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Teachers, I need opinions/advice...kinda long
So as you all well know, I was thrown the Drama Club this year. And I now understand why directors a) are so stressed and busy, and b) yell. A lot. So I need some help.
I hate how much I've had to raise my voice to my cast lately, mostly for talking too much/not following directions/having an attitude. The talking too much, I've taken to just waiting until they're quiet. And I wait. And for that, I've stopped yelling. But the not following directions...well, I'm hitting a wall.
Example of not following directions: I'm trying to clean up a dance today (yes, we had a Saturday rehearsal...shoot me now, please) and it was just the boys. And they had to move and when they moved, they were moving from a straight line to a V formation. One boy kept ending up out of the line. So I said, "J, you need to get in the line." And I showed him the hole and where to go...and he didn't move. So I said it again. And a third time. And then the volume level went up and I said, "J, MOVE!" He still didn't move! I had to physically move him to the spot! I turned to the kids in the audience and asked, "I'm not speaking Greek, right? My directions are clear?" They all said yes. THEY couldn't figure it out why this kid wasn't moving either! This is just one example of something, but the kids seem to be out in left field, and I don't get it.
Example of attitude: One of my leads is starting to think that because he "gets" it, or because he's not in a scene, he can mess around. Problem is that a) he's not as good as he thinks he is, and b) his attitude is starting to rub off on the boys around him. Now, when I correct kids, they're starting to say "I don't agree, but ok." That's NOT ok. We've had discussions about what's expected of them, and this was a new one today. I plan on talking to these two on Monday. But the whining is getting to me!
Back to the not following directions thing - I find that the kids just dawdle. When a scene ends, they don't get offstage. If I don't count to five, or something like that, they take forever to get a task done. It's wearing on me. I don't like the person that the stress of Drama Club is turning me into.
Here's what I'm thinking/planning for Monday, and here's where I beg for your opinions and to critique my plans:
We have a full cast rehearsal, where I want to run Act 2. To solve the talking too much problem, they're going to now be waiting in the Orchestra room (backstage), and the stage managers will call them for their scenes. If they miss it, oh well, but I won't have the talking to be fighting against anymore.
In regards to the two or three boys who have been disrespectful to me, I have to sit down and chat one on one with them. I can do that during their lunch periods.
In regards to the cast not following directions, I'm thinking that maybe we sit down on the stage, in a circle like we did in the first rehearsal, so that we're all on the same playing field. I will acknowledge and apologize for how much I've been having to raise my voice lately, but that I need them to step it up in terms of their listening/following directions/acting on those directions. Maybe I'll have them throw out suggestions of what they can do differently? Help please!
Yeah, so...any advice/thoughts would be helpful. I hate raising my voice, and I used to not really do so, but lately it's been happening more frequently and I don't want it to become ineffective, nor do I want the kids to think of me as a yeller, because I hate thinking of myself that way, and I'm starting to see myself head down that road. Help!
RIP Dr. Irving Fishman - 10/1/19-7/25/10 - thank you for holding on for me.
You made my wedding day complete.
Re: Teachers, I need opinions/advice...kinda long
Ok, DH and I just talked it out, here's the new game plan - please critique! I'm not using kids' names, I'm using their characters (if they have one) or the first letter of their first name.
Step 1) During the lunch periods, I'm going to talk with Sarah Brown, Nicely-Nicely, Sky Masterson, Big Jule, and Benny Southstreet. Nicely-Nicely is not progressing character-wise, and Benny is fantastic. So I'm going to talk with Nicely, tell him that he has to watch the movie, and that I want Benny to coach him. I'm going to tell Benny to speak through the lines with Nicely, and to try to get him to mimic him a bit more. So that's those 2. With Big Jule, I have to have a behavior talk with him. That I know he likes the play but doesn't like staying after, but that he's missed a lot of rehearsals and he's behind. I've taken him out of anything I CAN take him out of, and now, he has to take the responsibility to check the board and to BE at the rehearsals he's called for. With Sarah Brown, I'm going to let her know that she is progressing, but that in scenes that are just her and Sky, he's holding her back and that they're not progressing, and to not let his lack of focus drag her down. With Sky, I'm going to tell him that while in his "slick" scenes, he's doing well, he's not doing well in his scenes with Sarah - that he's regressing. She is progressing and outshining him, and it's due to his lack of focus in these scenes. He needs to focus on every line in every scene, even the ones he doesn't like. (He likes being #1 and that should hit his pride a little, in the good way.)
Step 2: At rehearsal, move the cast into the Orchestra room, with the Stage Managers in charge and calling the scenes, and if the cast members miss their scenes because they're not paying attention, well, then they don't get to rehearse that day.
Step 3: Sit down with the cast on the risers and chat about following directions. Apologize for the amount that I've had to raise my voice lately, but that this is a 2-way street. That if they focus and pay attention and follow directions, I won't ever have a reason to speak at anything other than my normal volume. I will also speak with them about attendance lately - that we understand that there will be reasons to miss, but that they've gotten sloppy lately with letting us know. They HAVE to let us know when they won't be there, or we will be looking for them. It's their responsibility to let me or my assistant director know, and that if they start missing scenes and don't know their entrances, we're going to have to start taking them out of the scenes. We don't want to do it, but that we will if we must.
Ok - critique/suggestions please! And have a cookie (or a cocktail of your choice) if you've made it all the way through!
RIP Dr. Irving Fishman - 10/1/19-7/25/10 - thank you for holding on for me.
You made my wedding day complete.
This is an afterschool club? That the kids had to audition for right?
Is it possible to speak with the students that are causing problems in particular (the boy who wouldn't move or the one that is constantly missing rehearsals) and tell them that they need to improve or they will be asked to leave the production? It's a privilege to be in the cast and if they aren't taking it seriously, you can recast the part.
I think you plan sounds good. I don't know how long this has been going on, but the sooner you address the issues of respect, talking, and following directions, the better the rehearsals SHOULD go! I agree with pp, if the behavior continues, don't you have the authority to replace the students? They should not think that just because they earned a role, it is theirs, not matter how they behave!
I really like your line about things being "a 2 way street!" Make sure you say that!
Good luck!
(Formerly SAHM711) I think I've said it before - I've been directing/assisting with high school theater for 15 years, and you could have just described almost every show I've done during that time. Some have been better. Some have been worse. I've learned a lot about my own behavior over that time as well. I used to yell A LOT. In fact, there was usually at least one time per show that I ended up throwing my script on the floor and yelling at them. The time I stormed the stage because I thought the kid I had spent all day helping with his lines was using his script (3 days before opening night) is infamous. I even walked out of a rehearsal once (not my proudest moment and lead to me making some changes to help with my own stress level).
Now, I also wait until they get quiet. I find that eventually the kids themselves will often say, "Shut up, guys!" and police themselves if I'm just standing there staring at them. I even got to the point that if I heard talking backstage, I would stop a scene and say, "I'm sorry, everyone's not ready, and that's not fair to you." Same thing - they would police themselves.
I think your idea of keeping them in the orchestra room is a good one. It will reduce distractions in the auditorium, and it will give them practice for the actual show where they will need to be backstage. Let them know that while the stage managers will remind them, it is their responsibility to know their own cues and pay attention. Do you have an audio or video feed from the auditorium to the orchestra room? We don't for rehearsals, but we do for the show so that the kids can watch for cues. We also have people backstage to "police" them and make sure they don't get too out of hand (again, for shows not rehearsals).
I think your idea of talking to leads/leaders individually is great. We often do this and encourage them to "step up" and be role models for the rest of the cast. Some years we've had an easier time with this than others. Giving them notes to improve their performance is standard - I do this at almost every rehearsal. Be a bit careful about knocking one's performance to another, but definitely put out there the "I know you're better than what you're giving me" motivator.
As for attendance, do you have a specific attendance policy in writing? At my old school for fall play if they missed more than a certain number of rehearsals without a written excuse, their part was recast. At my current school we have a VERY specific attendance policy in writing, and our producer follows up on any unexcused absences. If they're not there, and they're not crucial to a scene, then taking them out of it is legit. If they're not there, but they are crucial to a scene, then it needs to be their responsibility to find out what they missed.
Not quite sure what to do about the kid that wouldn't move. I think you did the best you could in that situation.
In the end, I've had to remind myself that I could put kids on stage in duck suits and have them quack and their parents will be happy (almost truly proven the year we did Honk!). In fact, I've gotten so laid back in some circumstances, that the kids have told me they miss me yelling - that they like it when I yell. (Crazy kids!)
Obviously, since this is your first year doing this, you want to be successful, and it sounds like you're developing a plan for that. Just continue to be as specific as possible, as firm as possible, put specifics in writing when possible (our producer does weekly update bulletins leading up to the show), have people help each other, and have them be a part of the process. When you sit in the circle on the stage, have them point out what's working in addition to what's not working. I'm sure it will all come together (they often magically pull a great show out of their butts on opening night even when they've had the worst dress rehearsals imaginable). Hang in there, and break a leg!