Then stick to it. The actors don’t remember their linesStart working on the problem right away. Find out how those having trouble learn. Do they learn by repetition? Do they learn by writing out their lines? Listening to a recorded version of their lines? Taking the lines out of context? Everyone learns differently, so let them do so in their own manner. Set an early deadline for getting off-book. Use outside exercises to prevent the actors from falling into a lull as they learn. Don’t encourage paraphrasing — the playwright spent a lot of time on those words. Reward those who remember their lines word for word. The cast doesn’t get along with meThis requires a group talk. No whining. Address the situation, allow everyone to voice their opinion one by one, and then address the future. It could be that the cast is grumpy about the parts they’ve been given, or they don’t like the play, or you direct differently than their previous teacher, or life in general is getting them down. All of the above usually just needs to be aired out in the open to be solved. There’s no need to give out ultimatums about shutting the play down just yet. The cast won’t listen to meI hear this one quite a bit from student directors. There is sometimes a sense among the cast that if they are being directed by one of their peers, why should they listen? This requires a group talk. In the conversation, always bring it back to the play. Is the play important to them? If not, why are they involved? How will they feel if they perform an under-rehearsed play? How would they feel if they worked together? Maybe you’ll find out that you haven’t been clear about what you want for the play, or in how you direct the actors, and there’s a real reason the cast isn’t listening. The door swings both ways, so don’t rule out that you may be the problem. Air your own grievances, too. Tell the cast how much the play means to you and how upsetting it is that the project isn’t coming together. You might want to walk out or cancel rehearsal. This is for extreme circumstances only. Do not make it a habit. I don’t like the set design or costumesTalk to the designer. Reiterate your vision. There has to be a concrete reason why you don’t like it, in direct reference to the play. Make it a conversation, not an accusation. If the designer can concretely express their feelings about their work, you should listen to them. Negotiate, don’t dictate. Cast members are late for rehearsalIf you’ve clearly stated in your written expectations that lateness will not be tolerated, then you have to deal with the issue right away. Leave it, and everyone will see that you’re not serious about the rules and other problems may creep in. Have a clear outline for what happens after the first, second, and third late entrance. Do you have a five-minute grace period? Do you allow written notes explaining lateness? Do you have a strict no-lateness policy, where the late actor is not allowed in the rehearsal hall? Know what the consequences are and stick to them. Cast members are missing rehearsalsLife gets in the way, obligations arise, people are forgetful. But if you have clearly stated in your written expectations that they’ve signed that missing rehearsals is unacceptable, deal with the issue right away. Have a clear outline for what happens after the first, second, and third missed rehearsal. Do you allow written notes? Do you have a strict no-missed-rehearsal policy? Know what the consequences are and stick to them. The dress rehearsal is awfulThere’s a reason people say, “Bad rehearsal, good opening.” Bad dress rehearsals happen all the time! You can tell right away when the cast knows a run went poorly, so do you need to hammer it home? Sometimes it’s better to not say anything. Problems are going to occur in every rehearsal process. Clear communication is often the way to solve those problems. Reflect on issues you’ve had in past rehearsals and how you responded to them. What did you do?

One of the biggest predictors of a student’s success in the drama classroom and their school productions is whether or not they’re putting in the work on their own outside of the in-school rehearsal time. Whether they like it or not, students cannot expect to only practice during rehearsals and be any good. They have to practice on their own, outside of rehearsals, or they just won’t get it. It is so evident to teachers and artistic staff which students have been putting in the work and which ones are just skimming by. Students who rehearse on their own are more calm and confident, make stronger acting choices, and are less stressed. It’s not easy to balance school, rehearsals, and life outside of the theatre, but it’s necessary for students who want to give their best performances. However, some students don’t know how to rehearse on their own. They might read over their lines at home but not know what else to do. Here are some tips you can share with your students to help them make the most of their out-of-rehearsal practice time. 1. Get specific.In our last article, Teaching Students How to Rehearse in the Drama Classroom, we talked about giving students a specific focus to help them use their class time more efficiently. You can also use this to help students rehearse on their own time. At the end of each rehearsal, tell your students what you’d like them to focus on between then and your next rehearsal. You might ask students to get fully off-book for a certain scene, review a dance at least five times, or complete a character profile. Be as specific as possible. Maybe they need to work on projecting their voices and you’d like them to practice this for a minimum of 20 minutes a day between now and the next rehearsal. This will give students a better idea of your expectations of them and their commitment to the project. 2. Schedule practice time.In Theatrical Time Management for Students, we talk about students using their planner to write down all their commitments, as well as scheduling time for homework, chores, and social events. While they’re at it, have them schedule at-home practice time as well. Specifically allotting time to practice helps students to plan ahead, and makes that time a commitment rather than just a nice idea. 3. When they’re not called to rehearsal… they’re still called.A good director will treat students’ time with respect and only call them to rehearsal when they’re needed. But since that time is already meant to be booked in students’ schedules for rehearsals, if they’re not called, encourage them to use that time to rehearse and review on their own. It may motivate students if they consider that not practicing on their own during rehearsals that they aren’t called to actually causes them to lose rehearsal time. 4. When possible, have additional resources available.Encourage students to make choreography videos or harmony recordings, if you don’t already. If there are resources you’ve used for your own research, you might encourage your students to examine them too. (For example, when I was directing Disney’s Descendants: The Musical, I borrowed the Descendants graphic novels from the library and let my students read them during breaks.) You may also want to have students fill out an out-of-rehearsal practice log (download our example below). It gives space for students to write down the dates they rehearsed, what they rehearsed, how long they rehearsed for, and any successes, challenges, thoughts, or questions that arose during their work. If availability and supervision allows, you might also consider booking an empty classroom for students to rehearse. Some students may find it difficult to rehearse at home for various reasons. 5. Check in with your students.Use the following questions to check in with your students, either at the beginning or end of rehearsal, or as written reflections or journal prompts: • Do you think you rehearse enough outside of rehearsal time? Why or why not? • Rate your “outside of rehearsal” time from 1 to 5, 1 being no rehearsal at all and 5 being daily rehearsal. Was it better or worse than last week? Why? • Why is it important to rehearse outside of rehearsal time? • Why can actors not just rehearse during rehearsal time and be good? Additional Resources: • 5 Ways for Students to Practice Outside of Rehearsal • Practice How You’d Like to Perform • 9 Techniques for Students to Memorize Their Lines

Picture this scenario: You’re in drama class with your students. They’ve been divided into small groups, each group has a scene to work on, and you’ve given them the instructions: “You have x number of minutes to rehearse your scene.” The first few minutes are smooth sailing, but then everything starts to unravel. The students are standing around, giggling and gossiping, goofing off, or staring off into space — anything but rehearsing. So frustrating! This is common with young, inexperienced students, but even senior students are sometimes guilty of speeding through their rehearsal and claiming their scene is perfect, but then when they present their work, it’s less than stellar. You know they can do better work. But they may not have been taught how to rehearse in the classroom. Simply reviewing the lines or repeating the blocking over and over isn’t helpful — it just puts the unpolished work into the students’ muscle memory. Here are three techniques to help students make the most of their rehearsal time in the classroom — you might think of them as the 3 Fs of classroom rehearsals: 1) Give students a specific focus for the rehearsal.If you have multiple rehearsals planned for the scenes you’re working on, have students focus on a specific acting technique during each class session. Let’s say that students have four rehearsal sessions, starting on Monday, with presentations on Friday. Students could first focus on scene and character analysis and subtext on Monday; then staging basics (such as cheating out and avoiding upstaging their scene partners) on Tuesday; volume, diction, and vocal inflections on Wednesday; character physicality on Thursday; and then present their scenes on Friday. This helps students narrow down what they’re working on and use their time more effectively each day. Feel free to re-order, add, or omit the techniques you focus on depending on your students’ needs. 2) Create a fixed focus schedule for the rehearsal time.If your students are rehearsing and presenting on the same day, you can use a similar technique to the one above, just on a fixed, hyper-focused schedule. Let’s say your students have 30 minutes to rehearse before presentations start. Using the techniques in the previous section, create a schedule for the 30 minutes. For example: 5 minutes for analysis, 5 minutes for staging basics, 5 minutes for vocal work, 5 minutes for physicality, and 10 minutes to review and practice. Post the schedule with time increments in a visible place, and use a timer or ring a bell when it’s time for groups to switch their focus. 3) Have a student act as director and give feedback to the group.An opportunity for interested students is to have them act as the group’s director and offer feedback as they work. Rather than participate as an actor, the student director will help the rest of the group stage the scene and give them feedback to help refine it. It’s helpful to have one student on the outside anyway, as they’re better able to see what’s going on and help the rest of the group polish the scene than if it’s self-staged by the group. They can also be responsible for keeping the rest of the group members on task. Having a group director gives students the opportunity to practice leadership and following directions, listening to each other, and giving and receiving effective feedback.

Rehearsing for your school production is hard work. There is an abundance of decisions to be made, students to manage, and schedules to maintain. It can be overwhelming to even the most organized teachers. It can lead to burnout with feelings of frustration, resentment, and exhaustion. If it’s not dealt with in a timely manner, it can even make you sick. Students get burnt out too, which will manifest as a lack of energy or reduced focus in rehearsals, and a general feeling of dissatisfaction. If you or your students (or both) are dealing with rehearsal burnout, try the following four tips to help ease these feelings: 1. Mix it up. You’ve been hard at work blocking, running and reviewing, but things are getting stagnant. Your students look like they’d rather be anywhere but in the rehearsal space. If rehearsals are dragging or blending together, try doing something different for one rehearsal. Try rehearsing “backwards”or go back to basics and work on volume, diction, enunciation, and posture. You could have your students do different character analysis work, such as figuring out what their character wants or thinking of their characters as animals. You won’t do this at every rehearsal, but running a rehearsal or two a little differently than usual can help break up the monotony. You can get back to your usual methods later. 2. Switch leaders. If possible, get someone else to lead a rehearsal for you. Your students will benefit from the new perspective, and you will get a break. If you are directing a musical, have your choreographer or musical director lead rehearsal. Perhaps you can have a vocal or dance bootcamp day on which students review and polish songs and dances. Getting rehearsal coverage can be a bit more difficult if you are directing a play by yourself, but there are still some possibilities. If you have a student director, let them lead rehearsal (you still will need to be in the room for supervision if the student director is underage, but let the student director be in charge). Perhaps you could get a drama teacher friend or theatrical colleague to come in and act as a play polisher. Or perhaps a local theatrical professional could come in and teach a masterclass to your students. On that note… 3. Create a connection. If your play has a theme, perhaps you can arrange for an expert in that area to come in and speak to your students about it, or lead a related workshop. For example, a colleague of mine who directed Sunday in the Park with George had a professional artist come in and teach the students about pointillism, the technique used by the artist Georges Seurat. The students also got to create a small painting using that technique. For a production of Chariots of Fire at the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario, the actors received training from professional running coaches at Western University. How can you create a similar connection for your show? 4. Take a break. This may sound crazy, but if you are burnt out, sometimes the best thing you can do is take a true break and cancel a rehearsal. It can be beneficial to everyone involved in the show to take some time away, reset themselves, and come back refreshed. This is one reason why it’s a good idea to include a few TBA/TBD rehearsals in your schedule. Most of the time you’ll use those rehearsals to work on something that needs extra time or review, but if what everyone needs is a break, then cancelling a rehearsal is not wasted time.