Staging

Theatre teachers are often faced with staging productions in less-than-optimal spaces. Whether it’s on a platform in the corner of a classroom or the stage in the cafeteria, theatre teachers have to think ahead and outside the box when it comes to staging in these spaces. Here are some common challenges you find in three non-traditional performance spaces, and suggestions on how to solve them. Space: Your ClassroomFor many teachers, their classroom is also their performing space. Here are some of the biggest issues you may need to address when mounting a show in a typical classroom. • No stage Because there is no stage, the performers and the audience are on the same level. This makes sightlines challenging, especially if performers spend any time on the floor. SUGGESTION: If you have no elevated stage space in your classroom space, think about changing levels by adding blocks or other sturdy furniture actors can climb on. Think of ways you can creatively elevate performers or scenes. The more you can do to raise the performance above ground level, the more your audience will get out of the show. • No stage lights Regular classrooms were not designed with theatrical performances in mind, so not only are there no dedicated stage lights, there may be unshaded windows to contend with as well. Because of this, you will not be able to create actual “blackouts” during performances. SUGGESTION: If you don’t have stage lights, use this as a problem solving opportunity. How can students use found lighting (e.g., flashlights) to light their scene? And when it comes to alternatives to the traditional “blackout” at the end of scenes, work with students to create strong visual moments that definitively end scenes. It’s also a good idea to incorporate music or sound as a way to define the beginnings and ends of scenes. • No backstage With no backstage you have no dressing rooms, no wing space, and no crossover. Basically what you see is what you get! SUGGESTION: Without a backstage you will need to get creative with how you use your “stage” space. If you have the ability to put up simple flats, or hang material as a drape/curtain, it could buy you just enough space to function as a “backstage.” If you don’t have those options, try to set your performance space up in such a way that you can take advantage of existing doors and exits as your stage exits and crossovers. If none of that is possible, work with your students so they enter, exit, and cross over as invisibly as possible, and drill them on proper “backstage” etiquette so they are quiet and do not draw focus. SPACE: GymatoriumSome teachers are assigned to a performance space that is a combination gym and auditorium. These spaces have unique challenges when it comes to staging performances. • Stuff Unfortunately, it’s typical for these types of spaces to be catchalls for both gym equipment AND theatre storage. That means that any backstage space will be jam-packed with everything from kick balls to hula hoops and everything in between. Worse still, as the theatre teacher you will not have the authority to simply move these items to another location, as they are the property of another department. SUGGESTION: Negotiate and work together with those other departments. Plan on having meetings with admin and other faculty long before you start the rehearsal process. And be prepared to compromise — using half the space is better than not being allowed to use it at all! • Crossovers Like classroom spaces, these spaces were not designed with theatrical productions in mind. It’s very likely that either you will not have a designated crossover space, or that the crossover space is also your storage space for the production. SUGGESTION: As with the classroom information above, plan on being creative or clever with your crossovers. Have students cross through adjacent hallways or other nearby spaces, or address crossover issues with your blocking by having characters enter from where they previously exited. • Acoustics The acoustics in gymatoriums are poor at best. The walls and floors of these spaces are normally hard, and either are “dead” or have a lot of “bounce.” In other words, sounds will be echoed and absorbed in harsh and random ways and it will be difficult for performers to be heard clearly in the best of circumstances. SUGGESTION: Work with your performers from DAY ONE on volume, projection, and clarity. Don’t expect any help from a sound system — If there is any microphone equipment, it’s most likely either hanging choir mics or hand mics on stands, and in either case will most likely not provide adequate vocal amplification. Your best bet for your performers being heard and understood is a combination of speaking loud and clear, and whatever amplified assistance you have available to you. SPACE: CafetoriumCafetoriums are arguably even worse than gymatoriums when it comes to performances. This is because cafetoriums are located IN THE CAFETERIA and there is no acoustic separation between the working kitchen and the performance stage. These spaces are notoriously loud and chaotic and are considered the most challenging to work in. If you find yourself assigned to a cafetorium as your performance space, you can expect the same fundamental challenges you will find in a gymatorium (stuff, crossovers, acoustics), plus a few more to contend with…. • Really terrible acoustics The fact is that the acoustics in a cafetorium are by far the most challenging to contend with when it comes to staging a show: The kitchen is noisy, the floors and walls are hard and echoey, and worst of all, any sounds coming from the stage are usually swallowed up in the curtains before they ever pass the proscenium. Remember as well that even if you can hear your performers during rehearsal, once you add an audience it will deaden the sound even more, making it even harder to hear them. And when the audience cannot hear or understand what the actors are saying, they will eventually tune out and give up on the performance. SUGGESTION: If you are performing in a cafetorium, plan on using some kind of amplification system, even if your performers have to stand near a stationary mic. The audience will gladly give up basic blocking in favor of hearing what is being said. • Seating Cafetorium seating is likely going to be cafeteria seats, which are typically long tables with benches or seats attached. These seats are not designed for audiences. They are inflexible and uncomfortable, have limited sightlines, and can be noisy when in use. That’s why you need to have your seating situation in mind when you plan for your production. SUGGESTION: Keep your productions with this type of seating short and sweet. This will give your audience the best chance to enjoy the show, no matter what challenges you had to overcome to get it on the stage.

It’s a struggle to stage a production with little or no funds, but it’s not impossible! If your program is new or small, chances are you’re dealing with a tight budget. So how do you stage a show when funds aren’t available? Here are some creative ways to stage theatre on a tight budget. Devised ScriptIf you’re looking to save money, a good place to start could be the script. Depending on the show, scripts can cost hundreds of dollars to produce. This is a real challenge with a tight budget, because between royalties and rights, you could easily spend your entire budget before you ever start rehearsals. If you don’t have the money to buy both the rights AND the technical elements for a show, work with your students to create a new one! With guidance and supervision, your students can generate a script as a group and then perform it for an audience. Start by having a group of students brainstorm ideas they might want to explore through dialogue and scenes. Then, through a process of peer feedback and focused re-writing, they can eventually build those scenes up into a devised script. As an added bonus, because you know the scenic limitations of your program, you can steer your students toward creating their work with your particular stage in mind, and only include scenic elements already available to you. That will help keep your production costs in check as well. Check out these Theatrefolk blog posts on devising: • Devising Exercises for the Drama Classroom • Devising in the Drama Classroom • Devising Exercise: Playing with Change • Devising Challenge: One Minute Word Association Theatrefolk also has this Resource on creating a vignette play with your students. Block Set or Implied SetIf you have rehearsal blocks, consider designing your show to utilize these objects instead of more traditional, realistic scenic elements. You can use blocks for everything from couches to beds to walls, and almost anything else you (and your audience) can imagine. Oftentimes, you don’t even need to build complete “objects” for blocks to be effective. You can use blocks to imply objects such as walls, doorways, furniture, and landscaping, giving shape to your space and boundaries to your performers. Utilizing these kinds of generic objects provides a couple of benefits: First off, you’re not spending any money on a set. Second, and more importantly, you can engage your audience’s imagination by minimising scenic elements and allowing them to concentrate on the actors’ performance. Light-Based Set DesignAnother low-cost option is to eliminate physical scenic elements altogether and only design your sets using light. Lighting is an eloquent way to define space and create mood, and clever directors can utilize it to great effect. Better still, lights can create an even more dramatic landscape when combined with hanging or flowing fabrics. This type of “soft” scenic design can create a dreamlike or ethereal feel to your stage, and allows for scene changes with each new lighting cue. So ditch the lumber and let lights do the heavy lifting! Here are some tips for first-time lighting designers. Living SceneryFinally, consider using “people power” to create your sets. Instead of building scenery, bring your sets to life by incorporating performers as scenic elements. Having performers sit, stand, or pose in strategic locations gives you a wide range of options with regards to scenery. Performers arranged throughout the stage on different levels can represent everything from the members of a royal court to the haunted trees in a cursed forest. Even performers simply standing with their backs to the audience can clearly delineate the boundaries of a specific location, even without a specific location in mind. Again, this type of scenic magic is limited only by the imagination of the audience. Let your artistic inspiration run wild, and stage your show on a shoestring budget that is tied to the power of creativity and imagination!

Blocking is fundamental to acting. Whether staging a two-person scene or 30-person musical number, how you arrange the actors onstage is an important part of the storytelling. Unfortunately, students don’t always have the attention span to take a deep dive into staging theories. So what do you do when you want to teach blocking but you don’t want to bore your students with abstract concepts? Stick to the basics and get your students on their feet. That way, they can actively demonstrate the principles of blocking. Here are three fundamental blocking concepts you can include in your curriculum, each with an exercise or activity you can do with your students so they can visualize the concepts. LevelsLevels are a great way to break up the stage plane and add interest to a scene. Even a six-inch step or platform is enough to create a new performing area onstage. More importantly, changing the level of an actor will alter both their status and the audience's focus in the scene (both of which we will also cover in this post). Adding different levels to the performing space gives directors a whole new toolbox of options when it comes to blocking. Levels Exercise Place the following objects on the stage: an acting block, a chair, and a small step. Pick four students to get on the stage and interact with the objects to form a tableau. Three students will each use one of the objects as part of their pose, and the fourth student will strike a pose using only the stage floor. Have the rest of the class comment on how the use of different levels transforms the picture of the characters onstage. How do levels change your perception of a character? Have the four students switch objects, strike a new pose, and repeat the discussion. Do this until each student has had the opportunity to interact with each object. FocusFocus tells the audience where to look. A director uses focus as a part of their blocking strategy to draw the audience's attention towards important action or information. A director can draw focus through movement, lighting, or character placement onstage. For example, upstage center is the strongest position onstage and naturally demands focus. Unfortunately, actors can “steal” focus by wandering, fidgeting, and participating in other unfocused actions. When an actor steals focus, the audience becomes confused and distracted, and the impact of a scene is ruined. When all performers work together to maintain the focus of a scene, audience attention is aimed where it is supposed to be, and the blocking has the intended effect. Stealing Focus Exercise Having access to the same three blocking objects (acting block, chair, step), have one student go onstage and strike a pose that they believe will get, and hold, the audience’s attention. The first student will pose and stay frozen in their pose. Then ask another student to go onstage and “steal” the focus from the first student by creating their own pose. The new student can also use the objects, but may not continuously move around the stage or physically touch the first student. When the second student has struck their pose, ask the class if that student was successful in stealing focus. Then ask for a third student to steal from the first two (still frozen), and ask the class the same question. Ask the class to explain why they believe focus was stolen or not. Continue the exercise until there are 10 students onstage. StatusBlocking can help denote the status of a character. If you want a character to demonstrate their social status, where they stand can be as important as how they stand. The placement of a character onstage can elevate them both physically and socially, and conversely, reducing a character’s status can be demonstrated by their physical disposition on the stage. Directors who understand the connection between blocking and status can powerfully illustrate a character’s status by thoughtfully crafting their blocking. High Status/Low Status Exercise With the same three blocking objects onstage (block, chair, step), choose 10 students to step onstage and strike the most powerful pose they can. Their pose should demonstrate authority, power, and confidence. Ask the rest of the class to vote for which students created the highest status with their pose. Keep the top three vote getters onstage and send the remaining seven back into the audience. Have the class vote again, and keep the “winner” onstage in their pose. Have a discussion with the class about WHY they believe this person demonstrated the highest status. Next, choose 10 students to go onstage and strike a pose that demonstrates the LOWEST status possible. These poses should exhibit weakness, confusion, and/or hopelessness. Repeat the class voting process until a “winner” is chosen, and discuss why the winner created a believable low-status pose.

It’s always exciting to have action-packed sequences in your show, and chase scenes are both great fun and challenging to stage. Whether a character is being chased by a villain, chasing after a lost love, or participating in any kind of chase in between, you’ll want to ensure your choreography is exciting and engaging while also being repeatable and safe. First, consider what tempo your student actors will be moving at. Are they running full out, are they doing a slow-motion sequence, somewhere in between, or a combination of both? They can all be used in comedic or dramatic shows, depending on how you block the actors’ body movements and facial expressions. As well, consider where in the performance/audience space your actors are. Are they actually moving throughout the staging area (which could potentially involve the stage itself, as well as the surrounding area such as through the audience) or are they moving in place? What concerns, risks, or safety issues might arise? Be sure to check out our safety considerations document in the giveaway below. Here are several ideas for staging chase scenes creatively. If you’ve got more ideas, please share them with us! • For chase scenes that are staged by having actors run or jog in place, create the illusion of movement through imaginative lighting, projections, sound effects, and/or special effects, such as a fan or wind machine. Slow-motion chase scenes can be extra funny with the addition of exaggerated movements, facial expressions, and slowed-down vocalizations. • Create a side-scrolling video game effect by having actors face directly to one side of the stage and run in place. Have ensemble members or stagehands “scroll” by in the background — crossing the stage with set pieces or puppet-style props, running backstage or behind a curtain, and coming through the stage again as many times as you wish. Great for comedies. Explore different tempos with both the chasing characters and background performers to find a speed that works well. • You can create car or motorcycle chase scenes by having actors sit on rehearsal blocks with prop steering wheels (plates also work well for this!), with the target placed further downstage and the chasers placed further upstage. You could also try having students sit or kneel on small, wheeled platforms or hand carts, and have stagehands dressed in black move them around the space. • For chase scenes where the actors actually move throughout the space, you must ensure that every moment of the chase sequence is choreographed and well rehearsed. Draw a bird’s eye or top down map of your space and make a diagram of the movement path(s). You may want to use transparency sheets if you have multiple actors travelling in different directions to ensure there are no collisions. If the chase scene is part of a musical, you may wish to indicate on the sheet music exactly where students should be at a particular moment in the scene, circling or highlighting the lyrics or notes where students move. • Consider how you could use every inch of your space. How can you use your performing area(s) to its best advantage? Can you have actors go through or around the audience? Are there different entrance/exit points in your space, and how can you access them? Can you create additional entrance and exit points with flats, curtains, or other set pieces? Are there areas that students can climb around, go over, or sneak under? • Use puppets, dolls, stuffed animals, or shadow puppets to create a funny chase sequence. This can be useful if your chase sequence has magical moments, stunts, or any other risky movements involved, such as big leaps, tackles, or flying — it’s better to toss a doll across the stage than to risk a student’s safety. • Create the illusion of a super-fast movement by having multiple actors appear as the same character. Dress three or more actors in the same costume and have them pop in and out from different places on the stage at specific times, while the other actor(s) in the scene moves their head and body to indicate that the fast character is moving in a particular direction. For example, you could have Actor A pop out from stage right, and Actor B look at them. Actor A quickly moves backstage while Actor B makes a big movement to look out behind the audience, where Actor C has popped up from behind a door or an audience seat at the back of the auditorium. Continue for as long as you wish and for as many actors as you want to have involved in the sequence. As mentioned above, be sure to do a thorough safety assessment of your blocking, set, costumes, footwear, and props to ensure that your students can maneuver through their chase sequences as safely as possible. Check out the free simple safety considerations resource in the giveaway below.

The visual of blood onstage creates an immediate visceral reaction for audience members — it evokes feelings of fear, pain, injury, life and death. But using fake blood onstage can be challenging, and this is coming from a fight director who works with fake blood often. Even the highest-quality fake blood is messy, sticky, and gets everywhere, no matter how carefully you use it. It can be expensive (depending on how much you need), time-consuming in terms of laundry, and carries safety risks, such as slipping onstage and potential allergic reactions. However, there are many great alternatives for staging scenes that call for blood. Let’s take a look at some of them: 1. Lighting and projections can be very effective for creating the image of blood onstage. Use a focused spotlight with a red gel to make a small pool of blood appear in a specific area onstage; or have an actor stand, sit, or lie in the red spotlight for a dramatic visual. A red wash across the entire stage is great for war, battle, massacre, or major death scenes. Using blackouts or strobe lighting effects can increase the feeling of tension in an already frightening atmosphere. A video projection of blood dripping, pouring, splashing, or spattering (combined with some startling sound effects or spooky music) is a great way to create a terrifying or dramatic effect onstage. 2. You can create wounds of all types — cuts, gunshots, blisters, scars — with makeup. There are many techniques and appliances you can use that don’t require students to go onstage with wet fake blood on them. The Drama Teacher Academy has many lessons about makeup application, including a full unit on blood, blisters, and bruises. Before working with makeup, be sure to have students do a patch test to check whether their skin will react to any products. 3. Costuming is a great way to create a blood effect onstage with less mess. Use fabric paint to create wounds, cuts, slashes, or spatters on costumes. Allow lots of time for the costumes to dry before putting them on the actors. Be sure to do a test swatch on a similar type of fabric to check for colourfastness (especially if you’re working with particularly sweaty students) and to ensure the blood effect looks realistic. If you’re picky, oxygenated (arterial) blood is bright red, while deoxygenated (venous) blood is dark reddish-purple. One way to use costuming for blood effects is to layer your costume items, as in, have a pre-made bloody undergarment like a t-shirt or muscle shirt under a jacket or hoodie, and open the outer garment to reveal the blood. Or, you can have two identical costumes: one clean and pristine for before any violence happens, and one for after the violent moment that the actor will change into. Alternatively, you can have the actor using a bloody costume hold their hands over the wound, and slowly lower their hands to reveal the bloody patch. When I directed a production of Carrie: The Musical with high school students, for the famous blood-drop effect, our costume team made a special double-layered prom dress for the actress playing Carrie. The bottom layer was pre-bloodied using fabric paint, and an identical clean dress was opened down the side seam, layered on top of the pre-bloodied dress, and attached with magnets. When the moment occurred, the lights flashed and then blacked out, and the actress quickly whipped off the top dress layer (assisted by the actor playing Tommy Ross) and handed it to an ensemble cast member, who whisked it offstage to an ASM. When the lights came back up, Carrie appeared suitably bloodied up. It was an awesome moment, and we rehearsed it a lot to make it as seamless as possible. For a more stylized production, an actor could add a red accessory to their costume, such as a sash, cape, or jacket, or change a different coloured accessory they’re currently wearing to an identical red accessory, to indicate that they have been wounded or killed. 4. You can also create great bloody imagery using props. Weapons can be painted with red spots and spatters to create a frightening effect. A handkerchief painted with red fabric paint can be tucked into a pocket, whipped out, and held against an actor’s body to make it seem like they’re stanching or cleaning a bloody wound. If you have students who are great dancers, they could use large pieces of red fabric or red gymnastics ribbons to choreograph a “dance of violence” or “dance of death.” If you want a dramatic or stylized representation of blood, you could use long red ribbons or streamers, red silk handkerchiefs or red play silks, large red mylar or foil confetti, or even rose petals (silk or real). If you’re dropping the items from a height, do tests with the materials to see how the items fall (or float) and how much of each item you’ll need for the run of the show. It may take a combination of materials to make the blood drop work at the speed you want it to appear. If none of these suggestions appeal to you and you still want to use actual fake blood for your upcoming production, I strongly suggest you contact a qualified fight director to assist with acquiring a good-quality fake blood product, teaching students how to safely use it, and choreographing the blood moments so they are safe, repeatable, and look great.

Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, and The Wizard of Oz are just some of the wonderful stories featuring characters that can fly. Many great plays feature flying sequences, but how do we stage those fantastical moments? Most schools do not have the budget or resources to use wire rigs, nor would the administration likely permit a high-risk venture like that. (Parents also likely wouldn’t be keen on having their children suspended from wires at school.) First, have a discussion with your students about “suspension of disbelief,” which is the idea that audiences are willing to set aside critical thinking and logic to enjoy a story. We know that students cannot actually fly. Even in hyper-realistic movies, students understand that flying effects are created with green screens, computer animation, and all sorts of practical effects. In the theatre, we are generally even more limited, because even with the most sophisticated flying rigs and hydraulic systems, audiences can usually see them, and know they’re there regardless. However, that doesn’t detract from the audience’s enjoyment of the show as a whole. It’s no different in educational theatre. The audience knows going in that they’re going to be seeing something interesting and creative, and they’re looking forward to seeing what these moments will be onstage. With that in mind, try the following ideas for creatively staging a flying sequence. They’re safe, effective, and a lot of fun. Some of the ideas could be combined to make an even more exciting sequence. You can use them in your next school production, or challenge your students to come up with a creative solution to stage a flying sequence of their own. See the giveaway below for instructions for this creative challenge lesson. 1. Build a platform with casters and push/pull your actor on or offstage to make it look like they’re floating. Be sure to include a handhold or harness system so the actor doesn’t fall while starting or stopping the movement. 2. Have your actor enter on a balcony, scaffold, or raised platform (with safety railings in place) while the rest of the cast looks up at them from below. 3. Have your actor stand on a rehearsal cube painted the same colour as the floor or the set, while other actors with cutouts of clouds or birds move around them. Have another student nearby in case the actor standing on the block needs a hand to get up or down, or if they’re feeling unsteady. 4. Choreograph a dance sequence with lots of leaps and jumps. You can use large strips of fabric, gymnastics ribbons, or play silks to add some whimsy and colour to the sequence. 5. Hire a fight or dance choreographer (or even a cheerleading coach) to teach your actors to do safe lifts, and lift your actor high in the air. 6. Use miniatures or puppets (highlighted by a super-focused spotlight or “pin spot”) of the actors who are flying. 7. Use a fog machine to mask actors’ feet while they move around the stage. 8. Use a mirror ball to create the effect of moving through the stars in the sky. You might also use a fan to make it look like the wind is blowing through the actors’ hair. 9. Use a video or photo projection of the flying moment, either by itself, or have the actual student actor stand in front of the projection to make it look like they’re the one flying. 10. If the scene features an actor flying in a plane or helicopter, have the actor hold a miniature or toy plane or helicopter above their head while they move across the stage. Or, build a large propeller on a stick and have another actor puppet the propeller near the flying actor. For a comedic scene, have the actor wear a propeller cap.

Eating and drinking are necessary for existence on this planet. So much of our life is centred around food: making it together, serving it for a special occasion, trying new dishes, challenges acquiring it, not having enough of it, and more. Food and drinks nourish and sustain us, so it’s only natural that playwrights would create scenes and songs that feature meals, snacks, and beverages. From Mrs. Tottendale doing a spit-take with “ice water” in The Drowsy Chaperone to Bruce Bogtrotter eating Miss Trunchbull’s chocolate cake in Matilda, food and drink scenes abound in plays and musicals. When it comes to staging scenes with food and beverages, the question is whether you will use real, fake, or “invisible” (mimed) food and drink onstage. Start by reading the text and determining what the purpose of the food or drink is. Are actors actually consuming the food, or is it used as set décor or props? Does the food or drink need to be used somehow? For example, is someone carving a turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, pouring drinks for a toast, or starting a food fight? (Don’t forget the famous “pie in the face” gag that is found in tons of shows, including Singin’ in the Rain and Disney’s High School Musical.) Get super clear about what sort of food or drink is needed and the precise purpose of it. Then, consider the following: • The clearest pro to using real food onstage is, well, realism. Everyone knows how to eat food and drink a beverage. It looks real to the audience, feels real to the actors, and leaves no confusion anywhere: these characters are eating and drinking. Easy peasy. • A bonus pro is that actors get to eat a little snack onstage, which is always fun, and helps to keep their energy levels up. • A major con for using real food onstage is the mess potential. Crumbs left behind can invite unwanted critters like bugs or mice into your backstage area. Food and drinks can easily be spilled on a costume and create a stain, or dropped on the floor, which creates a slipping hazard. Which leads us to… • Safety concerns: Real food and drinks can pose choking hazards, especially if a student is trying to do something else while they’re eating, such as walking or speaking. As well, you will need to be considerate of students with food allergies, sensitivities, and restrictions. Depending on the rules of your school, you may also need to have someone with a safe food handling designation assist with the food to ensure that it is prepared and/or stored hygienically. • Real food and drink props are called “consumable” props, because they’re used up each show. (There are other consumable props (link: www.theatrefolk.com/blog/how-to-create-a-master-props-list) that have nothing to do with food, such as letters that get ripped up, blood packets, and cap guns.) If you’re using real food, you’ll have to ensure that there is enough supply to get you through each performance, which could mean additional production costs. • One pro of using “fake” or prop food is that it provides a great opportunity for your students to learn the ins and outs of prop creation. There are lots of fantastic tutorials online, demonstrating creative techniques for making realistic-looking prop food. For example, students could learn how to paint the inside of plastic glasses with different types of materials to create full-looking drinks, or build and decorate a prop wedding cake using hat boxes and trim. (You can even add a “cutting slice” — a thin slot in the back of the cake — to insert a knife into to make it look like the newlyweds are cutting a piece of cake!) • Using fake or invisible (mimed) food and drinks is a great acting challenge for your students. You can use empty plastic cups for a variety of acting challenges — how can students hold the cups to indicate that the contents are hot, cold, or filled to the brim? How can students gesture without looking like they’re flinging liquid all over themselves? Have them try to slowly lift the cup to their mouth, take a “sip” of the drink, swallow, and lower the cup, all without “pouring” the drink down their fronts. Try having students pretend to take a bite of invisible food, or chew invisible gum realistically. It’s harder than you think. • Depending on the scene, you may be able to get away with using a combination of fake and real food onstage. Let’s say you’re staging the “Be Our Guest” song from Disney’s* Beauty and the Beast*, and you want Belle to sample some of the desserts. You could have an ensemble member bring a plate of fake cookies onstage, with one real cookie placed strategically in the pile for Belle to pick up and take a bite of. Whether you end up using real, fake, or invisible food and drinks onstage will also depend on your unique group of students. You may find that one class benefits from using real food while another class finds real food too distracting and simply mimes the food. There are no right or wrong answers; use whatever works best for you and your students.

When students are presenting scenes in drama class, the most typical setup is actors on one side of the room with the audience facing them on the opposite side, like a typical proscenium arch stage. However, there are other exciting stage setups to explore, which provide different staging opportunities and challenges. In this exercise, students will have the opportunity to block and perform a scene in three different stage setups: proscenium stage, traverse stage, and theatre in the round. As a refresher, here’s a quick description of the three stage setups referenced above: • Proscenium stage: stage facing the audience, straight on • Traverse stage: stage is surrounded on two sides by the audience • Theatre in the round or arena stage: stage is surrounded by audience on all sides Start by presenting sample images of the three listed stage setups, or have students do an online image search of them. Discuss the visual differences between the different stages, as well as potential opportunities and challenges each stage presents for the actors, directors, and audience. For example, on a traverse stage you could choreograph some amazing battle sequences or have two distinct sets on either end of the playing space, but you may be limited in the number of entrance and exit routes available. Theatre in the round creates a very cool, intimate atmosphere for the audience, as they’re typically quite close to the playing space, but it can be challenging to block actors so they don’t always have their backs to the audience. There are three different ways you can approach the practical portion of this exercise. How many students you’ll need to be actors and directors will depend on which method you select. 1. Two-day, one-scene option: This option takes fewer class days and gives a good general overview of how scenes have to be adapted to accommodate the different stage setups. Divide the class into multiples of three groups labelled A, B, and C. (For example, if you have 18 students, you might wish to have three groups of six students or six groups of three students. If you go with six groups, there will be two Group As, two Group Bs, and 2 Group Cs.) All groups will perform the same scene but on different stages. Groups A will perform their scene in a proscenium setup; Groups B will perform in the traverse stage setup, and Groups C will perform in the round. Depending on the number of students and the number of roles in the scene, you may wish to assign student directors within the groups or have the students block the scenes themselves. When students aren’t performing, they will act as the audience/analysts. 2. Six-day, multiple-scene, deep dive option: This option requires at least six classes, depending on the number of students you have (if you have a large class, you may need more performance days), but each group gets the opportunity to perform their scene in each of the three different stage setups. Divide students into small groups. Have each group select one scene. Each group should have a different scene and they will each perform their scene three times. On Day 1, each group will block and rehearse their scene for a proscenium stage. On Day 2, each group will present their scene. On Day 3, each group will block and rehearse their scene on a traverse stage setup, and they will perform on Day 4. On Day 5, each group will block and rehearse their scene in the round, and they will perform on Day 6. When groups aren’t performing, they will act as the audience/analysts. 3. Focused group option: If you have students who wish to do a deep focus on just acting, directing, or analysis, this can be a good option. It’s also an option if you have drama students who do not wish to perform. Select one group of actors (depending on how many roles are in the scene) and three directors. Each of the three directors will be assigned one stage setup (proscenium, traverse, in the round) and will block the actors to fit the stage setup. The actors will perform the scene three times, once in each stage setup. The rest of the group will be the audience/analysts. Once all the groups have performed, have the groups reconvene for a discussion and/or have students respond to any or all of the following questions individually: • For each scene: What worked well? What didn’t work well? Why? • In your opinion, which stage setup was most effective for the scene? Why? • If you had the chance to redo your scene with a different stage setup, which one would you choose? Why?OR (for Option 2) Which of the stage setups did you think worked best for your scene? Why? • For each group: What were the advantages or opportunities of your particular stage setup? What were the disadvantages or challenges? How could you overcome these challenges if you were to stage the scene again? • If you were to stage a full production of the play that this scene came from, which stage setup would you choose? Why? • What other stage setups or venues would you like to explore or try staging your scene in? (For example, a thrust stage, outdoors, the library, the school basement, etc.) In the last five minutes of class, have students respond to and submit one of the exit slip questions, found in the giveaway below. Additional Resources: Staging Your Show: “Same Show, Different Stages” Exercise “Cheating Out”: Two Games for Middle School Drama Students Free two-person and group scenes from Theatrefolk

It’s exciting when well-known books, films, and television shows get turned into stage productions. Plays and musicals like The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, The SpongeBob Musical, and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child feature favourite characters and epic moments, real and in person! These types of shows are a great way to engage your students in the drama classroom and capture their imaginations, bringing many different possibilities for storytelling onstage. Students can find inspiration in these types of shows and have great fun in creating their own interpretations and adaptations of the different scenes and moments onstage. However, younger students are often quite literal and don’t always know how to translate large, fantastical scenes from the script to the stage, or more often, the screen to the stage. They see giant battle sequences, characters flying or falling, car chases, magical transformations, or large sporting events and expect them to look exactly like they do on the screen or on the page. They don’t think of things like green screens, stunt people, post-production editing, or the thousands of dollars it takes to achieve these effects in a film or television show. These moments aren’t impossible to translate to the stage; we just need to look at them differently. We bring them to life through theatricalization, meaning “in a dramatic and representative manner.” It’s not exact; rather, a theatricalized moment represents the image and story, with the audience suspending their disbelief. They know the moment they’re watching onstage isn’t going to be perfectly realistic, yet what they’re seeing is still believable and evokes emotion. How can we challenge our middle school drama students to bring the unreal to life onstage? Let’s explore the process of coming up with simple yet creative solutions for staging these types of scenes. Start by having students share video clips of action-packed moments from their favourite movies or shows, live or animated. Have them point out moments that are exciting and ones they would like to create onstage. Then, either as a full class or in small groups, come up with ideas on how to bring the scene to life onstage. For example, let’s say the scene features a character driving a car. Your students likely will not be able to bring a full-sized functional car onstage. However, there are lots of ways to make a car “appear” onstage, using items they might find in the drama classroom or in their backpacks. For example: • Have students mime or create tableau scenes unlocking the car door, entering the car, steering, etc. • Have an actor sit on a rehearsal block or stationary chair and hold a circular object, such as a paper plate or a Frisbee, as the steering wheel. • Have one student push another around the room in a rolling desk chair or wheeled stool. • Use a toy car as a puppet and have another classmate narrate what’s happening. In these instances, the audience knows there isn’t an actual car onstage, but they understand that the action and selected props are used in a way that represents the car. Once students have brainstormed some ideas about how they could stage these scenes, have them get up on their feet and try creating the scenes. Give them a set amount of rehearsal time and then have them present their work in front of the rest of the class. Below you’ll find some examples of scenarios your students can work on in the classroom if they need ideas. Be sure to remind them to treat their bodies and those of their friends’ gently and safely, especially if they’re creating battle scenes or similarly physically risky scenes. If available, students can use items from the classroom and their own possessions, but if there aren’t any items available, mime, tableau, and slow-motion movements are all fun and effective! • A large sporting event — anything from a hockey game to a Quidditch match • Peter Pan and Wendy flying to Neverland • A battle sequence, such as the Battle of Helm’s Deep from Lord of the Rings or the battle between the White Witch’s army and Aslan’s army in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe • The Evil Queen transforming into the Witch in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs • Casting a spell in the Harry Potter universe • An underwater sequence, such as Ariel and Flounder exploring her grotto in The Little Mermaid • A horse race or trail ride • Tarzan and Jane swinging on vines through the jungle • Winnie the Pooh getting stuck in Rabbit’s hole and his friends trying to help him get unstuck • Heroes trying to find their way through a giant hedge maze How will your students tackle these epic scenes in a creative way? For a greater challenge, have your class figure out two ways to stage each scene! Related Articles: Create a World Create a Giant Onstage Putting Together a Drama Class Adaptation Project Playwriting Exercise: Exploring Adaptation Scene Self-Staging: Teaching Students to Block Theatrically and Independently

You need your students to work independently on a scene but when it’s time to present they seem to have forgotten everything you’ve taught them. Scene Self-Staging: Teaching Students to Block Theatrically and Independently gives students a process to follow to help them produce a fully staged scene with specific dynamic blocking and three-dimensional characters. Scene Self-Staging provides an in-depth step-by-step process to help students master their scenes – from choosing a scene to script analysis to presentation. All material is geared toward independent, student-driven staging – and you can be as involved or as hands-off as you wish. Assessment suggestions are provided for each step, or you can just use the Performance Rubric. Help your students stage their scenes to the best of their ability – and do it all without you!

In theatre, a transition refers to the process of moving from one scene or set to the next. It seems simple enough–grab “all the stuff” at the end of one scene and take it offstage, while the rest of the “stuff” gets brought on for the next scene. Unfortunately, many directors overlook transitions and don’t stage them until later in the process. This results in rushed, sloppy transitions that take a long time to happen. Add to that the potential for missing set pieces and props, as well as ones that are moved improperly or left onstage. Sloppy transitions are one of my biggest pet peeves in theatre. Audiences are stuck in a dark theatre waiting for something to happen, while actors and stage crew scramble about to get everything moved around. Here are five tips for transitions – how to add them into your show and what things you need to consider when working on them. 1. Start early and make transitions part of the scene.Block and/or choreograph transitions as soon as you block a scene. This way, transitions are taken care of right away and can be practiced frequently. Have students go through the motions of bringing on and removing items, even if the props or set pieces aren’t yet available to use. Think of blocking and choreographing transition work just like choreographing dances or stage combat. They are a necessary part of the show–while not as glamorous, they are important for keeping up the pace and flow of the show. 2 .Make it very clear who is moving each item.Will a stage crew do the transitions, or will actors assist? Or are the actors solely responsible for transitions? Will actors move props while stage crew move sets, or will it be a mix of both? When blocking transitions, have your stage manager AND those students responsible for transitions write down exactly what they are doing, when they are doing it, and how they are doing it. And on that note… 3. How are transitions done?Transitions can occur in so many ways. They can be simple, intricate, creative, or no-frills. Some transitions are done in simple blackout, and some are technically complex. What works best for your show? Do actors move items in character or not? How will stagehands move items? Are the transitions done in blackout, or in full view of the audience? Will you close the curtain in between scenes? Will you have full blackouts onstage or just dim the lights? Where will items be moved and stored–left, right, centre? Someplace else? How can you best organize movements so traffic jams are avoided? Is there music or underscoring? Do transitions occur while scenes are still going on? Will the stage crew wear standard crew blacks or be in costume? (I’ve seen both!) Will you add mime/tableau/dancing in front of transitions for interest? Don’t forget to have someone available to “page the curtains” during transitions–this is holding the curtains back so props and set pieces can be smoothly brought on and offstage without damaging the curtains, then swiftly closing them afterwards so the audience can’t see backstage activity. This person could be an assistant stage manager, another member of the cast, or another available crew member. 4. Allow time to practice transitions.Rehearse transitions during blocking rehearsals, and especially during runs of the show. Ensure that all students doing transitions (whether or not they are actors or stagehands) are called to those rehearsals. Doing cue-to-cue (or Q2Q) rehearsals are useful for making sure transitions are quick and clean, and are done in time with lighting changes or music/sound effects, if applicable. The pacing of a show is so important–you don’t want the audience to be absorbed in the performances and then suddenly jarred back to reality with long, drawn-out transitions. Practicing in advance also allows students to inform you of any concerns (for example: being scheduled to do a transition while they are also trying to do a quick change, getting caught in a furniture traffic jam, or having props/set pieces end up in the wrong places). 5. Simplify.If you find that transitions are just taking way too long and aren’t working, is there a way you can simplify the process? See if you could reduce the number of props, use furniture that could work in different ways, and create reversible set pieces. For example, you could use the same table in many different ways by adding or removing tablecloths, using different chairs, or decorating with small items like flowers or vases (which take up way less room than a second table). One couch could be made to look different by adding a slipcover, throw blanket, or decorative cushions. Many scene changes can also be achieved with different lighting looks. If you cannot reduce the items you have, then you may need to add some additional crew members to your team. As the saying goes, “many hands make light work.” Adding even one more stagehand can help transitions occur much more easily. You may wish to assign stagehands to always move the same items in different scenes. For example, one stagehand is always responsible for moving tables and chairs, while another stagehand is always responsible for hand props and smaller items. Good transitions are smooth, flowing, and keep the pacing of the show. A little bit of advance preparation and practice goes a long way to making your transitions great ones!

Different venues can have a huge effect on a production. They can create beautiful and intriguing staging options for directors and designers, and really surprise and enchant audiences. They can also pose many challenges to the production. For this exercise, students will compare and contrast different types of stages/venues and look at how different stages can affect how a show is performed. This exercise will help students think outside the box and come up with creative ideas about staging a show. Types of StagesHere are seven different types of stages/venues that shows could be performed on/in: • Proscenium stage (stage facing the audience, straight on) • Traverse stage (stage is surrounded on two sides by the audience) • Thrust stage (stage is surrounded on three sides by the audience) • Theatre in the round or arena stage (stage is surrounded by audience on all sides) • Black box theatre (a simple, unadorned performance space, usually a large square room with black walls and a flat floor) • Outdoor venue (student’s choice as to exactly where the outdoor venue is) • Site-specific or alternative venues (like a show set in a warehouse, hotel, hospital, etc.) Pre-KnowledgeYou might want to start this exercise by showing pictures of the seven types of stages. Project them on a screen so everyone can see. Instruction 1. Students select partners. Have each pair select a play or musical that they would be interested in staging. Each partner will then draw out of a hat one of the seven stages/venues listed above. That way, each pair has two different locations to compare. 2. Students will create a pro and con list for both venues they selected, comparing and contrasting strengths/weaknesses and advantages/disadvantages. Students should aim for a minimum of three pros and three cons per stage/venue. Here’s an example: Romeo & Juliet on a Thrust Stage PROS CONS - Easy to create a large unit set. - Can have a huge audience; lots of seating available around the stage. - Reminiscent of Stratford Festival, which is a classic venue for this kind of show. • Blocking is challenging on a thrust stage (sightline concerns; need to ensure all audience members can see properly). • Stage combat is also difficult to stage on a thrust stage (audience all around = more angles to see fake punches/slaps). • Where to store large set pieces?Romeo & Juliet in an Outdoor Venue PROS CONS • A great option for a special summer show (i.e. “Shakespeare in the Park” – marketing perk). • Could have a real balcony for the balcony and garden scenes. • No need to create extensive sets if we use a venue that is already beautiful (i.e. university courtyard). • What if it rains? • Can be difficult to hear outside; actors will really have to project. • Do we need special permission and/or a permit to perform stage combat outdoors (could be perceived as violence)? 3. Once students have created their charts, each pair will join another pair (to make a group of four) and the groups will share their charts with each other as well as make suggestions and thoughts. Once each group has completed their discussions, students will complete an individual reflection.

Teachers, when working in rehearsals with your students, are you more of a planner type or a go-with-the-flow type? Do you map out all the blocking and movements in advance, or do you allow students to experiment and figure out their work more organically? There are as many different types of rehearsal blocking techniques as there are teachers, but I have found that it boils down to two main types: pre-blocking and in-rehearsal blocking. Let’s compare and contrast the two styles. Pre-Blocking“Pre-blocking” means to plan all onstage action and character movements in advance of the rehearsal. The director has a clear vision of what he/she wants to see onstage and how the action will flow. They plan everything in advance so students learn blocking and rehearse it quickly. This blocking technique is useful for teachers and directors with limited rehearsal time. They will be organized and ready to go with their staging already in mind. From there, it gives them more time to go back later to work with actors on developing their characters, and fine-tune the overall look of the show. This style is also useful for working with younger (or less experienced) student actors, students who prefer (or need) more structure, and large casts. Challenges While pre-blocking is a time-saver, it can be challenging for student actors who might feel that they don’t have a lot of say in the artistic process. The process, while efficient, might feel mechanical or robotic to those students who like to try out different approaches during rehearsal and experiment with their characters. It’s very much a feeling that the students are the worker bees, while the teacher is the “head bee” who keeps the hive running. In-Rehearsal Blocking“In-rehearsal” blocking occurs when the director and actors come together to develop blocking in the rehearsal space. It’s an organic process, with lots of experimentation and collaboration. Students and teachers are teammates working together to create the piece. Students are free to play (within the constraints of their characters) and have the ability to try different approaches to their characters/movements on the fly. They have the freedom to share their thoughts and ideas. They also know that those thoughts and ideas will be heard and implemented into the process. This technique usually works best with smaller groups of students who are more experienced and eager to contribute. Challenges On the flip side, this form of rehearsal can take a lot longer to produce a clear result. What is the line between collaborating toward a finished piece and experimenting just because it’s possible? When using this technique, it’s important to have a goal in mind of what you wish to achieve at that particular rehearsal. It can be challenging for younger or less experienced student actors, as they may feel intimidated or overwhelmed with the responsibility of coming up with creative ideas. It’s easy for more introverted students to get overlooked or outshone by their more outgoing and outspoken peers. It may also be challenging to include everyone’s ideas or concepts in the piece. What gets omitted? And will that student feel excluded because their idea wasn’t used? In this style of rehearsal, it’s important to have a very organized stage manager who can keep track of what gets decided and records it carefully. That way, all the ideas are not lost or forgotten in the heat of creation! What kind of creation will your piece be?When approaching a theatrical piece, establish your parameters early. What kind of creation it will be, what kind of rehearsal timeline is available, and how much students are able to contribute to the process. Both pre-blocking and in-rehearsal blocking have their advantages, and it is up to the teacher to determine which technique is appropriate in a given situation. Ideally, the process will be a combination of both pre-blocking and in-rehearsal blocking. The director will have a clear vision of what they want to achieve with the piece, but still remain flexible and open to student suggestions. After all, theatre is a creative process, and students have tons of creative ideas! If you favour one style over the other, challenge yourself to try the other technique and see how it works for you. Experiment with both styles to see what works best for you and your students.

When directing a show, it can be very useful to “pre-block” a scene ahead of time. “Pre-blocking” means to plan all basic character movements in advance of the rehearsal. This can save a lot of time during rehearsals, as directors will be organized and ready to go with their staging already in mind. This, in turn, will give the director more time to work with actors on developing their character and fine-tuning the overall look of the show. For this exercise, students will take on the role of director and pre-block a scene. First, students will choose a scene from a play. The scene should have three or more characters. Students will need to make a basic ground plan of the stage they’d like to use. A ground plan is a drawing of the stage from a bird’s eye view (looking straight down on the stage from above). It helps the set designer to develop the scenic design, and helps the director to establish the flow of the action. Students will choose from one of the following stages: • Proscenium stage (stage facing the audience straight on) • Traverse stage(stage is surrounded on two sides by the audience) • Thrust stage (stage is surrounded on three sides by the audience) • Theatre in the round or arena stage (stage is surrounded by audience on all sides) Once students have decided what stage they will use, they must decide where the entrances and exits will be and note these on the drawing. Students will need multiple copies of their ground plan, one for each page of text for their scene. Now, it’s time to plan the action! On the actual script pages, use shorthand to indicate entrances, exits, and movement (both crossing the stage as well as movements like standing, sitting, dancing, carrying on a prop, etc.) at the precise line moment they are to happen. It’s much faster and tidier to write “XDR” (cross downstage right), instead of writing out the full sentence. Simple stage direction shorthand looks like this: • DS = downstage • US = upstage • DR = downstage right • DL = downstage left • UR = upstage right • UL = upstage left • C or CS = centre stage • X = cross/move • + = with another character (include initial of character) Once the student has planned all the movements on the script pages, they will use the ground plan to make a visual map of the characters’ movements. When a character enters or exits, write on the stage drawing which entrance they use, and use arrows to indicate movement and/or the direction they’re facing. Identify characters with dots, X’s, or stick figures, and a short form of their name (for example: Rom., Jul., Tyb., Merc., etc.) or initials. It may also help to colour-code each character and their movements using coloured pencils. This will help to visualize where the performers will appear onstage. For an extra challenge, have each student trade their pre-blocked scenes and ground plans with a classmate, and try getting the scenes up on their feet using the notes and movements created by the student! Kerry Hishon is a director, actor, writer, and stage combatant from London, Ontario, Canada. View her blog at www.kerryhishon.com.

It happens all the time in young or beginning actors. You’re sitting in the audience and out of the corner of your eye you catch it – an actor starts to shift back and forth on their feet. Their hands drift up and down for no reason. Wanderitis. It becomes the sole focus of your attention. All you can see is the shift, shift, shift. It’s impossible to pay attention to the action on stage. Wanderitis is often an unconscious movement. Actors don’t even know they’re doing it. They think they’re doing great – they’ve learned their lines, they’re emoting, they’re acting. Creative work becomes compromised when a student has wanderitis.When an actor has wanderitis that means they’re not fully focused on their actions. They’re distracted. They haven’t thought fully about their character from head to toe. Wanderitis is rarely a character driven movement. When an actor is in character, they made choices as to how to stand, how to move, how to gesture. They can describe their character’s physical presence. They can demonstrate character without ever saying a word – it’s all in the body. Ask your students these questions to get them thinking about the physicality of their character: • What are three words that describe your character’s physicality? • Is your character heavy or light? How does this affect their stance? Their posture? • Is your character bound or loose? How does this affect their stance? The way they move? • Is your character fast or slow? How does this affect their body? The way they move? Get your students used to standing and moving in character. Make it part of any character development they do when working on a monologue or scene. Have your students create silent movement moments for their character where they have to enter, complete an action and then exit. Are the movements defined? Are the movements character driven? Is every gesture specifically chosen? Share this videowith your students on what wanderitis is, and an exercise you can do to try and stop it. You can also download and print the “ Don’t let your feet drag you down ” poster below for your classroom – including tips for curing Wanderitis.

The show I’ve been doing this summer is staged in the round. Well, the audience is arranged in a more square-like pattern, but “in the round” will suffice for our purposes. There aren’t many opportunities to perform in the round. I’m at one of only two professional theatres in Canada that works this way. “In the round” has many unique benefits as well as challenges. Today I’m going to talk about staging, and on Sunday I’ll discuss acting. The audience is highly engaged.The arrangement of the seats makes the audience engage intensely with the action of the play. When the audience looks beyond the performers, they see other audience members. And they surely draw the conclusion that if they can see other audience members, that must mean that other audience members can see them. We all become performers, we’re all “on stage.” The stage in our theatre (and I think in most in-the-round spaces) is at the same level as the audience. The audience has easy access to the stage, and they take full advantage of that fact. Ushers are constantly having to ask people not to walk on the stage, not to touch the props. It’s almost irresistible to them. When does the average theatregoer have a chance to have a tactile experience with the set and props? The set has to work from all angles.The set designer has to work in three dimensions, and envision a playing space that both suits the play and works for the audience from every angle. Flats are out. Walls have to be knee-height suggestions. Doors are really tricky to design well. You need to learn a new blocking nomenclature.There is no upstage/downstage/left/right in the round. For the play I’m doing, a fairly kitchen sink script, we actually stuck to “old school” terms. We arbitrarily picked a spot and called it downstage and it worked fine. But another play I did in the same theatre was freer in its setting. It took place on a golf course over eighteen holes (scenes). Every scene had a different location for the tee-off, and faced a hole in a different direction. All six of us (four actors, plus the stage manager and the director) invented our own system for tracking this. Mine involved a watch face. Sounds like a nightmare, but we made it work somehow. By the end of rehearsal we could all translate each other’s systems. Over the course of rehearsals, the director will position himself in a variety of spots around the rehearsal hall to ensure things are working OK. The blocking has to work from all angles.See the sofa? See the lounger? See the audience seats behind them? You can’t have actors sitting for long because their backs will be to the audience. This one can be really tough. The audience wants to see things, right? But when you get more than two or three actors on stage it’s really tough to space them out so they’re not blocking anybody for anyone in the audience. The actors have to move, move, move!That big four-page introspective monologue at the end of act one? It’s not going to be a park-and-bark extravaganza. That puppy has got to move. No matter where you’re standing on stage, your back is always to someone. The audience will only tolerate the back of your head for so long. One director I know uses 20 seconds as a rule of thumb. You’re never in the same spot for longer than 20 seconds. Same with a two-hander scene. Both of you have to move so that everyone can see everything. Something as simple as an important hand gesture, or the revelation of a prop, has to be done as you spin around so everyone in the audience can see what you’re doing/holding. What about acting?Staging is one thing, but acting is a whole other thing. Tomorrow I’ll talk a bit about acting in the round. It can get real crazy, I tells ya’!

Here’s a New Video Tip. Today’s topic is “Wanderitis” View it here.