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         <Name>Breaking Walls:  Getting a Reluctant Actor to Come Out of His Shell by Stephanie Muller</Name>
         <Summary>Having a shy actor getting involed in plays for children and plays for teens</Summary>
         <Description>&lt;div align="left"&gt;
    &lt;h4&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="georgia,times new roman,times,serif"&gt;I&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;m sure that in most cases, the idea of a &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;shy actor&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt; doesn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t
come up too much.&amp;nbsp; Typically kids who audition for productions love the
limelight and attention that comes with being onstage.&amp;nbsp; But on 
occasion, teachers are left to deal with a kid who just plain doesn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t
want to be there.&amp;nbsp; He may be in your show or class because his pushy 
parents made him do it or just as likely because of a graduation 
requirement in the arts.&amp;nbsp; But nonetheless, you as an educator are left 
in a precarious situation.&amp;nbsp; How do you best serve a kid who would rather
be in a tank of sharks than in your class?
&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
    &lt;h4&gt; &lt;/h4&gt;
    &lt;h4 class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="georgia,times new roman,times,serif"&gt;As a college theatre major, I actually see this come 
up quite a bit!&amp;nbsp; Since my college offers a broad degree in theatre, 
actors have to take tech classes (which terrify me) and techies have to 
take acting classes (which petrify them).&amp;nbsp; Here is what my acting 
professor did to help the students in her class who were not actors, not
interested in acting and not enthusiastic to be trapped in her acting 
class for a semester.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
    &lt;h4&gt; &lt;/h4&gt;
    &lt;h4&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="georgia,times new roman,times,serif"&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
    &lt;h4&gt; &lt;/h4&gt;
    &lt;h4 class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="georgia,times new roman,times,serif"&gt;First, my professor established why it was important 
for everyone to take an acting class at some point in his or her life.&amp;nbsp; 
Acting is not just an art, it is a way of life, she explained.&amp;nbsp; It helps
people to live in the moment and be &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;present&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;
rather than spending their time dwelling on the past and fearing the 
future.&amp;nbsp; It helps to provide insight about yourself and your inner 
truths that you never knew before.&amp;nbsp; For more practical people, learning 
to act serves as a means to build self-confidence, improve vocal skills 
and conquer the common fear of public speaking.&amp;nbsp; Giving students the big
picture worked out really well for my professor, because suddenly the 
class was not about getting onstage and being silly, but about bettering
themselves and conquering fears that might thwart them in the real 
world.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
    &lt;h4&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="georgia,times new roman,times,serif"&gt;Another method my professor used which was 
particularly successful was to not focus so much on trying to get 
reluctant students to &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;act&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt; but rather to encourage them to &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;get out of their heads.&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp;
 She encouraged improvisation and spontaneity.&amp;nbsp; We often were given 
activities that required so much focus and concentration that we forgot 
we were in front of a class.&amp;nbsp; This was particularly effective because it
 applied to more experienced, albeit self-conscious actors in the class 
as well (like me) and ensured that both the actors and non-actors in the
 class could be on the same level for awhile.&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/h4&gt;
    &lt;h4&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="georgia,times new roman,times,serif"&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
    &lt;h4&gt; &lt;/h4&gt;
    &lt;h4 class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="georgia,times new roman,times,serif"&gt;Next was an interesting tactic.&amp;nbsp; Instead of focusing 
on how to make a shy actor live up to a more enthusiastic, experienced 
scene partner, my professor insisted that the experienced actors in the 
class play to their inexperienced partners&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt; strengths.&amp;nbsp; It was, she insisted, never an actor&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s
place to make their scene partner look bad.&amp;nbsp; Therefore, just as a shy 
actor needed to step it up and break free of nerves, a more traveled 
actor needed to do whatever possible to bolster the confidence of his 
partner.&amp;nbsp; This worked in such a way that when the loudest kid in class 
was partnered with the meekest, their final scene together was beautiful
because both had to make extreme adjustments in their temperaments to 
make the scene look polished and balanced.&amp;nbsp; I love this strategy because
it doesn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t antagonize shy actors and make them feel small.&amp;nbsp; Rather, it puts the pressure on your 
more enthusiastic students to take their skills to another level to help
their partners.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
    &lt;h4&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="georgia,times new roman,times,serif"&gt;Teaching acting to an unwilling student is actually a great opportunity to change a shy kid&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s
 life.&amp;nbsp; They will gain newfound skills that will help them immensely in 
non-theatrical settings such as business presentations and job 
interviews.&amp;nbsp; Even in their everyday lives, they will benefit from being 
present, getting out of their heads and complementing the strengths of 
their partners.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/h4&gt;
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         <Name>Building Community in Your Theatre </Name>
         <Summary>No doubt you’ve experienced the magic of theatre.  You’ve seen a variety of people with different backgrounds, different strengths and different interests all work together on a theatrical production and end up feeling more like a united community.</Summary>
         <Description>&lt;p align="left"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;By definition, a community is a group of people with a common interest, but we know it&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s so much more than that.&amp;nbsp; It&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s
 a sense of trust, care and support that makes a community thrive.&amp;nbsp; As a
 teacher and/or director, your leadership and efforts can start to build
 that desired sense of community within your theatre program far before 
the curtain rises on opening night.&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p align="left" class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;When your group convenes that first day, you know you&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;re
 going to see everything from over-confident showing off to hesitation 
and uncertainty.&amp;nbsp; It is your leadership that will get this collection of
 individuals to start thinking and acting like the cohesive group you 
will need to put on a play or musical.&amp;nbsp; First and foremost, you will 
need to establish ground rules for this community so that everyone can 
feel safe.&amp;nbsp; (You can read an &lt;a target="_blank" href="http://www.pioneerdrama.com/Newsletter/Articles/Rules_Expectations.asp?Campaign=NL20110824"&gt;article&lt;/a&gt;
 about this from the last issue of the newsletter.)&amp;nbsp; Of course, you have
 some rules already in mind.&amp;nbsp; However, if you can also involve the 
students in creating the rules, they will begin to take ownership of the
 community and in a subtle way, already feel like they are a valued, 
respected part of it.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p align="left"&gt; &lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;&lt;a name="more"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;div align="left"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  &lt;p align="left" class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Once the rules are set, it&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s
 time for everyone to get to know each other better.&amp;nbsp; Engage the 
students in ice-breaker activities that will help them learn more about 
each other.&amp;nbsp; One idea is to have the students sit in a circle and give 
answers to three or four questions, such as:&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p align="left"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;div align="left"&gt;
    &lt;ul&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Your name&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;How many shows you&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;ve participated in&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Your favorite play or musical&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Why you are here&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;One thing about yourself that no one in the room knows&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;The funniest thing that has ever happened to you (maybe in the theatre if all have previous experience)&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Which famous actor you would want to play you in a movie of your life and why&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;/ul&gt;
  &lt;/div&gt;
  &lt;p align="left"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p align="left" class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Use your imagination for these questions.&amp;nbsp; Choose 
ones that will most likely get your students to have fun without judging
 each other.&amp;nbsp; If you can start each day with a quick ice breaker, you&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;ll soon start to see new relationships forming.&amp;nbsp; Laughing together is a powerful tool to break down barriers and build bonds.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p align="left"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p align="left" class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;As your production moves forth, continue building the
 community into a tight-knit team that can work together.&amp;nbsp; Get students 
interacting more by having them step out of their assigned role, so they
 can understand and respect each other&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s
 importance in the community.&amp;nbsp; This means your actors might help with 
set building or your crew might join the actors in an improv game.&amp;nbsp; You 
can assign roles or have them draw on their strengths and interests; 
anything that helps them realize that each position in the theatre is 
significant to the final production will help them accept and appreciate
 one another.&amp;nbsp; This will also help them take ownership of the production
 by giving them choices and more responsibility.&amp;nbsp; Watch carefully for 
students who are loners and encourage them to do projects that require 
them to work with other students.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p align="left"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p align="left" class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Other ways you can get students interacting are:&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p align="left"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;div align="left"&gt;
    &lt;ul&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Get your students talking about how they work together.&amp;nbsp; Invite an 
elementary class or the school newspaper to engage your students in a 
group interview.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Encourage your students to share their ideas with the group.&amp;nbsp; An &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;all ideas are valued&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt; policy will help students feel that they can be accepted and confident to open up within the community.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Challenge students to teach another student a new skill.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Take pictures of the group as they work together and post the 
photos around the theatre, on bulletin boards, etc.&amp;nbsp; so that the 
students can enjoy them.&amp;nbsp; Make sure you have lots of candid shots where 
the students can see the progress of their work and how everyone is 
having fun working together.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Create a social networking page for your group where students can interact online.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;If a student has to miss a day, have another student (or several 
students) contact that person and let them know they are missed.&amp;nbsp; This 
helps make sure that each student knows that they are an important part 
of the community.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Play team building activities such as &lt;a target="_blank" href="http://www.creativeyouthideas.com/blog/game_ideas/trust_fall.html"&gt;Trust Fall&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a target="_blank" href="http://www.residentassistant.com/games/teambuilders/humanknot.htm"&gt;The Human Knot&lt;/a&gt; or silly and imaginative games like &lt;a target="_blank" href="http://www.ehow.com/info_8314757_other-dark-like-laser-tag.html"&gt;Grog&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a target="_blank" href="http://www.group-games.com/stationary-games/mafia-game.html"&gt;Mafia&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;/ul&gt;
  &lt;/div&gt;
  &lt;p align="left"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p align="left" class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;As your community progresses into a cohesive unit, 
remember that some down time together will help your students interact 
in a more casual and friendly way, solidifying their sense of 
community.&amp;nbsp; Some suggestions for this include:&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p align="left"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;div align="left"&gt;
    &lt;ul&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Taking regular breaks during rehearsals.&amp;nbsp; Even just five minutes can give students a chance to share a moment together.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Have your parent volunteers bring in lunch on a Saturday work day and have everyone stop for an hour to eat and socialize&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Plan an outing, such as bowling, after rehearsal one day to get out and spend some time outside the theatre.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Plan theatre &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;club&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt; events like game nights or movie nights.&amp;nbsp; Add to the fun by dressing up in costume!&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
      &lt;li&gt;
        &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;If you have the space for it, create an area outside the work area 
where students can relax with each other, do homework and talk.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
      &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;/ul&gt;
  &lt;/div&gt;
  &lt;p align="left"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p align="left" class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Bottom line, the more you can get all of the students
 to interact one on one with each other, the stronger the community you 
will build.&amp;nbsp; And when show time comes, your community will shine with 
the magic of theatre!&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</Description>
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         <Name>The Power of Pre-Show Pow-Wows by Flip Kobler </Name>
         <Summary>Bonding before a play as a small or large cast</Summary>
         <Description>&lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;As a director moments away from opening a show, your 
most important job is to pull your cast together.&amp;nbsp; You have lots of 
heads in lots of different spaces.&amp;nbsp; Some have been here for hours 
getting into make-up and costume; others arrive late.&amp;nbsp; Some are hungry; 
some are too nervous to eat.&amp;nbsp; Someone is worried about whether Aunt 
Petunia is in the audience; someone else is texting her boyfriend.&amp;nbsp; It&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s up to you to pull them together and focus all those brains on one single task:&amp;nbsp; the show.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;We conduct a pre-show &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;pow-wow&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt; that has become tradition for us.&amp;nbsp; We&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;ll even announce throughout the pre-show prep, &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;Ten minutes to curtain, five minutes to pow-wow.&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp; Our casts know they have to be ready, costumed, made up, haired AND cell phone free by pow-wow time.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;So what do you say to inspire them?&amp;nbsp; Well, that&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s up to you.&amp;nbsp; Only you know your cast and the journey that&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s
 taken them this far.&amp;nbsp; It will be different for every show.&amp;nbsp; Some of 
what we do is always the same; other parts change depending on the cast.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Whatever direction you decide to go, do NOT open this time up for discussion.&amp;nbsp; Never say, &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;Does anyone have anything they&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;d like to say?&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp; Somebody always will, which means that somebody else has to have their say, and pretty soon it&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s a support group.&amp;nbsp; Now is not the time for that.&amp;nbsp; In this moment, the group needs a leader, and that&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s you.&amp;nbsp; Think of yourself as the coach in the locker room at halftime.&amp;nbsp; This is your &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;win one for the Gipper&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt; moment.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;&lt;a name="more"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt; &lt;/font&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Cindy&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s 
and my tradition always includes gathering in a circle with everybody 
holding hands.&amp;nbsp; Everybody.&amp;nbsp; The house crew, the guys running lights, the
 costumer, janitor, obnoxious stage mom hovering in the corner.&amp;nbsp; 
Everybody is part of this energy circle.&amp;nbsp; We have them close their eyes 
and feel the power in the room.&amp;nbsp; It&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s palpable.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;At this point, with their eyes still closed, I love to have them remember the journey that&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s
 taken them to opening night.&amp;nbsp; Ask them to remember auditions.&amp;nbsp; How did 
it feel?&amp;nbsp; Were they scared?&amp;nbsp; Nervous?&amp;nbsp; Did they ever think they couldn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t
 do this?&amp;nbsp; Most young actors are terrified of singing in public.&amp;nbsp; Some 
have never been onstage before.&amp;nbsp; There are always some who didn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t think they could do it.&amp;nbsp; I usually give a speech that goes something like this:&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;You didn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t think you could do it, but here you are.&amp;nbsp; I want you to remember this moment.&amp;nbsp; When you&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;re
 onstage and you get that laugh, that applause, and when the curtain 
closes and the audience loves you, remember this feeling.&amp;nbsp; File it away 
in your brain.&amp;nbsp; Six weeks ago you didn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t think you could do this.&amp;nbsp; What else do you think you can&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t do?&amp;nbsp; Hmm?&amp;nbsp; For the rest of your life, you will now know that those thoughts are wrong.&amp;nbsp; You can&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t ask that girl out?&amp;nbsp; Nonsense.&amp;nbsp; You&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;ve already done what you couldn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t do.&amp;nbsp; You can&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t apply to that college?&amp;nbsp; Wrong.&amp;nbsp; You&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;ve already done what couldn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t be done.&amp;nbsp; Whatever it is, for the rest of your life, you know that can&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t isn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t true.&amp;nbsp; Forever more your life is changed because you&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;re doing now what you thought you couldn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t do.&amp;nbsp; Hold that feeling.&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;By saying something like this, I get all those brains
 thinking beyond tonight.&amp;nbsp; Beyond forgetting lines or missing a cue.&amp;nbsp; It
 inspires them to realize all these weeks of work mean something that 
won&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t be gone by this time next week.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Another great technique that my wife Cindy uses is to get those minds off of themselves.&amp;nbsp; Remind your cast that tonight isn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t about them anymore.&amp;nbsp; It&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s
 about the audience.&amp;nbsp; Make your cast part of something bigger than 
themselves.&amp;nbsp; Ask them to do this performance for the audience.&amp;nbsp; But not 
the whole audience.&amp;nbsp; Oh no, that&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s
 too vague.&amp;nbsp; Ask them to imagine one single person in the audience 
tonight and do the show for them and them alone.&amp;nbsp; This works wonders.&amp;nbsp; A
 performer may not be able to bring the house down, but they can sure 
make Mom or Dad or Aunt Petunia proud.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;A different idea is to ask them to do it for each 
other.&amp;nbsp; A cast is usually pretty tight by this point (backstage drama 
not withstanding), and performers will be willing to give to each other 
if not themselves.&amp;nbsp; Remind them to be in the moment for their fellow 
actors.&amp;nbsp; To pick up cues so their friend can look good.&amp;nbsp; It&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s amazing how much an actor will give and sacrifice if it&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s to help a buddy.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;We always wrap up our pow-wows by having everybody 
put their hands in the center.&amp;nbsp; We have a countdown, then scream the 
name of the show followed by &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;rocks.&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp; It&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s
 astounding how much energy comes out of those few words.&amp;nbsp; Even if the 
audience overhears the sonic boom, they are a forgiving bunch.&amp;nbsp; And they&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;ll love the energy they know is coming.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Whatever direction you take with your pow-wow, follow these guidelines:&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;
      &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Keep it under five minutes.&amp;nbsp; Your intention is to inspire, not lecture.
	&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
    &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;
      &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Keep it fun, but hit some ideas that carry beyond just the 
show.&amp;nbsp; Fill them with images that will carry beyond the next two hours 
and strike.
	&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
    &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;
      &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Appeal to their selfless side.&amp;nbsp; Don&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t actually do it for the Gipper.&amp;nbsp; Do it for somebody real, here and now, whether it&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s somebody special in the audience or their best friend in the cast.
	&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
    &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;
      &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;End with a bang.&amp;nbsp; A chant, a song, a scream.
	&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
    &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;
      &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;However you end, make sure curtain is less than three minutes away.&amp;nbsp; Don&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t let all that good &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;amping up&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt; wither away with a long delay.
	&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
    &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;
      &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Above all, be honest.&amp;nbsp; Be personal.&amp;nbsp; Make these five minutes a celebration of the road you&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;ve walked together and a promise for all the paths into tomorrow.
  &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
    &lt;/li&gt;
  &lt;/ul&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;You rock

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         <Name>The Power of Pre-Show Pow-Wows by Flip Kobler </Name>
         <Summary>Bonding before a play as a small or large cast</Summary>
         <Description>&lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;As a director moments away from opening a show, your 
most important job is to pull your cast together.&amp;nbsp; You have lots of 
heads in lots of different spaces.&amp;nbsp; Some have been here for hours 
getting into make-up and costume; others arrive late.&amp;nbsp; Some are hungry; 
some are too nervous to eat.&amp;nbsp; Someone is worried about whether Aunt 
Petunia is in the audience; someone else is texting her boyfriend.&amp;nbsp; It&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s up to you to pull them together and focus all those brains on one single task:&amp;nbsp; the show.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;We conduct a pre-show &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;pow-wow&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt; that has become tradition for us.&amp;nbsp; We&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;ll even announce throughout the pre-show prep, &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;Ten minutes to curtain, five minutes to pow-wow.&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp; Our casts know they have to be ready, costumed, made up, haired AND cell phone free by pow-wow time.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;So what do you say to inspire them?&amp;nbsp; Well, that&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s up to you.&amp;nbsp; Only you know your cast and the journey that&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s
 taken them this far.&amp;nbsp; It will be different for every show.&amp;nbsp; Some of 
what we do is always the same; other parts change depending on the cast.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Whatever direction you decide to go, do NOT open this time up for discussion.&amp;nbsp; Never say, &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;Does anyone have anything they&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;d like to say?&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp; Somebody always will, which means that somebody else has to have their say, and pretty soon it&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s a support group.&amp;nbsp; Now is not the time for that.&amp;nbsp; In this moment, the group needs a leader, and that&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s you.&amp;nbsp; Think of yourself as the coach in the locker room at halftime.&amp;nbsp; This is your &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;win one for the Gipper&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt; moment.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;&lt;a name="more"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt; &lt;/font&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Cindy&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s 
and my tradition always includes gathering in a circle with everybody 
holding hands.&amp;nbsp; Everybody.&amp;nbsp; The house crew, the guys running lights, the
 costumer, janitor, obnoxious stage mom hovering in the corner.&amp;nbsp; 
Everybody is part of this energy circle.&amp;nbsp; We have them close their eyes 
and feel the power in the room.&amp;nbsp; It&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s palpable.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;At this point, with their eyes still closed, I love to have them remember the journey that&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s
 taken them to opening night.&amp;nbsp; Ask them to remember auditions.&amp;nbsp; How did 
it feel?&amp;nbsp; Were they scared?&amp;nbsp; Nervous?&amp;nbsp; Did they ever think they couldn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t
 do this?&amp;nbsp; Most young actors are terrified of singing in public.&amp;nbsp; Some 
have never been onstage before.&amp;nbsp; There are always some who didn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t think they could do it.&amp;nbsp; I usually give a speech that goes something like this:&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;You didn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t think you could do it, but here you are.&amp;nbsp; I want you to remember this moment.&amp;nbsp; When you&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;re
 onstage and you get that laugh, that applause, and when the curtain 
closes and the audience loves you, remember this feeling.&amp;nbsp; File it away 
in your brain.&amp;nbsp; Six weeks ago you didn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t think you could do this.&amp;nbsp; What else do you think you can&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t do?&amp;nbsp; Hmm?&amp;nbsp; For the rest of your life, you will now know that those thoughts are wrong.&amp;nbsp; You can&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t ask that girl out?&amp;nbsp; Nonsense.&amp;nbsp; You&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;ve already done what you couldn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t do.&amp;nbsp; You can&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t apply to that college?&amp;nbsp; Wrong.&amp;nbsp; You&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;ve already done what couldn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t be done.&amp;nbsp; Whatever it is, for the rest of your life, you know that can&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t isn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t true.&amp;nbsp; Forever more your life is changed because you&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;re doing now what you thought you couldn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t do.&amp;nbsp; Hold that feeling.&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;By saying something like this, I get all those brains
 thinking beyond tonight.&amp;nbsp; Beyond forgetting lines or missing a cue.&amp;nbsp; It
 inspires them to realize all these weeks of work mean something that 
won&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t be gone by this time next week.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Another great technique that my wife Cindy uses is to get those minds off of themselves.&amp;nbsp; Remind your cast that tonight isn&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t about them anymore.&amp;nbsp; It&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s
 about the audience.&amp;nbsp; Make your cast part of something bigger than 
themselves.&amp;nbsp; Ask them to do this performance for the audience.&amp;nbsp; But not 
the whole audience.&amp;nbsp; Oh no, that&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s
 too vague.&amp;nbsp; Ask them to imagine one single person in the audience 
tonight and do the show for them and them alone.&amp;nbsp; This works wonders.&amp;nbsp; A
 performer may not be able to bring the house down, but they can sure 
make Mom or Dad or Aunt Petunia proud.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;A different idea is to ask them to do it for each 
other.&amp;nbsp; A cast is usually pretty tight by this point (backstage drama 
not withstanding), and performers will be willing to give to each other 
if not themselves.&amp;nbsp; Remind them to be in the moment for their fellow 
actors.&amp;nbsp; To pick up cues so their friend can look good.&amp;nbsp; It&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s amazing how much an actor will give and sacrifice if it&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s to help a buddy.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;We always wrap up our pow-wows by having everybody 
put their hands in the center.&amp;nbsp; We have a countdown, then scream the 
name of the show followed by &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;rocks.&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&amp;nbsp; It&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s
 astounding how much energy comes out of those few words.&amp;nbsp; Even if the 
audience overhears the sonic boom, they are a forgiving bunch.&amp;nbsp; And they&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;ll love the energy they know is coming.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p class="article"&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Whatever direction you take with your pow-wow, follow these guidelines:&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
  &lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;
      &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Keep it under five minutes.&amp;nbsp; Your intention is to inspire, not lecture.
	&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
    &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;
      &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Keep it fun, but hit some ideas that carry beyond just the 
show.&amp;nbsp; Fill them with images that will carry beyond the next two hours 
and strike.
	&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
    &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;
      &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Appeal to their selfless side.&amp;nbsp; Don&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t actually do it for the Gipper.&amp;nbsp; Do it for somebody real, here and now, whether it&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;s somebody special in the audience or their best friend in the cast.
	&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
    &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;
      &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;End with a bang.&amp;nbsp; A chant, a song, a scream.
	&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
    &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;
      &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;However you end, make sure curtain is less than three minutes away.&amp;nbsp; Don&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;t let all that good &lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;ldquo;&lt;/span&gt;amping up&lt;span style="font-family: Verdana;"&gt;&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt; wither away with a long delay.
	&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
    &lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;
      &lt;p&gt;&lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;Above all, be honest.&amp;nbsp; Be personal.&amp;nbsp; Make these five minutes a celebration of the road you&lt;span style="font-family: Arial;"&gt;&amp;rsquo;&lt;/span&gt;ve walked together and a promise for all the paths into tomorrow.
  &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
    &lt;/li&gt;
  &lt;/ul&gt;
  &lt;p&gt; &lt;font size="3" face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif"&gt;You rock

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