349 stories 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 cast…
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 …
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…
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 su…
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…
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 proces…
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 b…
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 …
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…
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…
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 all …
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…
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 …
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 who …
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…
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 th…
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…
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, …
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…
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 be pl…
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. Ou…
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 and expec…
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…
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…
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…
