Getting On With It
There are four scenarios, the teaching notes explain how the resources might be used.
1. Hard To Go Against The Flow
Four recently graduated students have formed a music group. They have plans for a three-month tour giving recitals and taking paid bookings. As the scenario opens two of the group (pianist and French horn player) are practicing a piece while a third listens. The fourth member of the group comes in, waits until the piece is finished and then tells the group some good and bad news. The good news is that they have some paid bookings including a couple of weddings and a garden party. The bad news is that their bid for funding to the Arts Council has been turned down.
The group then discuss the implications of this. Three of the group are clear that they should go ahead regardless. One of the group (the pianist) is very uncertain as she is heavily in debt, is concerned that by taking the tour she will have to lose her one reliable form of income from teaching. The group tries to coerce her into agreeing. The scenario ends with one of the group playing a piece on a double bass.
2. Whose Fault Is It Anyway?
A director and cast are about to go through a technical rehearsal for a forthcoming production of Unto Us a Son is Born. The director is under extreme pressure as numerous things seem to be going wrong. As they are about to start the technical rehearsal where the cast go through their cues, rather than the whole play word for word, the DSM (Deputy Stage Manager) enters and tells the director about yet another emerging problem.
The cast then go through their cues. One of the actors, Adam has the cue ‘I don't know'. However, when he says his line the director thinks he actually does not know the cue. This is the last straw, and he explodes in fury.
Another actor who knows the director personally, intervenes and explains the misunderstanding. Adam apologises. The director is mortified, but does not apologise. He stares at Adam, who is also feeling dreadful, then resumes the rehearsal.
3. How Am I Doing?
Some actors and a director are rehearsing a production of A Man Needs Some Time. The scenario starts with two actors playing the part of the central character's wife and friend. The action moves to the central character played by Dan and a pianist who work on the opening song of the piece.
The director repeatedly interrupts the singer. Each time he gives increasingly vague advice (known as ‘notes'). The singer responds to the notes and eventually is allowed to sing the verse without interruption, but then the director stops the singing and leaves to sort out a separate problem. He instructs the rest of the cast to work on the next part of the scene. The others notice Dan's distress and discuss what took place. Dan feels upset because he feels that he could not do anything right. The others try to cheer him up by reassuring this that he did a good job, and that the director only says when he is unhappy with something.
4. Group Dynamics
A group of actors are taking a break from rehearsing a radio play. It is the first day of the project, and this is the first chance that they have had to socialise. By strange coincidence all but one of the group have worked together before, but most have not seen each other since the pantomime they were all in two years previously.
When they meet in the coffee area, they are keen to catch up and reminisce. Unwittingly they exclude the sixth actor who has not met anyone before.
The scenario is followed by two hotseats:
The excluded actor is asked how she feels. The group is asked to respond.
The excluded actor is asked if she could do anything different.
The scenario is re-enacted with the excluded actor asking a question.