What your students can handle (even when you’re not there)
You wake up sick, and the timing could not be worse. Rehearsals are underway, your schedule is packed, and every instinct says, ‘There is no way I’m missing rehearsal.’ But if you need to stay home, you can still keep things moving. Here is a practical plan that you can protect the work, support your students, and let yourself recover.
“There is no way I’m missing rehearsal!”
Decide what needs to get done
Ask yourself: “What can they possibly get done without me there?” Now, before you force yourself off the couch, stuff your pockets full of tissue, and take some Dayquil, remember that your students don’t need to accomplish everything on the agenda. Simplify the scope so that students are still productive and successful even without you. Consider focusing on a specific song, scene or dance.
Who can lead the charge?
As theatre people, we know the other adults in our building think we are, to put it mildly, dramatic. I can think of a dozen other descriptions my colleagues might use to describe me but I will save that for another day. If you don’t have a member of your directing team to cover, find a teacher who, like you, thrives in chaos, has a sense of humor, and can keep track of the time and the kids. Ask them to hold down the fort while your student leaders run smaller groups of singers, dancers, and actors.
• Stage Manager: Run warm-ups, organize the room, and keep rehearsal moving.
• Student Director or Captain: Review known material, clean sections, and lead small-group work.
• Crew Lead: Use the time to organize props, prep set pieces, or handle light and sound checks.
Use technology to stay connected (lightly!)
If you feel up to it, creating a Google Form for students to complete before they leave rehearsal provides some accountability. Ask what went well, what they accomplished, what still needs work. You could even have students send a video clip of their scene, dance, or song. Manage your expectations. This rehearsal will not be nearly as successful as it would be if you were there, but students can and will make progress. Accept what they have to give.
Reframe the guilt
Directors are the hardest working people I know. Missing rehearsal feels wrong. But your students know the difference between checking out and being genuinely sick. Take the day. Let the guilt go. You will come back stronger, and your students will be fine.
Looking for a more practical way to simplify the work behind the performance?
