Ann rocks. It was her idea to take the scripts away before the kids thought they were ready. They were more ready than they thought. It was her idea to have Megan place the candies on the shelf in the order that she uses them in the script! Makes it easier to do that part of the scene, plus it helps her remember what lines to say. It was her idea to help them know their lines for real by having them think of the overall story, instead of isolated words that they’re supposed to say at a given time. “You just did this, so what are you wanting to do now?” and so on. Logic. Sense of story. Beginning, middle, end. Okay, I had one good idea today. I went in the other room and said, If I can’t hear your lines from out here, you’re not loud enough! They got louder. --------- Also her idea: Everyone is in charge of their own little props! --------- Now here’s the next big thing: You got to learn to not try so hard to get them to do it right. Come back to this later, and see if you know what I’m talking about. ---- OKAY, HERE’S WHAT I SAID ALMOST EXACTLY FIVE YEARS AGO: A good Captain eventually has to relinquish the need to be purely “in control.”