Tips and tricks of the trade!

1. Enlist the help of a few adults (other teachers, teaching assistants, parents, even the school secretary if needs be!), pick a scene from the play and have a play reading to demonstrate for your students the impact of animation and expression.

2. Make sure that your students have thoroughly memorized their lines before any rehearsals in the classroom or the auditorium. Devote any spare moments to learning lines and utilize parent volunteers to help.

3. Through class or group discussions make sure that your students understand what they are saying; if they understand what they are talking about they will be able to ad lib. It doesn't matter if they forget their lines during a performance as long as they can ad lib, then they won't interrupt the flow of the dialogue or create awkward silences.

4. Give students who are shy or lack self-confidence a part with only one or two lines. This accomplishment will give them confidence to tackle a larger part in your next production.

5. Rehearse in small groups, scene by scene, before rehearsing the complete production. Your students will not feel so self- conscious if they rehearse in front of only a few other students. When they are familiar with the material they will have the confidence to perform in front of a much larger audience.

6. When a child makes a mistake in their dialogue don't immediately correct them as this will interrupt the natural flow of speech and also make them flustered and self-conscious. At the end of the scene quietly and privately point out their mistake to them. Always try to find time to give individual children positive feedback without singling out individuals for public praise.

7. Do not take the whole class to every full rehearsal. Children who have only a small part get bored and restless if they have to sit through rehearsals while waiting for their turn to perform. Use parent volunteers or teaching assistants to supervise these students while they do other schoolwork, or activities related to the performance (like painting scenery).

8. Make sure that when one performer is speaking the rest of the participants on the stage do not distract from the dialogue by whispering, shuffling feet, or making unnecessary movements, etc. Their attention should be directed towards the actor speaking, unless they have a specific task to perform.

9. Encourage performers to speak loudly and clearly and project their lines to the audience in the back row of seats. Have an adult sitting in the last row as a focal point.

10. Don't over-rehearse! You will always be surprised by how well your students perform but as their teacher you will recognize the moment when they have reached their peak. Don't be discouraged when a rehearsal turns into a disaster! Just keep telling yourself IT WILL BE ALL RIGHT ON THE NIGHT!