Open Forum

"Energy" is my trigger word right now. So, I've built a pretty successful program in my small town public school.  We have a great time. We've won numerous region competitions, but by the time state competition comes around....it's gone. The ENERGY of the show has been sucked out. "Energy" is always our recurring judges critique. It doesn't help that our state for some reason sets up our OAP season to run 4-5 weeks long, this year we ran for 6 long weeks!!! We usually perform 3-4 times for the community and then the two competition pieces. I try to spread out the community performances to help keep the competition shows tight  (the comm performances are about the best 'rehearsals' I can get due to my students being spread thin with other obligations). But that causes lots of lags in between shows.

Bottom line: How do you maintain...or even build energy with your students?? I know it when I see it, and I agree with the critiques, but for the life of me, I cannot figure out how to "coach" it!

And the toughest part, is finding my own "energy" to even try model it! Please HELP me fix a 13 year deficiency in my directing!!

------------------------------
Analiese Hamm
ECS Performing Arts Director
Echols County High School
Statenville GA
------------------------------

I see this often with young performers. 

In the Speech and Debate (forensics) world we call this going on "autopilot."
They seem over rehearsed and it is like they are just "saying words."

I often ask them to evaluate the words and make sure they are connecting to the words they are saying. (Think Stanislavski....)
I tell them even in a sad moment there can still be energy in what is being said. 

The teacher before me who I learned a great deal from, had an interesting take...
They could work on a piece all year long....before a big competition like State or a National qualifying
she would have them CHANGE one or two things. It kept things fresh. It kept them a little nervous, because they
had to REMEMBER the change. 

------------------------------
Erika Trahan
Kaplan High School
LA
------------------------------

One thing I have found that really helps pump the kids up is doing a "fired up" circle just before curtain or just before a competition room.  This has become a tradition and our seniors now take leadership on it and teach the new students.

Another thing is to remember that there is such a thing as "too much rehearsal".  The kids can get burnt out or jaded. Theatre is about discovery, everything needs to be new and exciting each run through.  Our brains fall into that muscle memory and autopilot when run too much.  One way to switch this up is to split pieces into smaller segments and then do a dice roll to see which segment to run next.  Obviously don't do this each time as they will forget how the actual sequence goes, but it does keep them on their toes and paying attention.

------------------------------
Kimberly Wibbenmeyer
Sullivan High School
MO
------------------------------