The short answer is, all of it. The next answer, more realistic, is as much as possible, as much as doable.
Yet the reality is that time gets away from theater teachers and directors, leaving them with almost no time to get to the heart and soul of the interpretation of the lines and songs. The blocking and the choreography ends up taking far more time than we intend.
So let’s examine a few topics that should help balance this a little better and so that everyone can get the show finished, with time to spare to put the correct amount of magic in place before opening night.
Expression Goals For Theater Performances
It’s not realistic to expect every line to have optimal expression unless the team of leads is experienced and used to working up every line they have to match your vision, but there are some goals that should not be neglected.
Alignment with Your or the Director’s Vision
The overall vision of the message, feelings, audience takeaway and general interpretation of the story needs to be expressed to everyone involved early on. The director should do their due diligence to get to know the show and share that vision with other adults helping them out, the leads, the rest of the cast, and anyone else that has a part in helping to develop that vision.
Clear Descriptions of Each Character’s Role and Personality
For each cast member to effectively perform their role, they need to know their character inside and out. This means that they should understand what each line is trying to say, what its purpose is in the plot and be able to describe their character as if they know them personally.
To Meet Your Goal For the Audience
In the planning that should take place before rehearsals even begin, decide what you want the audience to take away from the production. Decide if it’s entertainment from the characters’ wit and interactions, or an intense emotional rollercoaster, or songs that make them want to sing and dance from their seats. What will it take to get to that point? What is everyone’s role to get there together?
What Do Students Need to Know to Accomplish These Things?
Students Need to Know Their Characters Inside and Out
As stated before, student knowledge of not only the lines, but the inner workings and reasons for the ways the characters speak and act help students get in touch with and feel the characters’ personalities far more naturally. This knowledge makes the acting arrive at that balance between “not enough” and “overdone” and helps students become more efficient at designing the interpretation of each line they are responsible for.
Full Aural and Visual Integration of Character Expression
This includes the students’ use of:
Vocal expression
Poise and posture
Use of space
Facial expressions besides just the mouth
Use of the hands
Leads with Solos Need to Integrate Expression with Singing
It’s one thing to speak with the exact inflections and intensity needed, but it’s another to do it while singing. Successful integration of expression while singing requires a high level of confidence in the mechanics of singing the song first, and then psychologically they would be ready to sing with expression. Do you know how to get them to that point?
As the Director or Teacher, How Are You Going to to Help Them With This?
Organize and Execute the Best Audition Experience Possible
Establishing a plan and staying as organized as you possibly can, helps your students respect your process and trust that you can be consistent. When students know what to expect, they can prepare themselves without feeling that they are guessing, and they will feel less anxious when it matters- at auditions and callbacks.
Establish The Correct Culture of Sharing
During meetings and perhaps pre-rehearsal workshops, help students get in touch with their theater capabilities in a setting that has as little pressure as possible. Get students used to working together, to be encouraging and helpful with one another, and get insight as to what their strengths and weaknesses are- even before you officially audition them!
Adopt Growth Mindset and Inspire Your Students to Do It Too
Growth mindset strategies are becoming more and more prevalent in successful people, and it’s never too early to start training your impressionable student minds to adopt them. Students view failure as learning, they learn how to combat fears and arrive at confidence sooner and without faltering. You will watch them learn how to have patience when they work on long-term goals, and watch them make mistakes with grace and quick recoveries. They will learn to respect the learning pace of others, be more willing to help their peers and will be more likely to treat their team as a nurturing family.
Implementing The Expression Coaching Needed for Theater Students
It may not be easy at first to implement all of these moving parts, but it certainly is worth it. The main thing you need is well-thought-out goals that create systems. You may feel like you need to revamp some things you were doing, and that’s okay. You can’t improve something without abandoning something you used to do. Some specific planning is the the key to making everything you read above a reality.
But don’t let this list, or impossible sounding items on this list dissuade you. Let Uplevel U: Music help you out. Uplevel U: Music has a catalog of online courses for professional development that are created specifically for performing arts teachers like you that have to do difficult things, or that have to do all of the performing arts things at your school. Check out the Growth Mindset Course, and stay on the alert for the Theater Expression Course that is set to be released very soon! Download our Live Interactive Catalog and sign up for our email newsletter to be the first to know about course releases and special discounts on Uplevel U: Music’s courses.
This article was written by Music Room/Uplevel U: Music's owner and creator, Karen (Kay) Janiszewski.
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