7 Rehearsal and Performance

How performance develops

A performance develops through preparation, exploration, rehearsal, feedback, and refinement. Rehearsal is collaborative work in which actors and directors make choices about the story, characters, themes, and language; it is more than repeating lines.

Prepare a role

Read the whole script first to understand the story, relationships, and circumstances of each scene. Distinguish facts supplied by the script from interpretations you invent. Consider what the character wants, what stands in the way, and how the character’s approach changes.

An objective is what a character is trying to achieve in a scene. A tactic is a particular way of pursuing that objective. For example, a character trying to persuade a friend to stay might first joke, then appeal to their shared history, and finally admit fear. The changing tactics create a playable progression.

Ground choices in evidence from the text and the production’s interpretation, while remaining open to alternatives. Learn lines in manageable sections by speaking them aloud and practicing with cue lines. Mark important shifts, unfamiliar words, and questions to bring to rehearsal. Memorization should free attention for listening and responding, rather than turning the scene into a fixed recitation.

Work through rehearsal

Rehearsal can move through several kinds of work:

1. Explore the play: Clarify its world, events, relationships, and central ideas.

2. Study scenes: Identify objectives, obstacles, turning points, and how each moment affects the next.

3. Try choices: Experiment with movement, stillness, timing, vocal qualities, and tactics. Improvisation can help actors explore a relationship or circumstance, but final-scene choices should remain consistent with the text and production.

4. Set and repeat staging: Record blocking, cues, props, and transitions. Repeat challenging sections until the action is clear and safe.

5. Run and refine: Perform longer sections without stopping, then identify specific moments to revisit.

Come prepared, arrive on time, listen closely, and keep notes about blocking, line changes, and feedback. Rehearsal is collaborative: actors contribute ideas while coordinating with scene partners, the director, and the wider production team.

Use feedback constructively

Useful feedback describes an observable effect and suggests a next step. For example: “I couldn’t hear the final phrase from the back of the room; try directing the sound outward.” Listen without interrupting, ask a clarifying question if needed, and try the adjustment. Then evaluate whether it improves the storytelling and fits the character and production.

Treat feedback as information, not as a personal judgment. Do not apply every suggestion mechanically. Discuss conflicting notes with the director, and keep a choice when it is supported by the text and agreed direction. After a run, record one or two priorities for the next rehearsal instead of trying to change everything at once.

Refine and perform

Refinement makes performance choices clearer, more consistent, and more responsive. Check that movement has a purpose, vocal delivery communicates the thought, and reactions arise from what scene partners actually do. Vary pace, emphasis, volume, and pauses to serve the moment rather than adding effects automatically. A pause is strongest when the character has a reason to reconsider, listen, or change tactics.

Warm the body and voice before performing. Breath, physical readiness, and vocal flexibility support clear, sustained delivery. Build a brief pre-performance routine to focus attention, review key cues, and settle nerves.

During performance, stay present. Know the structure well enough to respond freshly while maintaining the agreed blocking and safety practices. A prepared actor combines reliable technique with active listening and responsive performance.