Ten Steps in a Play Rehearsal in Youth Theater is one of those subjects you figure anyone who has acted at least once will know. Not so. This is a two part post. Next time, I’ll give you the rest of it, ok?
Lately, I’ve read several posts from newbie teachers with no idea about the steps of the rehearsal process for a play or musical. That seems odd to me, but maybe they are teachers whose focus is Language Arts, Social Studies? I know that sometimes the administration will ask to direct the school play or supervise the drama club, so that could be the reason for the unfamiliarity.
Regardless, I will take you through the process for both a play and musical. You can depend upon this process to prepare your young actors because I’m an expert in directing youth theater. Having directed over 350 plays and musicals with both adults and children, I know the process like the back of my hand.
Ten Steps in a Play Rehearsal in Youth Theater
I’m assuming you have the funds to mount your production. If not here are a few ideas for you: Turn Your Theater Department Fundraising Into A High Performing Machine
Step One: Selecting the Script
Before you, the director, do anything you of course must read several scripts and decide upon the one you like the most. I suggest you check out: Dramatic Publishing Company or Dramatists Play Service. but there are many more just as good. Keep in mind the number of characters, scenes, props and costumes. All that will matter when you begin to mount the production. I could write a whole post just about how to select a play or musical, but instead check out: Critical Steps in Selecting a Play or Musical: Casting
After you’ve chosen the play, you may want to announce it to your students. When? It depends upon when you plan to announce it and when the production is to be performed. Me? I announce a month ahead of the auditions and no sooner. I don’t like for students to focus on the show too much ahead of time. Before you know it, they’ve precast the whole show, purchased their own copy of it and maybe memorized lines. Oh, no, no, no!
Step Two: Auditions
Auditions will take a few days:
Day 1 and 2 Auditions
Day 3 Call backs
Day 4 Cast Announced
You may think this is a short time, but that’s what we are going for here. Do your best not to drag out the audition process–the outcome becomes too important to the students.
Ten Steps in a Play Rehearsal in Youth Theater
Advice: If you have an auditions and allow students to watch one another audition, then you may consider announcing to them something along the lines of, “From now on until the show is cast your behavior and attitude matter to me. No distractions are tolerated by me. I expect you to be quiet and attentive. No phones may be out. If someone happens to record another student’s audition and posts it publicly, the guilty party will be denied a role in the play. This is an unbending rule.”
Casting Tips
I also remind them that, “Although at the present moment it may feel like this is the only play in the world in which you could be cast, this isn’t true. This isn’t the be all, end all. Check around the city and see if anyone else is producing a show you could audition for and participate elsewhere.”
Post the cast list either on a Friday afternoon (when you can leave the school or theater for the weekend and give students time to unruffle their disappointed feathers) or post on-line on your website. Handling emails from parents on Monday is another blog post….someday.
Ten Steps in a Play Rehearsal in Youth Theater
Step Three: Cast and Crew Read-Through
I’m old school, so I still call this meeting the “read-through.” Some people now call it a table read (I always thought that was only used for television or movies), but no matter. At this read-through, I ask the cast and crew to introduce themselves and the role or position they are filling.
Next, it’s time to share my concept for the production. I might have a collage of photos, textures, colors or I might just talk about my thoughts. Personally, I think a collage is the best because then everyone knows what you consider the color blood red, for example.
Ten Steps in a Play Rehearsal in Youth Theater
We read through the show. If I have a stage manager, they read aloud the stage directions. This is to give the cast a feel for the play not that we are going to use these directions. Not everyone knows that the stage directions that are printed in the script are honoring the first cast to have ever performed the play. It is not required that you use the directions.
The stage manager hands out a rehearsal schedule. I make it clear to the cast and the crew that their attendance matters. They all ready know the absence policy because I gave it to them at the auditions.
Step Four: Blocking Rehearsals
In the coming days, we begin blocking the play. If I am able to do so, I tape the stage giving the cast an idea of the size of the set, where stairs and doors are located, etc. Usually, I use folding chairs in place of the furniture. Everyone is aware that the chairs signify particular pieces of furniture.
Depending upon the length of the play, I usually block about 5 to 8 pages at the first rehearsal. Why not many? Because the cast is adapting to the script, plus the stage and my direction. Some young students need to write down their blocking before they even step on the stage. That’s your call.
Ten Steps in a Play Rehearsal in Youth Theater
Advice: You will not find that novice actors having a sense of blocking and staging. They can not block themselves nor frankly should they. You are teaching them about acting in a play–that’s part of the responsibility of someone directing youth theater.
The Blocking Process
I use a building block process when directing. Usually, I have two hour rehearsals with one ten minute break at half.
Day 1 block pages 1 to 8
Day 2 block pages 9 to 15 (or when there is a change in the mood or rhythm of the play) If a character enters the stage for the first time, they will change the dynamics of the play–I promise you. The playwright writes the scene this way on purpose. So, block to the entrance of the character. (When a character enters or exits the stage it is called a French scene.)
Day 3 block pages 16 to 20, review blocking 1 to 8. Less new pages to block, more time to spend on reviewing the first day’s blocking.
Day 4 block pages 21 to 26, review blocking 9 to 15 and so forth
Day 5 block pages 27 to 30, review Day 3 and Day 4 blocking.
Blocking Rehearsal
This part of rehearsal would continue until the play is completely blocked–a few new pages, several pages of review, until I am finished.
If you have a difficult scene (such as the dinner scene in The Miracle Worker between Helen and Annie), I take an entire rehearsal to block it.
Do I expect everyone to attend each rehearsal? No, I’d rather they did not. It’s just more students for me to be responsible for, more chances for talking and whatever else might bug me that day. 🙂
Ten Steps in a Play or Musical Rehearsal Process in Youth Theater
If you are interested in your students producing a play themselves, check out: How to Teach Play Production to Your Students
Step Five: Working and Developing Rehearsals and Off Book
Let’s say I have everything blocked by Day 10. Next we go into working and developing rehearsals. Working rehearsal are just that–we work through the play a few pages at the time (probably using two days of blocking at a time) and fix any problem areas or give the students more opportunities to practice together. Developing is just a fancy name for giving the play “air” as I call it. I give the cast a chance to settle into the play, adding their ideas here and there.
Advice: I expect students to practice on their own time–reviewing their blocking and memorizing their lines. I do not use rehearsals for line memorization. Those days can be excruciating for all of us as we listen to someone struggling with their lines. Frankly, it makes everyone listening anxious. Even though we trust the actor will have his lines down pat by opening night, it is still a bit nerve wracking. Wondered about tips to getting off book? Check out this fascinating video: How to Memorize Lines
Ten Steps in a Play Rehearsal in Youth Theater
Students should be off book for act one by Day 10 and act two by Day 15. Here is a blog post with three proven methods for memorizing lines: Three Ways to Memorize Lines for a Play or Musical I’m strict about this. What is off book? It is the day when the actors rehearse without a script in their hands. They can call for lines, but if it’s obvious they have not memorized their lines, I make them practice with their script as to not bring the mood of the rehearsal down.
After we have worked through the entire play, we have polishing rehearsals. I’ll talk about those in the next post. Your students would appreciate this: Watch Splashy Rehearsal
Or maybe you just want to teach all things technical? Here’s a bundle you may want to pick up for this purpose.
How do you run your rehearsals? It’s always nice to hear from you. You can contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or reply here. Here are more directing tips: Eighteen Ways To Make Your Directing Experience Less Stressful, Part One
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