On Friday, the Herons benefited from the expertise of Jana Hirsch (K.S.'s mom) who is a dance and theater teacher. We have got the rough blocking of the play finished and were ready to work out some details (like how to carry a body off stage.) Jana taught us safe lift techniques and lead us in several activities to start building our characters. She also helped us run through our biggest crowd scene, honing it to make sure that the humor comes through.
One of the greatest challenges for us is to continue to act, even when we aren't speaking. As Jana
explained, great actors are re-acting to what others say, not just acting when it's time for them to talk. This struggle makes sense to me as a teacher. Developmentally, fourth and fifth graders are just starting to awaken to their peers. They are becoming more able to participate in reciprocal conversations, but it's still a challenge for them to be completely engaged in what someone else is saying. To me, this is similar to "tuning in" to what another actor is saying instead of just focussing on your own lines. Even when we were learning lines, I reminded students that it's not enough to know one's lines, one must know when to say them, too.
It's exciting to see the play starting to take shape. We're beginning to gather props and to think about costumes. K.C., our assistant director, runs scenes every morning and students are beginning to internalize the script. We can't wait to share our production with you on March 14 at 12:45.
The Rookery 
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