Rehearsal

Warm-ups are vital for the rehearsal process, to get students’ bodies and minds ready to work. They should include three parts – physical, vocal, and mental. Some students will resist warming up, believing that it’s a waste of time. One of the best ways to get students committed to warming up is to make it fun, and to hand ownership of the warm-up process to your students. As much as possible, include your students in the creation and execution of warm-ups. Among the benefits are increased buy-in and various leadership opportunities, as well as one less thing for you to do! PhysicalThe physical warm-up gets students’ bodies ready for the rehearsal. It helps keep their stamina up while avoiding injuries and strained muscles. It doesn’t matter if the show is a musical or a play – a physical warm-up should be included. I usually allow students to talk quietly during the physical warm-up, as long as they keep moving, so they can get the chattiness out of their systems. However, feel free to take away that privilege if talking gets in the way of the warm-up. • Choose an up-tempo song and dance it out. Have each student sign up for a rehearsal date when they will choose the song and/or lead the warm-up dance. (I always have my students choose two or three songs and submit them for approval a couple days prior to rehearsal, so I can ensure the content is appropriate.) • Alternatively, if students aren’t comfortable dancing or leading a dance, they can do a cardio warm-up such as jumping jacks, jogging in place or in large circles around the room, grapevines, step-hop-claps, and so on. • Next is stretching. The easiest way to ensure each body part is covered is to start from the head/neck and work your way down. It’s important to stretch AFTER the dance party/cardio, so students aren’t trying to stretch cold muscles. • You can also try these fun and physical warm-ups – Shakedown and Numbered Bodies are especially good to get your students moving. VocalIt’s easy to strain your vocal chords, so unless you’re doing a mime show, a vocal warm-up is a necessity. We’ve covered lots of different vocal warm-ups in this post – check out the Vocal Technique & Clarity section in particular. Tongue-twisters, breathing exercises, and precise unison speaking are all good warm-ups to use with your students. Here’s another simple vocal warm-up. As a group, stand in a circle. Have your students breathe in and out as a group a few times to focus and sync themselves together. In unison, students will recite the following sounds out loud: • Me, May, Mah, Mo, Moo (inhale), Tee, Tay, Tah, Tow, Too (inhale), See, Say, Sah, So, Su (inhale), Vee, Vay, Vah, Vo, Voo (inhale)… and so on with whatever consonant sounds you like. Give them the next consonant sound during the inhale. Or, try this one: • Zing zing zaaaah (inhale), Ring ring raaaah (inhale), Ting ting taaaah (inhale), Sing sing saaaah (inhale)… and again, add whatever consonant sounds you like. For a bigger challenge or to save time, try combining your physical and vocal warm-ups. Have your students recite tongue-twisters while they’re stretching, or do the consonant exercises above while jogging in place. Keep the pace slow and steady so students don’t get winded! MentalYour students are likely busy people, with a lot on their minds. Helping students mentally prepare themselves during warm-ups can help them leave their worries and anxieties outside the rehearsal space and focus on the work at hand. It gives them time to calm their active brains and get into a rehearsal mindset. Yoga or tai chi-style movements, mindfulness exercises, journaling, and visualization exercises are all great ways to help students calm their minds and get focused. You can also try one of my favourite relaxation and focus exercises, the Mindful Triangle Exercise, with your students. It’s a great way for them to calm and centre themselves before rehearsals.

We all have grand plans when we’re directing shows. We want our students to engage with the material and rise to the challenges presented. We want our shows to look spectacular. However, in the theatre, as in life, sometimes things don’t go the way we want them to. Teachers often must adjust their expectations during the rehearsal process. It’s not easy, but here are some tips that can help. Be willing to be flexible.Sometimes you must adjust your expectations because things aren’t going well. For example, imagine that you’re directing a musical, and your students are having a difficult time with the choreography in a particular number. What can you do in this situation? You might: • Offer extra rehearsal time for students to come in and practice • Take some students who are struggling out of the dance • Move the stronger dancers to the front of the group • Ask the choreographer to adjust the moves to make the dance easier • Make a recording of the choreography for students to practice at home • Make the number shorter • Cut the dance section out You’ll need to consider students’ feelings when you make your decision – will the change affect morale? Will it make students feel relieved, or like they’re being punished? It’s important to consider each situation individually and communicate your thoughts with your students, as well as your artistic team. Your students may be relieved to hear that a difficult dance number has been cut from the show, but your choreographer likely will not be happy that all that hard work was tossed out. Figure out the root cause of the problem.It’s frustrating when your students appear to not care about rehearsals or the show. It’s easy to write them off as unfocused, unengaged, or immature if they are not delivering the results you had hoped for in rehearsal. If this happens, try to take a step back and figure out the underlying cause of the problem. Are they overloaded with homework? Is something going on at home that is bothering them? Do they not understand the text? Are they having trouble with the choreography, but too embarrassed to ask for help? Don’t assume that they don’t care or aren’t trying hard enough. Also, consider your students individually. Is one student bringing down the rest of the group, or is it truly the full group that is having issues? Communicate clearly with everyone.Talk to your students. Talk to your team members. Talk to your volunteers. Check in with everyone and find out what’s going on with them. If possible, take five minutes at the beginning of rehearsal and let them express their concerns or frustrations. Alternatively, let your team members know that they can pull you aside after rehearsal, send you a note, or email you with any issues they might have. Clear communication can solve many problems before they arise. Pick your battles.Imagine you’re directing a big show like The Wizard of Oz, with a huge ensemble of munchkins, Emerald citizens, jitterbugs, apple trees, optimistic voices, and so on, on top of all the named characters. Some elements of the show are non-negotiable. Does Dorothy need a pair of ruby slippers, and does she need to be able to sing “Over the Rainbow” like a champ? Absolutely. Does every Emerald citizen need to be in head-to-toe green, or can they get away with green tops and black bottoms? Do the jitterbugs have to be able to tap dance, or can they do a less specific style of dance? Does it matter if some of the Munchkins are taller than Dorothy? Do you want a real dog to play Toto, or will you use a prop? Or cast a student to play the role? Decide which elements of the show are non-negotiable, and which elements have some flexibility. Express to your students your expectations and non-negotiables for the show as clearly as you can. Find out what their expectations are. See if they are on the same page as you. Also, try asking students for their input. Sometimes they’ll have great ideas — use them! Your students will rise to your expectations when they feel like their ideas are appreciated and useful. The process will feel collaborative, rather than like a dictatorship. Working on a show with your students is a balancing act. As the teacher and director, you need to be sympathetic to your students, but avoid letting them off the hook. You need to challenge your students without pushing them beyond their capabilities. You need to have a clear vision, while being open to change. And ultimately, the process needs to be fun – otherwise, what’s the point?

Creating an effective rehearsal schedule is a crucial part of a school production’s success. There are many important rehearsals to allot time for, including this one: the off-book rehearsal. What is the off-book rehearsal?This is the rehearsal for which actors must have all lines (and lyrics, in the case of a musical) completely memorized. Sounds simple enough. Why is an official off-book rehearsal so important?First and foremost, students need a hard deadline to have their lines memorized. Students are busy and it’s easy to procrastinate on learning lines. The off-book day gives them a chance to see how many of their lines they actually know and how much of their blocking they’re able to retain while performing their lines (“Wait, where do I exit again?”). When it comes down to it, memorization of lines is only the tip of the iceberg with acting. If students are struggling to remember their words, they can’t focus on every other aspect of acting – characterization, subtext, physicality and movement, connecting with fellow actors, volume and diction, and so on. The off-book day also provides an opportunity to measure your students’ commitment. A show is only as strong as the weakest performer in it, and a student who hasn’t fully memorized their lines by off-book day is wasting everyone’s time. It’s disrespectful to others who have taken the time to learn their lines, and causes stress for everyone. However, off-book day isn’t just for students – it’s important for teachers as well, as it gives us a deadline to have all the scenes blocked. In addition to providing a hard deadline for students to be fully memorized, the goal of off-book day is to do a full “stumble-through” of the show from top to bottom. This is your reality check rehearsal. It gives everyone – teachers and students alike – the opportunity to see how much of the show is actually complete, and identify any parts that need adjusting or fixing or have been missed or forgotten altogether. Therefore, determining when to schedule your off-book day is of utmost importance. When should you schedule the off-book rehearsal?Some directors follow the rule that once a scene is blocked, students must be off-book for that scene by the next rehearsal. The thought is that students should have an easier time memorizing small chunks of the script throughout the rehearsal process, rather than trying to cram all their lines into their brains at a later date. Whether or not that actually happens is up to the student! When I’m directing a show, I schedule the off-book rehearsal to be two-thirds of the way through the rehearsal process. To do this, make a list of all your rehearsals, or plot them onto a calendar, and count back from technical rehearsal. (I don’t count tech and dress rehearsals as part of the rehearsal dates – if students aren’t off-book by technical rehearsal, that’s a big problem!) For example, if you have 24 rehearsals, you’d make the 16th one off-book day. You may want to adjust the date a little bit, depending on your knowledge of your students. For example, is it more realistic for your students to be off-book for the last rehearsal before winter break, or for the first rehearsal back from a long weekend? You know your students best, so adjust accordingly – one or two days earlier or later isn’t a deal-breaker. However, I’ve found the two-thirds mark to be a “sweet spot” for scheduling the off-book day. It’s not so early in the rehearsal process that it’s unrealistic for students to be fully memorized, but it’s not so late that it causes panic before tech and dress rehearsals, and there is still time to tie up loose ends, such as scenes that need adjusting or transitions that were missed. I also clearly indicate when off-book day will be during the first rehearsal, when I am going over important dates with my students. I put it right on the rehearsal schedule so nobody can claim they didn’t know, or that I didn’t tell them when it was. No excuses! Clearly indicating the off-book rehearsal on the schedule creates accountability for everyone involved in the production. Having that clear deadline will reduce stress and make the rehearsal process smoother.

Mention “smartphones” or “cell phones” in front of drama teachers and most will immediately grimace or roll their eyes. Phones can be the bane of any teacher’s existence – it seems like students these days have their phones surgically attached to their hands and are in a perpetual state of scrolling, scrolling, scrolling. But let’s try reframing our thoughts on smartphones and discuss how they can be used in a beneficial manner. Here are six ideas for practical uses for smartphones in rehearsal: 1. Go green and use e-scripts instead of paper scripts.It’s not overly common yet but some show licensing companies offer the option to purchase e-copies of their scripts instead of paper copies. This is great for saving paper and saving on shipping costs, but it can be challenging to highlight lines or make notes directly on the script. However, having e-copies of the script certainly saves everyone from the excuse of “I forgot/lost my script!” 2. Students can listen to the score and rehearse on their own.For musicals, many licensing companies provide both vocal recordings and backing tracks as part of their performance rights packages, often on an app that can be downloaded onto a phone, laptop, or tablet. These tracks are usually specially made to expire after the show run is complete, to reduce the opportunity for piracy. Depending on your licensing rights, students may be able to download the tracks on their phones and rehearse on their own. In rehearsal, they can bring headphones and listen to the music when they are not currently working onstage. 3. Watch rehearsal videos.I frequently make rehearsal videos for dance or stage combat choreography and upload them to Google Drive, YouTube or Vimeo so students can watch and practice on their own time or when they’re not onstage during rehearsal. You can also record scenes or full runs of the show for students to watch back critically, looking for tics or bad habits like slouching, mumbling, playing with their hair, or not focusing on the action. Explain to your students that this is for rehearsal purposes only and delete these videos after students have watched them. Publishers do not allow show recordings. 4. Create a mood board on Pinterest for design inspiration.I make mood boards for every show I’m working on to collect inspirational images and get ideas for design points, particularly sets and costumes. You can add contributors to a public Pinterest board, so share your inspiration board with your students and encourage them to contribute images as well. You may also wish to have students create their own personal mood boards to get an idea of their interpretations of their characters. 5. Take behind-the-scenes publicity material.I love having students help with publicity for their shows. It shows their engagement and passion for the show, and gives a different point of view to audiences. Be sure to have a discussion with your students about what is appropriate and inappropriate to share, as well as what constitutes a “spoiler.” You want to create excitement for the show, but you also don’t want to give away too much too fast! Instagram takeovers and/or Facebook Live events can be a fun way to get students involved. Just be sure to change the passwords to those accounts if you have different students taking charge of them at different times. *6. Use a voice-recording app to have students review their lines. *Like with video, students can use a voice-recording app to record themselves speaking and listen for line errors, “ums” and “ahhs”, stumbles, volume and diction issues. Students can also use their voice-recording app to create a line-rehearsing tool. Have students record themselves (or their scene partners) saying their cue lines and leave spaces in between for their actual lines. Then, have students play the recording and recite their lines aloud along with it. A final note: If you are finding that smartphones are more of a distraction than a useful tool, then of course it is fine to ban them from rehearsals. Smartphones are a privilege, not a right. (For students who claim they need their phone in case a parent is trying to get a hold of them, that’s what the school’s phone number is for.) Use your discretion and remind students that if their phones distract them, they will not be permitted to use them in rehearsal. If necessary, create a phone contract with your students that clearly states the rules of smartphone use in rehearsals/performances and the consequences for misuse. Students will sign them and the stage manager will keep them on file for the duration of the rehearsal process and production schedule. A simple smartphone contract template download is included at the bottom of this article.

Here’s a warm-up game you can try at your next rehearsal: Switching Roles. Students will use an improv game to take on a different part in the play you’re currently working on. It’s a simple enough premise: using the framework of an improvisation game, such as Scenes from a Bag or What’s for Breakfast?, students will improv in character, but as a character they don’t normally play. For example, if you’re currently working on Hamlet, the student who plays Claudius will do their improv in character as Ophelia, one of the Players, the Ghost, Osric, or whichever other character is chosen for them. In terms of determining how the role switches will occur, you have a number of options available: • Assign each student a different role • Let students choose what role they wish to try out • Make it random by drawing a role out of a hat • Partner students up and have them switch roles (either student-selected or teacher-selected partners) Trading roles with an assigned partner is probably the easiest method, as it ensures no roles get overlooked. If possible, try to have students with leading or named roles switch with students in ensemble or chorus roles for a more equal-opportunity experience. Switching roles in a warm-up exercise gives students the chance to explore how they might approach a role in a different manner to the student actually cast in that role. Are they able to switch from the mindset and physicality of their current character to those of a different character? How would they differentiate their performance from the student currently playing the role? On the other hand, what needs to be kept the same? In other words, how can students ensure that it’s clear they’re playing the same role, but keep it interesting and fresh? The exercise also gives students the opportunity to get to know other characters in the show on a deeper level. Many students get so wrapped up in their own character that they don’t think about other characters, unless the other character directly interacts with theirs. They don’t think about how other characters move, think, feel, or interact with other characters – or how their fellow castmates got to that point. This exercise helps students develop a better understanding of and a deeper connection with more than just their own character, which then leads to a better understanding and deeper connection with the show as a whole. Having your students try switching roles is also beneficial for you as a director. It may inspire interesting new acting approaches and theatrical moments that could be adapted or included in the show. It may also give you some insight into future casting options for upcoming shows. Who knew that Ben was great at playing a villain, or that Casey could do that incredibly funny laugh? There are a few challenges with this exercise, however. First, role switches need to be respectful. Students need to ensure they aren’t trying to parody or make fun of the current student’s performance in that role. Second, role switches need to be non-competitive. Students should not attempt to compete with the current casting and try and prove that they should have gotten the role over the current student playing the role. Third, role switches need to be kept in the warm-up and then left behind – meaning, the student currently playing the role should not try to alter their own performance to imitate what another student has done. They were cast into that role for a reason, and need to make sure that another student’s approach doesn’t affect them negatively. This is why it’s important to do improvisations for this activity, rather than actual scenes from the show. This minimizes the chances that students’ feelings will get hurt, as well as reduces comparison and gossip opportunities (“Casey performed that character way better than Ben does; I can’t believe they didn’t get the role in the first place”). Additionally, be sure that this exercise does not affect YOUR perspective of the roles. Avoid directly comparing students’ performances. For example, at your next blocking or notes session, don’t tell Ben to laugh just like Casey did while playing this game. As stated above, Ben and Casey were cast into their roles for a reason. Don’t second-guess your original casting choices. Keep it lighthearted and brief. Remember, this is meant to be a warm-up game – make it fun, and then move forward in your rehearsal!

It’s a common occurrence when rehearsing a production that the cast and crew will eventually practice running the whole show from the beginning to the end. This way, students will see how all the scenes flow together in the correct order, while working on their endurance and stamina to get through the full length of the production. However, it’s also a common occurrence for teachers to stop part way through the rehearsal (often more than once) to “fix” something, or to take time in between acts to give notes. They then run out of rehearsal time and never finish running the full show. “Oh well,” we tell ourselves, “We’ll just pick up where we left off at the next rehearsal.” Sometimes we do… and sometimes we don’t. Students also frequently practice their lines by reading and reviewing from the start of the script to the end. This is natural, as it’s how people read books. However, it’s easy for students to get bored, hungry, tired, or distracted during script review and either start skimming their lines, or stop reviewing their lines entirely before getting to the end of the script. This means that the lines at the start of the show tend to be really strong, and by the end they are, well, less strong. These two factors add up to what I call the “second act slump.” Act 1 is fantastic and flows smoothly, and Act 2 tends to be a bit shakier and less confident. So, how do we avoid the second act slump? Try mixing things up and rehearsing backwards. No, it doesn’t mean having your students say their lines in reverse; however, that might make a great warm-up game! (Let us know if you try it.) At your next rehearsal, take your script and identify the last scene or beat. (Beats are divisions in the play by subject/topic/emotion, or when a character enters/exits. Beats are good for dividing long scenes up into smaller chunks.) Have your students run that scene or beat until the end of the show. Give notes or make adjustments as necessary. Go back to the second last scene or beat, and run that section until the end of the show. This will include the final scene/beat you just rehearsed. Then, go back to the third last scene or beat, and run that section until the end of the show. Repeat until you run out of rehearsal time or your students go crazy from repetition. This is a useful exercise for a number of reasons. As it’s a deviation from your regular rehearsal process, it will keep your students’ brains focused by keeping them on their toes, and ensure that they know their cues. It’s good for drilling lines, as well as music and choreography as applicable. It’s also useful for giving notes and feedback immediately after a smaller chunk of scene work. Students are then able to apply the notes right then and there while they are fresh in their minds. And when all else fails, it mixes up the regular rehearsal scheme and is good for a laugh! At the end of rehearsal, have a short debrief with your students and discuss how this technique mixes up the usual method of rehearsing. Ask how your students felt about the process. Did they find it an effective use of time? Did it help them to feel more confident about the end of the show? Do they have any suggestions for other methods of mixing up rehearsals? Alternatively, you can use the rehearsal reflection below for students to write about in their rehearsal journals individually.

Have you ever stopped to consider your expectations of drama class compared to your expectations during show rehearsals? It’s interesting and useful to compare the two. Do you notice yourself being more strict in the classroom and more flexible during rehearsals, or vice versa? Are your classroom policies the same for an extracurricular production? Are your students aware of the possible differences in expectations? Clear communication about your expectations of your students in the drama classroom and in rehearsals is important, both so your time and efforts are respected by your students, and so your students feel that their time and efforts are respected by you. This creates a safe and positive environment for exploration, creativity, and fun, while achieving your goals at the same time. Behavioural Expectations:A respectful, positive attitude is the norm for both the drama classroom and rehearsals. In both cases, a clear explanation of your expectations for your students’ behaviour should be made available in written format (either digitally or in a written handout), or posted someplace where it is easy to see. That way, the expectations are easy to refer to, if/when it is necessary. If there are any differences in behavioural expectations between the classroom and rehearsal, you’ll need to explain the reason for the difference. For example, you may decide that in rehearsal, cell phones are permitted when students are not onstage, or that students may work in the hallway when they aren’t in the scene, while during class, cell phones must be put away and students must stay in the classroom at all times. Be clear about why the two situations are different so everyone is on the same page. Be aware of “unwritten” behavioural expectations as well. For example, it is not uncommon for students to become close to their teacher/director while working on a play with them, and come up with a nickname for that teacher, or even refer to the teacher by his or her first name during rehearsals. In this case, you may have to remind that student that they must refer to you as Mr./Mrs./Ms. _____ during class time. Again, be sure to explain why. Attendance & Lateness:Attendance and lateness policies should be basically the same for class as they are for rehearsal: be there, be on time, be ready to work. For rehearsals, however, students need to be made aware that schedules are generally made well in advance and if they are not there, it wastes everyone’s time because their scene partner is missing. In the drama classroom, it would depend on the topic being studied and if scene partners/groups were assigned for that particular day, or if the assignment is more individually focused. Students are still responsible for getting themselves caught up, either way. Consider your school’s policies in terms of consequences for frequent lateness or absences. Is it a three-strike policy? When does the vice principal or principal get involved? Are the same policies applicable for extracurricular activities, or are they different? For example, your rehearsal attendance policy might be if students miss rehearsal three times without explanation, they may be removed from scenes or from the show entirely. Conversely, you may not be able to remove a student from your drama class for frequent absences. Just as students receive notice of attendance and lateness policies from the school, give copies of your attendance and lateness expectations for rehearsal to your students at the beginning of the rehearsal period. You might even want to have copies of it available during auditions. If necessary, go over these expectations as a group, so each student is clear on your expectations and the possible consequences of missing rehearsal. Stakes & Goals:In a classroom setting, the stakes are much more individually focused. Students are focused on their own learning, their own grades, and their own performances. While there may be group work involved, ultimately their responsibility is their own performance. Conversely, in a rehearsal setting, while students will certainly want to improve their own personal dramatic skills, they also must focus on the success of the show as a whole. This means that they not only have to focus on their own work within the production, but the work of each and every cast and crew member, and see how each person’s contribution fits together to create the world of the show. Do your students’ expectations coincide with your own? Are your students clear about what exactly the expectations of them are for participating in drama class and/or the production? Their expectations may be vastly different than those above. Use the worksheet included below to help your students clarify their classroom/production expectations. You may even wish to fill it out yourself. You can then read over their thoughts and ideas and see how they compare to yours. If you notice any common threads, or if your students’ expectations do not match yours, this will give you a great jumping off point for classroom discussions. Your students’ responses may even make you reconsider your previous expectations. Either way, clear communication will only benefit your classroom and/or production experience in the long run.

Countless hours are spent in rehearsal: learning, reviewing, and practicing material. Let’s focus on the first aspect: learning. At the beginning of the rehearsal process, everything is new. From the content of the play to insights about the character, students discover new and exciting things during each rehearsal. Then, near the end of the rehearsal process, all sorts of other new aspects pop up: props and costumes; working with sets, lights, sound effects, and music; making discoveries and changes when students are actually on the stage instead of in a rehearsal room. But what about the period in the middle of the rehearsal process? That’s where things tend to get a little blurry – students are still learning their blocking and developing their characters, but the newness of the show has worn off and opening night seems far away. How can we keep our students on track and keep them moving forward in a positive way?When approaching a scene, directors often focus on what has changed from the beginning of the scene to the end of the scene. What happened? What new information have the characters learned? What is different? This pushes the action forward. We can take that similar thought process and apply it to the actual practical work that is being done in rehearsals. Encourage students to continue to focus on “newness.” Your students’ goal at every rehearsal should be to come away with something new, something different, or something that has evolved or changed. Thinking about what has changed at each rehearsal helps students to heighten their awareness of what’s going on around them. It encourages them to keep a curious and open mind when approaching their rehearsal work. This could be artistic or theatrical – something related to their character, or something they have discovered about the show in general. Or it could be practical, such as a new rehearsal technique, or a new theatrical skill that they’ve learned that will benefit them in future rehearsals. Focusing on what has changed can be challenging, because it’s going much deeper into self-reflection. This takes courage. Acknowledging what has changed since their last rehearsal forces students to take responsibility for their own learning and development. Students must look honestly at their rehearsal habits and effort given to figure out what they’ve learned and what has changed. If they feel that they aren’t growing and changing, then why is this not happening? What has changed is going to be different from student to student, and will have different effects on each student. Learning a new piece of choreography may be no big deal to one student, but to another student it may be a huge success. Not all changes are going to be big ones, but students should not discredit or judge what they learned. (Oftentimes, a series of small learned lessons grows into a big breakthrough!) It’s also important for students to acknowledge their failures as well as their successes. If they had a bad rehearsal, what did they learn from it? How can that negative experience be turned into a positive, or at least be used to increase the potential for success in a future rehearsal? Use the Reflection questions below to help students think about the work they’ve done in each rehearsal. Have students keep a rehearsal journal and take five minutes at the end of each session to jot down some notes about what happened at rehearsal and what has changed. This will be a great tool for them to look back on at the end of the theatrical process and see how far they have come in their learning.

Everyone is familiar with the term “practice makes perfect,” right? But in the theatre, there’s really no such thing as a perfect performance, and there is especially no such thing as a perfect rehearsal. There is always something to “fix” or adjust. Students can get hung up on perfection, but so can teachers, directors, choreographers, and musical directors. It gets really easy to nitpick and point out every flaw, particularly during note sessions. Perhaps that’s why students often tune out during notes – it can be disheartening and frustrating to give all your energy and push yourself onstage, only to hear afterwards all the things that were wrong about it. And, of course, we all want to have an excellent final production… But zoom in on the word “excellent” here – “excellent” is completely different from perfect. A perfect final production, like a perfect rehearsal, does not exist. An excellent rehearsal or show is attainable. Excellence is going to be different from rehearsal to rehearsal, show to show, and student to student, but aiming for excellence is much less daunting than aiming for perfection. And students can achieve excellence by reframing their thought process towards rehearsal – focusing on practice making progress, instead of trying to achieve perfection. This doesn’t mean students can be lazy or rest on their laurels though. Go back to the first word of the phrase we’re talking about here: practice! Just showing up to rehearsals and going through the motions does not achieve excellence. Students must aim to improve and move forward at every rehearsal. Otherwise, they won’t make progress. So how do students make progress and aim for excellence? It has nothing to do with talent or skill. It does have everything to do with good rehearsal habits. Go back to the basics of rehearsal etiquette and help students put them into practice: • Look at your rehearsal schedule ahead of time to see what you’ll be working on that day, and review the material in advance. • Show up to rehearsal a few minutes early with all your materials (script, score, pencil, etc.) and already changed into appropriate rehearsal clothing and footwear. • Turn off your phones and put them away. • Keep chatter to a minimum. • Keep a pencil handy and actually write notes on your script. The physical act of writing helps to cement instructions in your mind. This includes notes on choreography and blocking – don’t depend solely on rehearsal videos! • Put your full physical and mental effort into rehearsing. The degree of effort you’re able to exert may change from rehearsal to rehearsal, but do your best to leave personal issues and worries at the door. Practice the way you want to perform. Don’t “mark” your movements or give a half effort. Show you care. • Listen carefully during note sessions, not just to notes directly given to you but to the notes for others as well. These notes are full of useful advice that you may be able to use for your performance. And at least they will give you a fuller idea of what your director wants the show to be. • Take the time to review your work and practice outside of rehearsals. Practicing only during scheduled rehearsal time will get you only part of the way. Remembering these basics and putting them into practice during daily rehearsals will guarantee that students will make progress. And that progress will inevitably lead to an excellent performance. Good luck!

Acting is supposed to be real, right? We talk with our students about bringing honesty and realness to the stage when they are performing. With that in mind, however, how often have you heard yourself saying in rehearsal, “More energy!” “Louder!” “Don’t hold back!” “Give me more of that!” “You can go even bigger!” That tends to feel less real and less natural. It can be challenging for students to push themselves outside of their comfort zones when it comes to performing. Some students may not realize what “going bigger” or “not holding back” actually means. They are trying to be natural and act “real” onstage, while the director is telling them to cheat out, project their voices, and add gestures and vocal nuances that feel anything but honest to them. The director is thinking about what the audience can see and hear, which can be hard for students to understand when they’re working in an enclosed drama room. Everyone in this room can see and hear them, right? But it’s entirely different when an audience is present. Alternatively, some students are shy, and/or afraid of looking silly onstage. They hold back (intentionally or not), because they don’t want people to think badly of them or tease them. This limits their performance, and can also affect them technically – they may speak quietly, enunciate poorly, or avoid large or unusual physical movements, gestures, or facial expressions. This can give their performance a flat, limp quality. (For those students, check out this article: You Want Me to Do WHAT Onstage? It has some more useful tips!) Other students lack confidence and feel like they’re already giving everything they can give. This may be due to fear, lack of experience, or doubting their own abilities. If you are struggling to get more out of your student actors, try the following exercise. It encourages people to be ridiculous, over-the-top, and silly. It’s a fun and safe way for students to push themselves further with their acting choices – and it usually ends up bringing them closer to what you want them to actually portray onstage. At your next rehearsal, have students perform a scene as they have been doing it previously. Then have them perform it again, but this time they are “turning up the volume.” This begins with literally being louder. Have students pretend that the audience is wearing earmuffs and sitting miles away from the stage. You might want to sit far away to help them with this. In this exercise, “turning up the volume” also means increasing everything else: • Over-emphasize diction. Make every single word and punctuation mark important. • Increase the emotions. If the character is happy, then in the second pass of the scene, they are absolutely ecstatic. If the character is sad, then they are in the absolute depths of despair. If they are angry, then they are explosively furious. • Make the physicality even bigger. If a student points at someone, in the “turned-up” version, they might rush towards the person, point with a dramatic sweep of their arm, and add a vocalization, such as a gasp or a sigh. If a student wipes away a tear, they may collapse onto a chair in a barrage of sobs and weeping. The result will be ridiculous and clown-like, and that’s the point. Students will feel silly while they’re doing this. But everyone will be being silly together. Encourage this. Challenge students to “out-big” each other. Students really can’t go too big with this exercise. The only limitation is safety. Please ensure that students aren’t doing anything that may hurt themselves or another student – keep pratfalls, stage combat, and any other specifically choreographed movement safe and controlled at all times. After the “volume turned up” pass, point out all the things that happened in the scene that you especially liked or that went well. Make note of any moments or sections that occurred in that pass that you want to take and make “official” in the scene for the actual show. Explain to your students why you liked what you liked. Besides pointing out specific moments, also focus on the overall feeling of the scene – most likely, the second pass had better energy, volume, and diction, as well as a feeling of freedom and bravery. In being allowed to be silly and over the top together, students (hopefully) felt that they weren’t being judged or made fun of. When everyone is bigger together, it makes it a lot easier than having to go big alone. And it proves to students that they have more within themselves to give than they originally thought possible. Rather than being a critique on them holding back, it is a breakthrough moment they can be proud of. Have your students reflect on how they felt in the “volume turned up” pass, either as a post-exercise discussion or a personal reflection.

Theatre is a funny thing, isn’t it? Teachers and students spend hours upon hours rehearsing, exploring, practicing, and reviewing. And that’s not even counting the hours spent working on the show outside of the drama room. Then, for about a week, the culmination of all that work is presented for audiences to experience. And then it’s over – with no real tangible result afterwards. Theatre leaves us with feelings, memories, and a shared experience, but without a physical product or item that you can hold in your hands. Alongside the intangible results of doing theatre, students can overlook the importance of rehearsals. When spread out over a long period of time, rehearsals can blur together and become an abstract concept. You show up, rehearse, go home, and repeat. Students don’t always think about how much time is spent in rehearsals until it’s the week before show week and they’re shocked about how much time has passed and whether or not they actually feel ready to go on. They may feel bogged down or stressed out by the process while also being super-focused on the final product. So how can we help to alleviate this? Are our students really, truly aware of how much time is spent on rehearsing versus performing? Let’s take a closer look. Using your rehearsal schedule, count how many hours are spent rehearsing versus how many hours are spent performing. For example, in a show I recently directed, we rehearsed three times a week, for two and a half to three hours per rehearsal. Totaled up, we did about 112 hours of rehearsal over a four-month period. Then, count up the number of performances you have scheduled. We had six performances, each approximately two hours long, for a total of 12 hours in the theatre in front of an audience. The numbers don’t lie – you can see that approximately 90% of our time together was spent in rehearsal – versus 10% of our time actually performing in front of an audience. Most shows I have worked on follow a similar pattern. Hence, the 90/10 idea. If 90% of the time is being spent in the rehearsal room, then let’s use that time in the best possible way! Work with your students to treat rehearsals as if they were performances. For example, how are students expected to behave during performance time? The emphasis is on focus, efficiency, being quiet backstage, and giving their best effort at all times. How wonderful and efficient would our rehearsals be if that happened each time everyone entered the drama room? There would be less need for constant repetition, more focus on “going deeper” with characters, and much less stress on everyone. By giving their full effort in rehearsal, students are better able to display their abilities, develop their endurance, and show their dedication to the show. By only giving a half effort, they are essentially holding themselves back from their true potential. Sit down with your students and have them figure out the numbers. Let them see for themselves the amount of time that’s spent on rehearsing versus the amount of time that’s spent on performing. Discuss with them: • What is the purpose of rehearsal? Why do we rehearse? • If we spend 90% of our total theatre time rehearsing, how can we best use that time? How can we focus on both efficacy and fun? • Why do you do theatre? Is it just to perform? Or is it for another reason? That 90% of theatre time spent on rehearsing addresses so many student concerns: • How can you grow and improve as a performer? Practice and review during rehearsals, which is entirely dedicated to helping students improve. • How can you get off-book more quickly? Well, you’ll need to do some work by yourself, of course. But you know where else you can work on those lines… That’s right – at rehearsal. • Do you truly love the thrill of performing? Rehearsals are the perfect place to perform on a frequent basis! • Is the show honestly ready for an audience, right this minute? If not, we’d better get rehearsing. Try using the 90/10 idea with your students to re-frame their mindset about rehearsals. Look at the numbers together as solid proof. Making the absolute most out of that majority of theatre time will result in the actual performances being that much better in the long run.

After every run-through of a show, directors will have a notebook or word document packed to the brim with notes – praise, corrections, problems, solutions, changes and adjustments that need to be made. This way the next run-through can be even better. But your students aren’t psychic, so how will you communicate your notes to your students? Here are three methods of communication that you might already use, or that you could try out at your next rehearsal. 1. The Classic: Reading notes out loud right after a run-throughIt’s a classic for a reason: This is the most standard method of communicating notes. After a run-through, students return back to the stage and/or sit in the audience seats, while the director (and musical director and choreographer as appropriate) give notes verbally to the cast and crew. It’s beneficial because everyone is already there and the notes are fresh in the director’s mind. You are also still at the theatre and can do actual physical reviews and fixes right then and there, before everyone leaves. However, it’s not always the most useful method. Students are generally exhausted and/or super-hyper after a run-through, and their focus is not always the best. Students may be more focused on chatting with their friends (particularly after having to be quiet backstage for a long time) and doing their own analysis of what happened during the run-through. This may also just be something I personally need to take more ownership in, but I have found that when my casts are getting into run-throughs, they are less likely to take written notes. Giving notes out loud in a group setting can also lead to students asking questions or giving excuses as to why something happened, which makes the note session take even longer. Be sure to let students know that note-giving time is not discussion time, and any questions need to be addressed afterwards. 2. The Post-Run Rundown: Typing up notes and emailing/posting digitallyIn the post-run rundown, teachers/directors take the notes home, type them up in a list format, and either email them to the cast and crew or post them digitally for the cast and crew to see (such as on a private Facebook group, on Google classroom, or on other digital communication resource). The teacher may also elect to send some notes privately as appropriate. This is beneficial because it allows students to go home right after rehearsal and rest, and it gives them time to read and absorb the notes. They can think about them, practice at home, and then apply them at the next rehearsal. It also gives teachers/directors time to collect their thoughts and review their notes in a different setting than at the theatre (where emotions may still be running high). The most obvious challenge with digital communication is that the notes are easily ignored, missed, lost, or simply not read. If teachers/directors decide to employ this method, they will need to figure out a way to ensure students can prove they have actually received and read the notes. As well, depending on the rehearsal schedule, there may be a tight turnaround between typing up the notes and sending them to allow students time to actually read the notes. 3. The Checklist: Posting notes backstageThis is a method I have not used personally, but many of my colleagues have used it and found it to be effective. Similar to the post-run rundown method, students are dismissed after rehearsal and the teacher/director types up the notes from the run-through. However, the notes are formatted as a checklist, with a small space next to each note point for the applicable student to initial that they have received and understand the note. The note list is then printed and posted up in the backstage or rehearsal area, and students are responsible for consulting the list and ensuring that they have received their notes before the next rehearsal. This method is beneficial because it puts the onus on the student to get their notes. It reduces the stress on teachers/directors and it teaches the students responsibility. A student didn’t get their notes? That’s on them now. It’s also easy to track who read the notes and who didn’t, as students must initial to indicate that they got their notes. The downside to this method is that, again, it’s easy enough for students not to read the notes. It can also cause some stress in the backstage/rehearsal area if many students are trying to crowd around the note sheet. (It may be beneficial to print multiple copies of the note sheet and post them in various areas to avoid congestion.) It also doesn’t allow a lot of time for students to read and absorb their notes before the next rehearsal. Students might think they can simply read the notes once they arrive at rehearsal, which can waste group time. Teachers/directors may have to specify that students must come and read the notes on their own time before rehearsal.

In Script Analysis for Directors, Part 1: Scanning the Script, we started our pre-rehearsal planning process with a simple scan of the script to get our early thoughts and ideas out on paper. Once the initial scan has been completed, it’s time to go deeper into the meat of the script, get even more specific, and get these ideas into the hands of your eager student designers and crew members. The following tips will help you to get even more organized and feeling good about your pre-production process. In our previous article, we started our initial scan of the script by making basic notes on eight different categories: Lights, Sound, Special Effects, Costumes/Hair/Makeup, Props, Set, Concerns (problems, potentially difficult scenes, aspects to assign to the musical director or choreographer, etc.) and Ideas (notes about creative solutions to problems, concept thoughts, etc.). These are the ideas and thoughts that came up immediately during the first scan of the script. On the second scan of the script, we’re going into detective mode to look for more technical clues and insights that we may have overlooked during the first scan. As mentioned in the previous article, certain technical cues will be clearly indicated within your script, such as Blackout or SFX: train whistle. You’ll need to look harder now for less obvious ones. For example, consider the stage direction Suddenly, a bolt of lightning splinters the ship and throws the humans overboard _(which is one of the first stage directions in the musical Tarzan)._ That one sentence incorporates at least three technical concerns: a lightning effect (Lights), possible thunder sounds as well as the sound of the splintering ship (Sound), and throwing the humans overboard (could be Set, Special Effects, Concerns, or Ideas, depending on your staging plan). Further on in that scene, the humans wash up on the shoreline. How will you stage the transition from the water to the shoreline? Once you have completed your second scan of the script for technical and design ideas, you will want to type up or make copies of certain lists to give directly to your team members. For example, give the Props list to the props head, give the Set list to the set designer, and so on. You’ll also want to send along your initial lighting, sound, and special effects notes to the stage manager and the specific technicians/designers, so they can start their work on the show. Communicating your ideas to your team early means that you’ll have less chance of things getting left until the last minute during rehearsals. For the third pass of the script start looking deeper at themes and character work. Consider the following questions: • Are there any repeated thoughts expressed by the characters or situations that occur at different points throughout the script? These repeated moments should be noted and emphasized. • Do the characters have any catchphrases or stand-out lines that you’d like to highlight? • If your show is particularly well-known or is an adaptation, parody, or homage to a famous “something” (whether that be a song, a character, a situation, or a show), is there a particular part of the show that you want to emphasize? For example, if you are producing The Wedding Singer (which is a musical based on an Adam Sandler movie), where are the specific “Adam Sandler” over-the-top moments within the show? • Conversely, is there a scene or situation that you want to downplay or de-emphasize? For example, if you are doing a production of Alice in Wonderland, do you want to go the Disney route of putting Alice in a blue dress, or do you want to have her wear something different? Will she still be recognizable? • Are there any cuts or adjustments you want to make? (And if so, do you have permission from the playwright or rights holders to do so?) • When reading the script, what feelings, emotions, words, or thoughts pop into your head? Write those down, even if they don’t make any sense to you in the moment. The second and third deeper passes of the script can really help you to peel back the layers of the script and figure out exactly where you want to take this show. It’s great to have your students try these script scans as well. They can practice their observation and note-taking skills. They may even bring forward some concerns or ideas that you hadn’t thought of.

When I’m doing my pre-rehearsal preparations for a new show I’m directing, the first thing I do is an initial scan of the script. This is a useful way to start getting your primary thoughts and plans in order, and it helps you get your ideas organized. You’ll go through your script many times throughout the rehearsal process – this is just the first step. Get ready to start analyzing! What you’ll need:• Your script • A notebook and a pencil (just as we tell our students, write in pencil because you’ll inevitably change a note at some point), or a word processing program on your computer • Various colours of highlighters (if you like to colour-code – I do!) Choose a fresh section in your notebook, or open a new document in your word processing program. (Alternatively, if you have a single-sided script, you may wish to write your notes directly in your script on the appropriate page so you don’t risk losing your notebook or computer document. Do whatever works best for you.) Create eight categories on separate pages:• Lights • Sound • Special Effects • Costumes/Hair/Makeup (these can be two or three separate categories if you wish, but in my initial scan I usually group them together) • Props • Set • Concerns (problems, potentially difficult scenes, aspects to assign to the musical director or choreographer, etc.) • Ideas (notes about creative solutions to problems, concept thoughts, etc.) Start by slowly reading through your script, line by line and page by page, and writing down anything that immediately comes up in relation to each category. If you are making notes in a separate notebook (rather than in the script), be sure to include page numbers, as well as line numbers if you use them, so you can cross-reference your notes with your script later. You will also want to leave a little bit of space between each note so you can make changes or additions later. The first six categories are pretty self-explanatory. Certain technical cues will be clearly indicated within your script, such as Blackout or A train whistle sounds or The Wizard disappears in a puff of smoke. I like to highlight those cues right away (usually lighting in yellow, and sound in pink, but that’s just my preference) so I can easily see them, and have the stage management team start “calling” them right away during the rehearsal process. Look for specific requirements indicated for costumes, props, and set. For example, “A Victorian father and mother cling to each other and their baby for safety” from the musical Tarzan. The Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria’s reign, from June 20, 1837, until her death on January 22, 1901. This stage direction gives the director and costume team a clear reference as to what those actors should be wearing (a suit and a dress rather than, say, rubber raincoats or bathing suits). It also gives the overall production a date and time reference. Write it down, as well as any changes in the time period that may affect the appearance of the costumes, props, and set. Where is the prop in the stage direction above? Well, is the baby an actual human baby actor or a doll? Most likely it will be a doll, so onto the props list it goes. This sounds a little silly because most theatrical productions (high school or otherwise) don’t use real babies onstage. But if it is an animal rather than a baby, it becomes more of a concern. Popular shows like Annie and The Wizard of Oz feature canine characters heavily, and you’ll need to decide whether you are using a real dog, a human actor in a dog costume, or a stuffed animal prop in your production. This leads us to the next two categories: Concerns and Ideas. Concerns and Ideas are your more miscellaneous categories – but with a focus. Concerns are items that you’ll need to come back to later, or perhaps address with another member of the team, such as casting issues (for example, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hermia must be shorter than Helena – see Act 3, Scene 2), dance choreography, or intricate transitions. Ideas are just that – brilliant ideas on how you’ll stage something, or an interesting aspect or concept you’d like to include. Continue through the script, making as many notes as you feel are useful. It doesn’t hurt to write it all down, so you will remember your preliminary thoughts. At this point, you aren’t making any absolute final decisions. You’re getting your ideas and concerns mapped out on paper and figuring out what needs to be done. But the more details you have considered in advance, the easier it will be to organize your thoughts when working with your students, artistic team, and design crew. And an organized director is a less stressed director! In our next blog post, we’ll continue script analysis for directors by going a little deeper.

In the drama classroom and rehearsal space, drama teachers work with students to express themselves in a variety of ways. We encourage our students to push their boundaries, to explore new thoughts, characters, and situations, to move their bodies differently, and to share their stories. To do this, we must establish an atmosphere of safety and trust. And that begins with creating a safe rehearsal space. By considering both the physical and emotional safety of students, teachers can get their classes and rehearsals started out right, as soon as students walk through the door. Here are some tips and ideas for making your rehearsal space a safe one. Physical Safety• Ensure the floors are mopped and swept clean and are free of any debris (such as staples, nails/screws, safety pins). • Be aware of “secondary targets.” That’s a stage combat term for anything that could pose an inadvertent threat, such as furniture in the room, curtains, set pieces, other nearby students, dangly or flowy costume items, wayward props, and personal items that may be on the floor. • Ensure that risk-associated props (such as stage weapons), set-building tools, and cleaning supplies are securely stored when not in use. And make sure they are only used while in class or in rehearsal and under the supervision of the teacher in charge. • Have a first aid kit easily accessible and fully stocked in case of an emergency, as well as incident reporting sheets available. Be sure to know where the nearest washroom, smoke detector, and fire extinguisher are located, and the nearest exit should you need to evacuate. • Have appropriate garbage and recycling containers available to keep the space tidy and free of junk. Emotional Safety• With your class/cast, come up with your classroom code of conduct and share ideas on how to treat everyone with respect and dignity. • Always have at least two artistic staff members present during rehearsals, for the safety and comfort of both the students and the staff. If you must rehearse with only one student, ensure that the door to the room is kept open at all times. • For sensitive scenes (such as scenes with kissing) or emotionally charged scenes, schedule those rehearsals first for only the students who are actually in the scenes. That way they don’t have to rehearse these scenes for the first time in front of the rest of the cast, which could be awkward or uncomfortable. • Consent is crucial. Explain what needs to happen in the scene and break it down into easy-to-digest chunks. For example: “George approaches Lucy and places his hand on her waist.” Then check with the students playing these roles and ask, “Are you okay with this?” You never know if what you are asking your students to do may cause them concern or stress. Encourage them to ask questions and work up to the moment in question. While it is important for your students to push themselves outside of their comfort zones, it is also important for them to not be agonizing internally. Nerves are okay; anxiety is not. • Check in with your students frequently to see how they’re doing. Working on a scene over and over can be physically and emotionally taxing. • Take breaks, both for your students to recharge and refocus, but also to give your own brain a rest. Work with your students to include their ideas and suggestions into how to create a safe rehearsal space. Include them in the process of creating their space and encourage them to take ownership and pride in their surroundings. When the students feel safe within their rehearsal space, they are free to create, explore, discover, and push boundaries – which is exactly what theatre is meant to do.

The role of the stage manager is a vital one in the theatrical process. Stage managers truly make the show happen. Without a great stage manager, rehearsals go awry, cues don’t happen, and the show grinds to a halt. Good stage managers are hard to find, but those students are out there. If you’re looking for your next stage manager, look for students with the following five qualities: OrganizedFirst and foremost, a stage manager must be organized. They need to know what is being rehearsed and when, who is needed at each rehearsal, and how much time is left in rehearsal. Artistic staff members get super-busy and it is easy for them to lose track of time. The stage manager is essential for keeping everyone on track and on time. Stage managers are also generally in charge of ensuring that the necessary rehearsal materials are available when they’re needed, such as CD players/MP3 docks, extra pencils, or first aid supplies. ConfidentWhen providing missed lines, assigning pre-show tasks, or calling the actual show from the booth, stage managers must have confidence in themselves and their teams to make sure the show goes on. Stage managers are leaders. They need to have confidence to solve problems on the fly and know what to do in an emergency. Student stage managers must also have the confidence in themselves to know when to ask for help – and then to actually do it, rather than just struggling on their own. There is no shame in asking for help. How else will students learn? AssertivePart of a stage manager’s job is to assist with administrative tasks such as keeping actors and artistic staff on task, taking attendance, and calling absent cast and crew members to find out where they are. These tasks can be uncomfortable, especially if a student stage manager is calling one of their peers or a parent to ask why the cast member isn’t there, or telling a teacher that they have gone over time and need to move on to the next task. This doesn’t mean being rude or bossy – being able to communicate clearly and in an assertive manner ensures that rehearsals run smoothly. Remember that being confident and being assertive is not the same thing! A student can believe in themselves and their abilities/knowledge, but have trouble being able to express that towards others. A student can be confident without being assertive, but cannot be assertive without having confidence. Being assertive takes practice, and being a stage manager definitely helps to grow that skill! Good listener and observerA huge part of the stage manager’s role is to take detailed blocking and technical notes during rehearsals. They must watch and listen carefully to the director, musical director, choreographer, fight director, and so on, and record everything (in pencil, because there WILL be changes!) in the stage manager’s prompt book – entrances, exits, placements of set pieces, props and people, cues for lights, sound effects, music, and more. That way, when the scene is re-visited (and the actors and director inevitably forget what was originally blocked), the stage manager can make corrections. TactfulWe’ve established that a stage manager needs to be organized, confident, assertive, and a good listener and observer. On top of all of that, they need to be tactful – knowing how to behave and respond in delicate or difficult situations. It’s a balancing act for sure. When things get stressful and tasks need to be done, it is definitely easier to use sarcasm and sass when speaking to others, particularly when students are in a leadership role – they may think that this demonstrates their authority. But speaking with kindness and positivity while also being firm and honest is important. In order to receive respect, students must first demonstrate respect towards others. And speaking to their peers and teachers in a tactful and thoughtful manner is one way of doing that. When it comes down to it, students need to treat others the way they’d like to be treated. And a great stage manager does this at all times.

“The show must go on” is a common phrase in the theatre world, and a stage manager is one of the crucial people who ensures that the show does go on. The stage manager works side by side with the director and artistic team to ensure that rehearsals and performances run smoothly. Often, this role is assigned to a senior student as this is a great way to learn and develop leadership skills. But what does a stage manager do, anyway? Let’s take a look at some common duties and responsibilities of the stage manager. Assist with administrative and preparatory tasksThe stage manager must be an organized soul, as they are in charge of keeping track of lots of important administrative information. They maintain a company roster (a contact information list for all cast and crew members) as well as keeping track of attendance and calling cast and crew members when they are late for or missing from rehearsals. Stage managers keep track of any pre-scheduled conflicts and assist with creating schedules as they will know what has been rehearsed already, what needs to still be rehearsed, and who will be at each rehearsal. The stage manager is frequently the first one to arrive at rehearsals and among the last to leave. They help to set up the room at the beginning of rehearsals and help to tidy up at the end. CommunicationStage managers are the communications centre for productions. They will often give announcements at the beginning of rehearsals, pass along messages to and from the cast and crew, and email rehearsal schedules. The stage manager is the person who everyone can go to when they need answers to questions or help solving problems. Take notes in rehearsalThe stage manager works closely with the director and artistic staff during rehearsals, recording all blocking, entrances, exits, changes, etc., so the director can focus on actually directing. The stage manager must observe and listen carefully to ensure that no detail is neglected. The stage manager is responsible for creating a master copy of the script – called the prompt book – that contains everything pertaining to the show. The prompt book is kept in such a manner that in the case of an emergency anyone could pick up the book and run the show. The prompt book contains blocking notes, any changes that have been made, and all technical cues, in a tidy and easy-to-read style. Stage managers also use this master script to prompt actors if they forget lines during rehearsal. Call the showDuring the actual performances of the show, the stage manager will be in the booth, on a headset, and “calling” the show. That means telling the various operators (lights, sound, microphones, spotlights, running crew, and assistant stage managers) when to make their various cues happen. It takes an immense amount of care and focus to make sure that every cue is called and executed with correct timing. This is particularly true when stage managers get few chances to practice calling the cues before the actual run of the show (often as few as three times – a cue-to-cue rehearsal, a technical run, and a dress rehearsal). How’s that for pressure? “Other duties as assigned”The stage manager is truly the unsung hero of any production. They are usually the go-to person for any additional tasks that need to be done. At the very least, they are responsible of delegating these tasks to others. A student who wishes to be a stage manager needs to be confident, mature, hard-working, and organized. So the next time you see your stage manager, be sure to let them know how much you appreciate them. They are the glue that holds the show together!

We asked drama teachers: What tips do you have for keeping your rehearsals focused? Let’s hear from the front lines! John H. subscribes to short and sweet: • My rehearsal schedule is short. 25 days for a straight play and 32 days for a musical. Shakespeare around 29 days. • Each rehearsal is two hours long. There is no time to fool around. It creates a sense of urgency. • I select hard-working students who have proven to me they know how to rehearse. They prove it in class. If a student shows up late or has poor rehearsal habits in class, I won’t put them in a play. • Give cast members jobs to accomplish when they are not onstage. Today I had actors who did not have lines in the Act we were running help me with the set – staining wood and drilling holes. Simple jobs, but they have to do it right and clean up. • Having everyone working is a key factor. Nick A. runs his rehearsals like this: • Having a specific rehearsal schedule planned for every day. • No phones or electronics allowed except during breaks. • Five-minute breaks every hour or ten-minute breaks every hour and a half. • Clear expectations that they are to be onstage and ready to work at the time rehearsal starts (or immediately after breaks are over), or else they get redressed in front of the cast. Terry S. runs a tight ship: • I know precisely what I plan to accomplish, how far I plan to go – and if I’m not using a specific actor on a given day, they know this and they don’t have to be there. • I generally block 10-15 pages (depending on the play) and redo the scene(s) several times. This allows us to make adjustments and changes – and usually the actors have these pages practically offbook before leaving. • I begin with a warm-up and end with a chat that is always positive. That means I frame the opinions and attitudes about the cast and the show – not the backstage gossip that occurs during rehearsal. No matter what was said backstage, it’s my words they go home with. Aubree F. shares a unique way to deal with electronics: • No phones, period. we started using a “phone bucket” which is left with the stage manager. They can check their devices at break and get them back at the end of rehearsal. We do the same for shows. Chuck Y.’s expectations: • Be where you’re supposed to be WHEN you’re supposed to be there. Come to rehearsal ready to work, and know your material. Stay focused and be in the moment. Kathy A.’s carrot: • Tell students: “If we have a good rehearsal and can finish early, there may be time at the end for an improv exercise.” Enough of them want to play improv games that they’ll keep the others on task as well. Jack S. gets visual: • Post a Goals For Today note on the call board.

One of the exciting aspects of rehearsal is experimenting with the text of the script and figuring out what the characters are saying and how they should say it. Each approach to the text will differ from student to student, actor to actor, and director to director – and that’s what makes theatre so interesting! Here are three fun exercises that allow students to explore different ways of approaching their lines and thinking about the emotions behind them. These exercises can be used in rehearsal as well as in the drama classroom, for students to try different ways of presenting their characters’ lines. Exercise 1: Emphasis1. Students will select a partner. 2. Select one line from a play, or use one of the sample lines provided (found in the handout). 3. Count how many words there are in the sentence. For example, the line “Can you help me please?” has five words. 4. Write out the line as many times as there are words in the sentence. From our example, students will write the line out five times. 5. For each sentence, underline a different word. - Can you help me please? - Can you help me please? - Can you help me please? - Can you help me please? - Can you help me please? 6. Say the lines out loud one by one, emphasizing the underlined word. 7. How does the emphasis of the different words change the meaning of the line? Note the differences in tone and emotions. Exercise 2: Emotion1. With the same partner, students will brainstorm a list of ten different emotions/feelings (for example: happy, sad, surprised, angry, bored, exhausted, annoyed, ecstatic, disgusted, hopeful). 2. Using the same line (“Can you help me please?”), students will say the line out loud ten times, using the ten different emotions they brainstormed. 3. How does the line meaning change when spoken with a different emotion? Does the line still make sense? (If it doesn’t, can you think of a reason or situation where the line would be said with that feeling?) Make note of these thoughts. Exercise 3: Sliding Scale Variations1. Using the same line, explore different ranges of emotions. For example: • Loud angry (screaming in rage) versus quiet angry (death glare) • Loud sad (sobbing) versus quiet sad (tears and silence) • Loud happy (screaming in delight) versus quiet happy (fainting away) 2. Try interacting with your partner in a scene, each feeling the same emotion but to the opposite extreme (for example, loud angry versus quiet angry). 3. Try a sliding scale of emotions. If “level 1 anger” is a silent death glare and “level 10 anger” is screaming in rage, what is level 3 on the anger scale? Level 5? How about level 8? 4. Use your senses. What do the emotions look and sound like? For example: “loud angry” might involve yelling and screaming, flailing, and pacing, while “quiet angry” might involve death glares, stiff posture, and clenched fists. 5. How do these different approaches to the text affect the meaning of the lines, as well as your performance? Reflect on your explorations. Distance Learning Adaptation All three of these exercises can be practiced and performed using video conferencing programs. The focus will be on rotating volunteer performers (rather than pairing up) and having the rest of the group observe and analyze the performances. Decide whether you wish your students to report their observations verbally in a class discussion, or if you want your students to submit written observations. Exercise 1: EmphasisHave one student say the selected line out loud as many times as there are words in the sentence, emphasizing a different word each time. Observe: • How does the emphasis of the different words change the meaning of the line? • Which emphasized word makes the most effective line? Why? • If the selected line is from a play, compare the line out of context (by itself) to the line when it’s in the context of the scene. Does the same emphasized word work? Why or why not? • If the selected line is not from a play, invent a line to come before and after the line. Does the same emphasized word work? Why or why not? Exercise 2: EmotionAs a group, brainstorm ten different emotions/feelings. Have one student say the selected line out loud ten times, using the ten different emotions that were brainstormed. Observe: • How does the line meaning change when spoken with a different emotion? Does the line still make sense? • If the line does not make sense, think of a reason or situation where the line would be said with that feeling. Exercise 3: Sliding Scale VariationsUsing the selected line, have students explore different ranges of emotions. First, choose two students to try two wide ranges of emotions: loud angry versus quiet angry, loud sad versus quiet sad, loud happy versus quiet happy. Second, choose five students to try ascending the range of emotions: the first student starts with “level 1 anger” and the last student will finish with “level 10 anger.” The three middle students need to figure out how to increase their levels of emotion without going too big or too small. Then, choose five students to try descending the range of emotions, from level 10 to level 1. Observe: • How does the level set by the first student affect the rest of the students when ascending or descending the emotions? • When analyzing a script, how do you determine how big or small your emotions need to be? What factors affect your choices? • What gestures, postures, and facial expressions can help demonstrate the emotion you are trying to portray? • How do these different approaches to the text affect the meaning of the lines? Overall Observations: How does these exercises help you to become a better actor? How can you use these exercises in rehearsal for a show? How do strong emotional choices by actors make a scene or show more interesting to watch?

Teachers and directors – have you ever watched a run of your show, noticed a particular student, and wondered, “Now where did that performance come from?!” I’m talking about the student who plods through the rehearsal process, doing just enough to get by, but when they’re onstage, all of a sudden it’s like they’re an entirely different person – bright-eyed, smiling, and performing their heart out. While it’s wonderful to see this performance, I’m sure you were wondering why this is the first time you’re seeing this student perform with this much energy and enthusiasm – especially when you were probably worried about how the show was going to come together! For some students, the theatrical process can seem long and tedious. Many students love performing but don’t like going through the process of rehearsing – learning, developing, exploring, and reviewing. They may not see the point of drilling notes, trying different approaches to lines, and practicing choreography over and over – they just want to get onstage with the costumes, lights, and cheering audiences. What really surprises these students is the concept of “practicing how you’d like to perform.” This means performing full out all the time, with maximum energy, as if every rehearsal, review, and run-through is a full performance. Through this repetition, students develop their stamina, improve their volume for speaking and singing, increase confidence (both their own and that of their teacher/director) in their abilities, and demonstrate their passion and enthusiasm for the show. By demonstrating a half-effort in rehearsal, students aren’t displaying their full abilities and potential – they are essentially holding themselves back. But by practicing everything like a performance, students will be capable of much more onstage. Here are six tips to help your students embrace the concept of “practicing how they’d like to perform".1. Discuss why rehearsal is important. Does every student come to rehearsal with all his or her lines memorized? Does everyone learn the dance steps perfectly the first time? Does everyone already know their blocking? Of course the answer is no! Have students discuss everything that goes on during rehearsals beyond the mechanics of line work, choreography, blocking, and vocal rehearsal. How do characters truly come alive? How does an actor know how to express exactly how their character is feeling? How does each moment onstage actually happen within the constraints of this particular production, in this particular theatre, with these particular students? The answer is – this is all discovered through the rehearsal process! 2. Re-frame students’ thoughts about rehearsal. Students spend far more time in rehearsal than they do actually performing the show. Have students think of rehearsal as constant performance time – they love to perform, and they have all this time to be performing in rehearsal! If they say, “It’s not the same without an audience,” remind them that the artistic staff and the rest of the cast and crew are always watching. You may also wish to bring in outsiders to watch a portion of rehearsal at times – perhaps another teacher, the principal, or some parents might be able to come in and see a run-through of a scene or musical piece. This will keep your students on their toes! 3. Urge students to get off-book as quickly as possible. The sooner they are not fumbling with their scripts in their hands, the easier it is for them to really develop their physical movements and understanding of who their character is and what they want at all times. When students are not struggling with their lines, they can focus on making their work bigger, louder, and more energetic. 4. Start with small increases in energy. Tell your students to “bring the energy level up two notches” or “increase your energy by 10%.” Smaller increments are easier for students to believe they can do well. Hearing “The whole number needs to be WAY BIGGER!” is less intimidating than “Let’s bring our energy up from 5 out of 10, to 7 out of 10.” 5. Encourage “bigger is better” in rehearsal. It’s much easier to bring an over-the-top performance down, than it is to coax and plead a bigger performance out. You can even have students do a run-through where they deliberately “go overboard” with their voices, gestures, and characterizations. Chances are, the overboard performance is closer to what they need to do. You can then pull back the performance as necessary. 6. Have your students rate their own performance in rehearsal. Ask them, “By show of hands, who would rate that run-through a 5 out of 10?” and go upwards or downwards from there. I’ve found that students are generally pretty honest about their performance, and they tend to follow it up with “Can we run it again?” or “Can you re-explain such-and-such please?” If your students’ opinion of their performance is different from yours, explain your rating and why you feel they deserved that rating. Give concrete examples of what needs to be fixed, such as: “I couldn’t hear your lines clearly,” “Your character is supposed to be happy in this scene, but your facial expression makes you look bored,” or “Your arms and fingers were saggy, when they should have been straight and extended.” Alternatively, if your students are harder on themselves than you would have been, be sure to give them positive feedback about what they did: “Your turns were much better during that run-through,” “Your voices were much clearer that time,” or “Even though you are in the back row of the dance, your energy made you stand out in a good way.”