All stories by Kerry Hishon on BroadwayStars

Saturday, August 12, 2017

Keeping Up Morale (or, Dealing With “Rehearsal Blahs”) by Kerry Hishon

There comes a point in every rehearsal process when the dreaded “rehearsal blahs” start to set in. This tends to be mid-way through the rehearsal process, when the initial excitement of …

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, August 5, 2017

The “What If” Game by Kerry Hishon

Last semester, one of my classes consisted of a group of students who had little theatrical experience. Most of these particular students had never performed onstage before. They were eager …

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, July 22, 2017

Round-Up: 5 Rehearsal Problems… and Solutions! by Kerry Hishon

From Kingston to California, drama teachers everywhere deal with similar concerns with their drama students and their theatrical productions. Here are five common rehearsal problems, rapid-f…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, July 15, 2017

Working With Stage Blood by Kerry Hishon

From Shakespearean tragedies to zombie thrillers, stage blood can be an exciting addition to a show–it adds a sinister realism to dramatic moments, and really makes the audience gasp with …

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, July 8, 2017

Approaching Stage Kisses by Kerry Hishon

Ah, love. So many wonderful theatrical pieces are inspired by love. Yet pretending to be in love onstage, in front of friends, family members, and peers, can be one of the most challenging a…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, July 1, 2017

When an Actor Leaves: How to Deal with Losing an Actor by Kerry Hishon

It’s a situation that directors hope never to have to face, but unfortunately it happens: an actor, for whatever reason, has to drop out of the show at some point during the rehearsal proc…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, June 24, 2017

Five Tips for Dealing with Scheduling Policies & Conflicts, For Directors by Kerry Hishon

Recently we shared a post about theatrical time management for students. However, it’s not just students who need to plan ahead and consider their schedules. Teachers and directors need to…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, June 17, 2017

The Rehearsal Mid-way Blues: Feeling Stuck? Go Back to the Basics by Kerry Hishon

If you were to make a graph of emotions throughout a rehearsal process of a show, I think it would take on a U-shape. The process starts on a high note, with everyone excited about the show …

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, June 10, 2017

You Want Me to Do WHAT Onstage? by Kerry Hishon

Students, imagine this: You’ve been cast into a show that you know is going to be awesome. You’re in the middle of rehearsal, and your director has just asked you to do something really…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, June 3, 2017

Rehearsals You Need to Include in Your Schedule (That You May Not Have Thought Of) by Kerry Hishon

Creating a rehearsal schedule is one of the most challenging parts of producing a show, but it makes theatrical life so much easier. Teachers and directors: When making your rehearsal schedu…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, May 27, 2017

Theatrical Time Management for Students by Kerry Hishon

Students are busy people. Drama students are no exception! They’re constantly juggling rehearsals, learning lines, working backstage, preparing for auditions, performing in shows (often al…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, May 20, 2017

Getting Excited: How to Get “Buy-in” at Your First Rehearsal by Kerry Hishon

When selecting a show for your school to produce, you want to choose a show that is fun, appeals to your students, challenges them, and helps them grow as performers and technicians. But cho…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, May 6, 2017

The First Rehearsal Read-Through: Yay or Nay? by Kerry Hishon

When working on a production with students, one of the first rehearsals (if not the very first rehearsal) is often dedicated to a full read-through of the script. This generally consists of …

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Monday, May 1, 2017

Three “Get to Know You” Games by Kerry Hishon

One of the most common activities that occurs during a first drama class or rehearsal is some form of a “Get to Know You” game. Starting with games is not just a nice break for students …

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Monday, April 24, 2017

How to Deal: Not Getting the Part You Wanted by Kerry Hishon

Teachers: Not getting the part you want can be devastating! If you have a student who is unhappy with their casting result, here is a frank and honest list that you can share with your stude…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, April 22, 2017

Theatre Etiquette 101 by Kerry Hishon

When teaching students who are brand-new to theatre, it’s important to discuss and apply the expectations of the drama classroom, and the theatrical world. We chatted with Kerry Hishon on …

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Monday, April 17, 2017

Pros and Cons of Double-Casting by Kerry Hishon

In theatrical terms, double-casting is when two actors are both cast in the same role, and take turns playing the role during alternating performances. It is different than casting an unders…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, April 8, 2017

Casting Challenge: Not Enough Actors! by Kerry Hishon

Our next casting challenge is the exact opposite of our last post. What happens when you have fewer actors than named parts in the script? This can be a great acting challenge for students, …

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, April 1, 2017

Casting Challenge: Too Many Actors! by Kerry Hishon

Having a large number of students auditioning for your school show can be a good problem to have: You have more actors to choose from. A bigger group means more potential learning opportunit…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Monday, March 27, 2017

Pros & Cons of Callbacks by Kerry Hishon

Imagine this: You’ve just completed your audition for the school production. You’re feeling really confident and happy with your performance. You can’t wait to find out who is going to…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, March 18, 2017

Auditions Exercise Part 2: Mock Auditions by Kerry Hishon

The following is Part Two of our Mock Audition Exercise, which allows students to practice preparing for and presenting an audition in a safe environment. Click here to read Part One.  Outs…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, March 11, 2017

Pros and Cons of Cold Readings by Kerry Hishon

Theatrical “cold reading” (also known as “sight reading”) is where actors read aloud from a script, scene, or text with little to no advance preparation. Actors are handed a script a…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, March 4, 2017

Auditions Exercise Part 1: Perform on Video by Kerry Hishon

The following exercise is the first of a two-part class exercise (Part 2 will come later this month), giving students the opportunity to practice audition prep in a safe environment. Althoug…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Monday, February 27, 2017

Creating a Rehearsal Schedule by Kerry Hishon

Creating a rehearsal schedule can be a daunting task, but it is absolutely necessary for your production. Staff and students (both actors and crew members) must know the schedule expectation…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, February 18, 2017

Staging Your Show: “Same Show, Different Stages” Exercise by Kerry Hishon

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…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, February 11, 2017

Choosing Your Artistic Team by Kerry Hishon

As a busy teacher and director, having a great artistic team is essential to a successful school production. Having a great team in place means that you have a supportive, enthusiastic group…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, February 4, 2017

What Makes the Best Assistants? by Kerry Hishon

Theatre is such a collaborative art form. As the saying goes, “many hands make light work.” Theatrical production assistants come in many forms. Pretty much any crew member or artistic…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Monday, January 23, 2017

Getting Organized: Create a Personnel File by Kerry Hishon

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to get organized, then this post is for you! Teachers are busy people and have a million things to remember. Remembering every student who has …

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, January 21, 2017

Taking on the Producer’s Role: Elevator Pitch by Kerry Hishon

The following exercise gives students the opportunity to pitch their dream show to the rest of the class. This is a great exercise to do with students after you’ve polled your class. Now …

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, January 14, 2017

Drama Class Exercise: Poll Your Class by Kerry Hishon

“I’ve got so much to say / if only you would listen!” That’s one of my favourite lyrics from School of Rock: The Musical. Students truly wish to be heard, and as teachers, it’s our…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM
Saturday, January 7, 2017

Theatrical New Year’s Resolutions for Teachers by Kerry Hishon

It’s a new year and a fresh start! If you’ve been teaching the same classes for a long time, your curriculum might be feeling a bit stale. Yes, it’s always going to be different when y…

SOURCE: Theatrefolk at 01:00AM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre
TBA: Titanic
TBA: Ragtime