I am passionate about youth theatre and education.  I believe in hands-on learning, by “doing” and real-life experience.  I also believe that learning should be fun, and doesn’t stop when school is done.  There is a lesson to be learned in every experience you have.

Here are more than 100 (!) articles I’ve written with various bits of advice for not only Young Actors, but directors, playwrights, puppeteers and really anyone else with a love of theatre — on one handy page!  Happy reading!

For Actors

• 3 Quick Tips for Your Next Musical Theatre Audition (Video Post)
• 3 Useful Acting Exercises for Understanding Your Script & Character
• 5 Useful Things for Young Actors to Know
• 7 Habits of Highly Effective Young Actors
• 7 More Habits of Highly Effective Young Actors
• 8 Essential Clothing Pieces For Actors
• 8 Essential Clothing Pieces For Actresses
• 9 Items That Should Be In Every Actor’s Hair Kit
• A Young Actor’s Toolkit
• Acting: Back to basics
• Acting Basics: Do’s & Don’ts (A Free Printable)
• Advice for Young Actresses: Be Your Own Heroine
• Audition Advice for Young Actors
• Been There, Done That: My Real-Life Auditioning Experiences
• Character-Building Exercise: F.A.S.T. Analysis
• Dear Actors, From The Crew
• How to Deal: 10 Tips for Dealing With Schedules & Conflicts, For Actors
• How to Deal: Not Getting the Part You Wanted
• How to Deal: You Want Me To Do WHAT Onstage?
• Linktastic – Acting Edition
• Linktastic – April 7, 2012 (acting, stage combat, theatre major links)
• Linktastic – Auditioning Edition
• Linktastic – July 31, 2014 (acting, auditioning, video links)
• Linktastic – Parents of Young Actors Edition
• Linktastic – March 20, 2013 (acting, stage combat, theatre school links)
• Self-Care for Performers – 5 Useful Tips
• Shifting Into Show Week
• Six Things To Do When You’re Between Shows
• Why Being in the Ensemble is Awesome

For Directors

• 5 Ways to Quiet Down a Noisy Drama Class… Without Yelling
• Advice for First-Time Directors
• Directing Youth with Yours Truly on Theatrefolk.com!
• Director’s Diary: On Being Present
• Director’s Diary: On Casting
• Director’s Diary: On Doing Your Homework
• Director’s Diary: On Stress
• Director’s Diary: Rehearsals You Need To Include In Your Schedule (That You May Not Have Thought Of)
• Director’s Diary: Rehearsing Backwards
• Director’s Diary: Rehearsing in “Layers”
• Director’s Diary: Scanning the Script
• How to Costume Your Show
• How to Deal: Dealing With Scheduling & Conflicts, For Directors
• How to Effectively Run a Rehearsal with Young Actors
• How to Make Young Actors Feel Important
• Theatre Thoughts: Creating Community
• What I’ve Learned: Little Mermaid Edition
• What I’ve Learned: Peter Pan Edition
• What I’ve Learned: The Big Bad Musical Edition
• What I’ve Learned: The Wedding Singer Edition
• What I’ve Learned: Through the Looking Glass Edition

For Playwrights

• Playwriting 101: What to include with your script
• So, you want to write a show for young actors, eh?

For Puppeteers

• My favourite Muppet videos
• Pics Or It Didn’t Happen: T.A.G. Puppetry Class
• Puppet Making Day: A Recap!
• Puppet Making Day 2: Electric Boogaloo!
• Puppet Making Day 3: Return of the Puppets!
• You don’t want to miss Puppet Fest at the Palace Theatre!

For Everyone

• 3 Ways Creative People Can (and Should!) Use A Blog
• 5 Fun Theatre Things To Do In The Summer
• 5 Notes Concerning Notes
• 8 Quick Tips for Organizing Costumes Backstage, For Community & School Productions
• 10 Theatrical Resolutions for the New Year
• 10 Things I’ve Done as an Assistant Fight Director
• 20 Ways to Make Rehearsal Part of Your Daily Routine
• Adventures in Prop-Making: Cake and Cake Topper for The Wedding Singer
• Alice’s Adventures in Power Outage-land
• An open letter to those in tech week.
• Boredom Busters: A Theatre Person’s Guide to Snow Days
• Get Your Hustle On!  20 Ways to Publicize Your Show
• Ho Ho Ho!  A Holiday Gift Guide for the Theatre People in Your Life
• Holiday Gift Guide for the Theatre People in Your Life, 2014 Edition
• How to Deal: Post-Show Blues
• How to Deal With a “Queen Diva”
• How To “Fringe” Like a Pro
• How to put on a coffeehouse in 7 easy steps (or, An “OK” Coffeehouse recap)
• How to Show Your Dedication to Your Show (or, How to Ensure Your Director Will LOVE You!)
• How to Write A Program Bio
• Inspiration For When You Feel Like Giving Up
• Linktastic – February 20, 2013 (stage combat, playwriting links)
• Linktastic – Stage Combat Edition
• Memorization made easy (well, easier)
• Memorization made easy (well, easier) — Update!
• Moving Forward: A Post-Show Recovery Checklist!
• Not Just For Actors: The Roles that a Parent Takes On When Their Kid Does Theatre
• Recommended Reading: Drama High
• Recommended Reading: Peter and the Starcatcher
• Save The Drama For Your Mama: Why “Dramatic” Kids Aren’t Necessarily Theatre Kids
• Stage Combat 101: Before You Even Begin
• Survive or Thrive: Three Things to Consider Before Sending Your Kid to Theatre Camp
• T.A.G. Update – Mime & Tableau, and Theatre Etiquette (Plus, Act It Out!)
• T.A.G. Update – Monologues
• The Truth.
• Theatre Etiquette: Concerning Costumes
• Theatre Etiquette: Concerning Props
• Theatre Etiquette: Concerning Rehearsals
• Theatre Etiquette: How to Be a Great Audience Member
• Theatre Etiquette: How to Be a Great Audience Member, Part 2
• Theatre Etiquette: Pre-Show Preparation
• Theatre Fun & Games: Fairy Tale Tableau
• Theatre Fun & Games: Fruit Basket
• Theatre Fun & Games: Trapdoor
• Theatre Talk With Art Fidler
• Theatre Talk With Caitlin “Spinnabel Lee” Matanle, Circus Performer & Businesswoman
• Theatre Talk With Ceris Thomas, Director & Educator
• Theatre Talk With Donald D’Haene, Host of “DISH With Donald,” Rogers TV London
• Theatre Talk With Dr. John Lennox, Fight Director
• Theatre Talk With Jared Kirby, Fight Director
• Theatre Talk With Kyle Rowling, Actor, Director & Fight Director
• Theatre Talk With Mitch Atkins, Musical Theatre Orange County & Disney Creative Entertainment
• Theatre Talk With Sarah Morgan, Circus Aerialist
• Theatre Talk With Shanna Mandell, Middle Eastern Cabaret Performer & Instructor
• Theatre Talk With Whitney Bolam, Costumer & Owner of The Costume Shoppe
• Theatre Thoughts: Harness the Power of YouTube
• Theatre Thoughts: On Friendship
• “There Are No Small Parts, Only Small Actors”: Why This Isn’t True and What To Do About It
• Three Easy First-Day Theatre Games
• Tiny Theatre Tips #1: Grow Super-Thick Skin
• Tiny Theatre Tips #2: Hone Your Skills
• Tiny Theatre Tips #3: Educate Yourself
• Tips for a (relatively painless) strike
• Truly an example of “All for One”
• What I’ve Learned: Edward II Edition
• What I’ve Learned: Treasure Island Edition
• What Makes the Best… Assistant?
• When You’ve Pushed Yourself Too Hard
• Why Do You Do Theatre?
• Why Youth Theatre Is Important

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