How do you create a fluid and immersive play? One that consists of multiple performers, backstage coordination and a story flow that draws you minute-by-minute?

There’s only one way—practice, practice, and practice!

With only two more weeks into the show, the Eagles ran through their scripts, started rehearsals and created props. Also, they also juggled with the usual (Core Skills, PE, mindfulness exercises), and the occasional event (running an Info Session)!

Practice, Practice and More Practice

“Lights, camera, action!!”
“Again! And again!” (repeat 10x)
“I don’t need the paper anymore!”

Eagles rehearsed progressively, from reading, repeating the lines, and eventually acting the character out. They shared feedback through the “I like and I wish” method. Slowly and steadily, scattered readings were becoming the intended experience for the audience.

The Exhibition Day (a.k.a. showtime on the evening of 6th April) was only two weeks away. Eagles encouraged each other.

“I wish we were in week six already!”
“You must be brave to express yourself during Exhibition Day. Else, the show will be boring.”
“I learned that you can express something using only your nose and eyes.”

Still, the Eagles would need more practice at home to further improve their tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions. We thanked the parents as they acted as coach and audience for their Eagles. Also, thank you, parents, for contributing various items for props.

Given that the Eagles had to organize their practice (most of the time), these drama practice sessions had its own drama too. Much like their script, it takes a Hero’s Journey: disagreements, struggles, chaos, (almost) quitting and then, a wake-up call and coming back up!

Here’s one that happened on Thursday.

One of the ES Eagles group, “Ghost in the House” was struggling to get things going and Uma, the lead character, decided to call it quits.

“I give up. I don’t want this anymore.”

The Eagles huddled and asked reflective questions: “What do we really want for our exhibition day? Do we want to give our best or give up now?”

Abhi, a 7-year-old Eagle burst out: “Guys, remember when we first started Acton? Remember how it was difficult in the beginning? Our first exhibition and how we cannot focus? Look at all our past exhibitions, it is difficult but we always succeed in the end! We focus and we will do well!”

The two 10-year-old Eagles supported further:
Arjun: “During the last Survival Quest, I really thought I couldn’t make it until the end. I’m a city boy but I survived the camp and learned new skills.”
Naomi: “I also learned how to make fire.”

Anya, the newest Eagle shared her insight: “Before I came to Acton, I always think that I cannot do many things. But now I know, it’s okay to fail I just need to try.”

The message of courage repeated itself, and that was how the team got back up together again. Ms. Caryn shared: “this is definitely a high point for me personally to hear them reflect on their journey so far.”

The MS Eagles honed their craft further. They visualized their work using picture boards and used tools such as a metronome to calibrate their acting timings. Like the ES Eagles, each scene went through many takes. It also went through a similar cycle of laughter, frustrations, and then a breakthrough. There was this deliberate process of getting each scene “clicked together”.

Here are some of the pictures of their process.

Script finalization. The Eagles improvized further during reading rehearsals over the table.

Sketching out the set scenes. The aim: align everyone’s vision of the set.

The first draft of the different set (scenes)

Stepping into character. They used a timer/metronome to time their acting.

First full rehearsal. It was rather sketchy with everyone being lost and not knowing which scene is which!

Refinement. Ms. Chitrah discussed with the Eagles, and they came up with the set menu for their rehearsal schedule. This is to ensure the Eagles could prepare and organize their rehearsal practice.

The process of rehearsal is long. The initial mistakes are taken with healthy laughter :))

In between that all, the Eagles also produce props (mostly using recycled materials).

The Usual & Unusual

Here’s the usual update of mindfulness, PE, and Core Skills.

Auntie Harsha exposed the ES Eagles further into mindfulness. This week, it was about how the brain (specifically, the amygdala) deals with danger through three reponses—fight, flight or freeze. The ES Eagles shared different experiences when this happens, such as going through a flight during turbulence. Then, Auntie Harsha introduced the petal practice, which involves visualizing the letting go of worries & fears in each breathing.

The Eagles have now entered their penultimate rock climbing session. There’s a feeling of “things coming to an end”.

“Can we do more rock climbing?”
“Can we have swimming again?”

When you let Eagles choose, they commit to it. What will be their next choice?

For Thursday’s PE, Apsie and Anya led this week. Eagles are learning how to properly do push-ups, bridge, planks, etc.

Spartan in the making! “Don’t give up! Push yourself up.”

Info Session on Friday

Each year, we have three to four Info Sessions for parents curious about Acton Academy. They are organized by the Eagles. This means that the adult staff has to trust the Eagles to make the necessary preparation.

While the Eagles always delivered their magic (of showing prospective parents of their school), their preparation doesn’t always go as planned. This Friday’s Info Session was just one example.

While deciding each person’s roles, a few Eagles got distracted, and it disintegrated into screaming and playing. As one Eagle tried to stop the mess, another Eagle started a new one.

“Stop, let’s just focus.”
“No, let’s play football.”
“I need a timeout. You guys are so noisy.”

It was chaos. The mess lasted for 30 minutes. Here’s the hardest thing for Ms. Caryn, step back and step back again. To her, it was a test of faith to trust the Eagles and allow them to come together and rise through.

Suddenly, one Eagle said:

“Everyone, it is 18 minutes to the Info Session. We must get ready now!”

That sparked the magic. All the Eagles went on to clean and prepare the place, got in position and are were ready to receive guests in that 18 minutes. It was magic, messy but energetic “let’s get it done” magic.

This episode reminded us the struggles needed for the Eagles to truly grow and step up. They could get everything done in 18 minutes because their actions were driven by commitment, not a compliance from an authority figure.

Practice, Practice, Why Practice?

Is practice merely just repetition, or is it something more? Taking a quote from Bruce Lee:

I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.

Maybe you might think this is all too serious for an Elementary School Eagle. Here’s a five-year-old who might change your mind.

To learn more about practice, or the form of practice that we strive for Acton Academy—Deliberate Practice (coined by Anders Ericsson), check these resources out:

Why you need to Fail by Derek Sivers
How to practice effectively…for just about anything by Annie Bosler and Don Greene
The first 20 hours — how to learn anything by Josh Kaufman
Learn to Speak or Teach Better in 30 Minutes by Andrew Ng
Peak by Anders Ericsson
Talent Code by Daniel Coyle

So, what are you going to learn & practice next?

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