Successful First Play Practice For Your New Play!

First Play Practice Director's Survival Guide!  Here we go...

People you will need…

Adult 1: Directing the acting and following along with the lines

Adult 2:Assistant director sending the students on stage and off stage when they are suppose to by following along with the script, also stepping in from time to time to help the director if they look like they need help making decisions

Adult 3: answering all the questions the actors, cast & crew have (play and non-play related like “can I go to the bathroom”) so the director and assistant can keep practice going, also helping the students stay calm and quiet 

Hopefully you watched my video on how to turn your play into a Master Event Guide and that’s all done for you so your play practices are already completely set up for logistical success! Make sure the newest version of your play is sent out to all the cast and crew.

Send them this reminder one week and 1 day before practice:

1. Bring a printed copy of the play, highlight your lines, put it safely in a 3 ring binder with your name on it
2. Ready your script so it’s fresh in your mind and imagine possible stage movements for your character
3. Make sure you come to practice on a full stomach, bring water and an attitude of patience and excitement!

I’m sure you have read the play many times already, but give it one more good read the day of your first practice so it’s fresh on your mind.

My MAD Curriculum integrates a mixer, drama game and faith-based teaching time which are the perfect formula for a successful atmosphere to be ready for practicing the play.

If you are practicing somewhere other than the stage you will be using for you performances, use tape to show the edges of the stage, and have a door (or fake door) that is in the same place as the actual door (or doors) for your  stage entrances & exits so everyone can practice those exits and entrances from day one!  

Use as many acting props and stage props as you already have ready.  The sooner you can incorporate all the details the better.  Except for costumes!  They will get wear and tear that you don't want if you have the students in their costumes.  Wait until one practice before you dress rehearsal to practice in costumes (unless you have someone in a costume that might effect  their stage placement…like a crocodile!  

Same thing goes for the sound effects & music between and during scenes.  Try to get those playing at that first practice 

I have paper plates and a permanent marker on standby for scenes that need extra stage placement attention because the scene is complicated or have lots of people, or for students who are struggling to stay where there character should be.

Always have extra scripts with a "return to coach" memo on the front page.

Have pen’s & highlighters ready for students who have not marked their lines.  Use the whistle to get everyone’s attention.  You should not ever have to yell.  It’s not worth it. Have drawing paper for sketching things out if you are struggling to convey ideas or don’t want to forget an aesthetic idea and come back to it later.

If an actor is absent it’s best to just have your line reader adult read those lines and pretend like the actor is on stage.  I make a cheat sheet for the line reader with the character name & the actors name to place somewhere visible so they don’t have to remember the name of the person (or people) they are reading for.

Give everyone a break half way through practice time.  Snacks are good, just don’t give them more than 5-7 minutes or they will start to check out and lose focus.

Take pictures!  Parents like seeing pictures.  And don’t forget to create some kind of cute advertisement image for the play!

This is hands down, far and away the hardest practice.  So much to figure out, so much collaboration of many peoples ideas to combine!

This is me explaining what it’s like to be a drama club leader...

Months of lonely prep. A week or two of high tension part picking and document distribution. The first practice which might leave you wondering why you are a drama club leader at all. Slowly improving each week. Until you hit some kind of funky rut that almost feels like the performance is boring, followed by the nervousness that comes at the last practice & dress rehearsal as it starts to "get real." And finally the top of the mountain as the performance brings so much joy, pride and community that you completely forget the exhaustion and frustration of all the months before, and you will more than likely be looking for your next play script within a week's time.  

It’s a fantastic, wild ride!

~Coach Baldwin