Saturday, August 19, 2017
It takes a community to create a great production, and theatrical performances would not exist without the time, skills, and talents of dedicated crew members. From costumes and props to sou…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, August 12, 2017
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 …
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, August 5, 2017
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 …
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, July 22, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, July 15, 2017
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 …
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, July 8, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, July 1, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, June 24, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, June 17, 2017
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 …
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, June 10, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, June 3, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, May 27, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, May 20, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, May 6, 2017
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 …
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMMonday, May 1, 2017
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 …
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMMonday, April 24, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, April 22, 2017
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 …
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMMonday, April 17, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, April 8, 2017
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, …
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, April 1, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMMonday, March 27, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, March 18, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, March 11, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, March 4, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMMonday, February 27, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, February 18, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, February 11, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, February 4, 2017
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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMMonday, January 23, 2017
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 …
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, January 21, 2017
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 …
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AMSaturday, January 14, 2017
“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…
Linked From Theatrefolk at 01:00AM 
