Tips for Running a Relaxed Performance of Your Show

This post is the third of three posts about preparing for the typical high school competition. Part One looked at the most important question when choosing your competition piece. Part Two looked at the most common performance issues and how to fix them in rehearsal. In Part Three we’re going to look at important pre-performance considerations on the day of competition. I have watched many schools set up before their performance. In one example, there were 22 pre-sets. In this particular competition, every school was given the same amount of time do a walkthrough of the performance area (5 minutes). Every school was given the same amount of time to pre-set immediately preceding their performance (2 minutes). Every school had to carry their set the same distance from the “green room” to the stage. And every school had the same amount of performance time (45 minutes) in which some, none, or a lot of time can be eaten up by moving their set on to the stage. It’s fascinating to watch how differently schools approach their pre-performance time. Some barely use the walkthrough time given to them. Some frantically try to mash in a multitude of exercises. Some had to bound off the stage as their allotted time counted down. It was clear which schools had rehearsed moving their set and which had not – I was amazed to see how many schools struggled with moving their set, to the point of struggling to fit it through the doorway from one room to another. It was not my job to judge anything that happened in the pre-set. But from a nerves standpoint, I can’t but think that schools who struggled in the pre-set were extra nervous when they started to perform. Day of Pre-Performance To Do’sKnow your time rules. Make sure every performer knows exactly how long they have in each section: walkthrough, pre-set, performance. Make sure each performer knows the job they have to do, and how much time it takes in the pre-set. And if you have to set up your set during your performance time, every performer should know how long that eats into the show time. No one should ever utter the phrase “I didn’t know!” Further to that, encourage performers to help each other in times of struggle. Create a community among your actors, encourage them to work together and that will ease any panic that may occur due to unforeseen time problems. Know your space. “Measure twice cut once” is the old adage. Know how big your set is, how narrow an area it needs to fit through, and any unusual elements, such as walking a riser down an aisle that may have people on either side. Know how many steps lead up to the stage. Know if there is a upstage cross. Know where actors have to stand so they won’t be seen by the audience. Know everything, and again, don’t hold back on that information. Be a community. Your stage manager should know, your actors should know, everyone needs to know the information which will help you, as a community of performers, get the best out your limitations. Rehearse your set up. Make the set up part of your show. If you have a walkthrough, mark out where everyone goes in the pre set. Think of the set up like a choreographed section before your play, and not a frenzied dash out of character. Go through it over and over again so that you present yourself as professional and efficient. People notice when you’re professional and also when you’re running around like a chicken with your head cut off. Always strive for the former. Have a warm up routine in place. There is nothing more nerve wracking than waiting to perform. When I was an actor it was never the onstage time that rattled me, it was always the moments before! Make warm ups a habit, create a routine that you do before every rehearsal. And then instead of letting nerves get the better of you as you wait to get on stage, go through your routine. Sometimes, all you need to do is warm up your body, and run through a few breathing exercises to cure those vocal issues I talked about on Thursday. Some other things to think about*Don’t look at the judges. * Really. Don’t try to make eye contact during the show, don’t address monologues to the judges, tell your parents not to turn around and stare at the judges afterwards. Your job is to perform the play to the best of your ability. Do that and not get involved with anything else. Which brings me to…. *Don’t read into what the judges are doing. * You are only in the performance space for a short time. A judge has been there all day. I judged from 8 o’clock in the morning till 6:45 at night. That means, judges need some release. That means they may be drinking a coffee. They may be laughing with each other. They may be chomping on candy. And after the show, they may look like they loved your show, or they may not. They may stand up and start pacing. They may yawn. You have no idea what that means toward your score. You just don’t. So don’t guess by their action, as their actions may have nothing to do with your show. Again, focus on your job and don’t get involved with figuring out what it means if a judge scratches his head four times during your show. Don’t believe everything the judges say. Remember it’s only one person’s opinion. Theatre is subjective and yes it’s a judge’s job to be objective but what if one judge felt actor A was great and another thought actor A was overdoing it? Who’s right? It’s subjective. Now having said that if you have three judges and every single one wrote “Watch your diction” on their form, then it’s a pretty good guess that your diction needs work. The rule of three is always a good rule of thumb – if three people say such and such needs work, you can’t be pig headed about it. Remember to have fun. Oh, I know it’s hard to have fun during a competition. And some people think winning and striving to win trumps everything, even having fun. But if you’re not having fun with your performance, what’s it all for? What’s the point? When you’re having fun, you’re more relaxed and that is always going to benefit your performance.

In a scene from the Broadway production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the lead character Christopher explains how he solved a difficult math problem for his A-level exam. But it’s not just an actor standing there talking about the math problem – using dramatic storytelling, sound and lighting effects, video projections, and even confetti cannons, the math problem becomes a thrilling piece of theatre. If only all other school classes could be so exciting! (Just kidding – no offense meant to other classes.) But why not try using theatrical techniques to present material learned from other classes? Students learn in many different ways (for example, visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic learning styles), so presenting a project in an alternate method (besides a standard exam or essay) can be a fun and challenging way of not only sharing what students have learned, but presenting it to others in an informative and entertaining medium. Let’s try, shall we? Here we go… 1. Decide what subject you’d like to share, and narrow your focus.Let’s say that, like Christopher, your students would like to share what they’ve learned in math class. Once students have determined the class, they must narrow down that focus to one small topic. Math is a huge topic – you can’t talk about everything in one piece of theatre. Students should focus on one small aspect, such as the Pythagorean theorem. 2. Decide your method of presentation.How will students present their idea? There are many different theatrical methods they could employ: dramatic storytelling, creating a song or rap about the topic (à la Hamilton or Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), writing a scene about what people can use the Pythagorean theorem for, creating a video, presenting an infomercial or documentary- style scene showing Pythagoras coming up with his theorem, creating a dance or movement piece using oversized props – like the “BFF” song from the Spongebob SquarePants musical! If students are having difficulty coming up with a method, suggest that they approach the challenge by having to figure out a way to teach their particular topic to a group of elementary school students. How can they make the topic accessible and entertaining to a young group of students (who presumably have a shorter attention span)? This may help them narrow their scope. Challenge students to think outside the typical exam paper or essay approach, and even be a little silly. Doing a dance about math? Sure, they might feel goofy, but this challenges students to use their brains in a completely different way. 3. Execute the plan.Now that students have their topic and method of presentation chosen, it’s time to map out how they’re going to present their topic. Let’s say they’ve decided to create a dance piece using oversized props. They’ll need to choreograph the dance, design/build/acquire the props (perhaps they’ll create colourful cardboard cutouts of squares and triangles), choose appropriate music, find other students to learn the dance, and teach the dance to their cast. Students will list the steps they need to take, and then do the actual work to plan and prepare their presentation. 4. Present the creation.Once the pieces are complete, students will present them to the rest of the class. For a bigger challenge – invite the teachers from the different classes to watch the presentations. For the biggest challenge – go to the classrooms of the subjects, and present the pieces to those classes (for example, perform the Pythagorean theorem dance for a Grade 9 math class)!

“Special needs” is a broad term that describes individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. Every student with special needs is different, and their needs are entirely unique. Students with autism or Asperger’s syndrome, dyslexia and other learning disabilities, blindness or vision impairment, ADHD, epilepsy or cerebral palsy may be considered to have special needs. But there are many more clinical diagnoses for special needs as well. With the advent of relaxed performances at professional theatres around the world (where shows are performed with reduced sound and lighting levels and the option to move around or leave and return to the performance as needed), and wonderful productions such as Deaf West Theater’s Broadway production of Spring Awakening, which featured actors who are hearing-impaired as well as actors who use wheelchairs, theatre is proving to be a wonderful place for all – regardless of abilities or disabilities. As drama educators, we have the opportunity to really encourage students to explore the world of theatre and to take steps to make sure it is accessible for any student who desires to learn more about it, to participate in it, and to grow a life-long love for theatre! Here are some tips to get started. 1. Identify the unique needs of each student.Every student is different, and any student with special needs is going to have different abilities and things that they can and cannot do. Make it a priority to meet with your students (or their families, if necessary) to discuss what their goals are and what they’d like to achieve by taking drama classes or participating in a production. The more information you have ahead of time, the better prepared you are to help your students to succeed. 2. Use proper language.Using correct language is important. There is some debate about whether people-first language or identity-first language is preferential. In people-first language, the aim is to not define students by a disability or health issue because it is considered to dehumanize them and define them as something that they are rather than a condition or trait that they have. In this case, it is proper to use terms like “student with autism” or “student with ADHD” rather than “autistic student” or “ADHD student.” On the other hand, identity-first language is also frequently used, particularly by those in Deaf culture, since being culturally deaf considered to be a source of positive identity and pride. Overall, it is a personal preference for each student. It is also important to avoid negative and ableist terms when referring to students with special needs. Avoid saying things like “he suffers from x diagnosis” or “she is a victim of x diagnosis.” Students with special needs are not victims or are suffering, and must not be patronized or treated in a way to bring shame or embarrassment. Nor are they worse-off or inferior for having special needs or a disability. A disability descriptor is simply a medical diagnosis. 3. See what you can do to help students succeed in drama.There are lots of ways you can assist students with special needs in the drama classroom. Focus on what your students can do, rather than on what they can’t do. Consider the following: • Ensure that your classroom or auditorium has the necessary infrastructure for students who use wheelchairs or walkers, such as ramps or lifts. • Provide large-print, Braille, or audio scripts for students who are blind or have vision impairment. • Provide visual cues such as signs or hand gestures for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. If possible, a video feed would be wonderful to help students who can’t hear auditory cues know when they need to go onstage. • Give scripts to students who have dyslexia or difficulty reading ahead of time, so they can prepare in advance. • Designate a quiet area for students with sensory concerns so they can relax or decompress during a high-energy or over-stimulating exercise or theatre game. • Learn more about augmentative and alternative communication methods for students with speech or language problems. For example, a student could use a voice recorder or iPad application (such as iConverse) to help them perform their lines. • Find out if your student would benefit from an aide, assistant, or interpreter. • Offer a relaxed performance of your next school show for audience members who could benefit from it. • Don’t rule out a student with special needs from performing in a production. If they are the best actor for the part – cast them! • Look for and study shows that feature characters with special needs. For example, the character Archie in 13: The Musical uses crutches because he has muscular dystrophy. The lead character Christopher in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has autism. Treat all of your students equally. A student with special needs may need some specific accommodations at times, but mostly they want to be part of what everyone is doing.