This Wagon Fulla Pancakes Just Might Win the Champeenship After All

After my "motivational speech," in which I told my students full-out that "people will laugh at you," my students dramatically increased their focus. I guess shame is the great motivator. I know I could never get away with this same speech in a U.S. classroom, but here it worked.

We had an amazing rehearsal today. They're starting to get the idea of specificity in acting. They're starting to make their entrances like they have an intention. They're even allowing their characters to make discoveries onstage, instead of just plowing through the lines and ignoring all of the shifts.

Afterwards we spent forty minutes in a chat session where they asked me all kinds of questions like "I don't know how to do XYZ, how can I make it better?" Sweet music to my ears.

I'm guessing this will last for about two days, and then I will have to come up with a new speech or a new trick. But if the play is at least as focused as it was today, it won't be bad. And if we can continue working to make it better, it might even be good. ^__^

Editor's Note: Not sure what a "wagon fulla pancakes" is? Click here.