1. Name your fears and frustrations if they are actively working against your motivation

Working in a place that is totally outside of your comfort zone is challenging! Fear and frustration is not silly!

2. Do not be afraid to ask for/seek motivation from others

Someone simply telling you that it is possible to achieve what you are setting out to achieve is a powerful boost.

3. Celebrate and acknowledge successes

Name them for your team!

4. Accepting the sometimes long, awkward pauses that feel a bit inevitable on Zoom; Zoom is slower than real life and being in a room with people

If people accidentally talk over each other, Zoom is going to cancel each other out. It can take a while to find a rhythm so don’t take this awkwardness as “I’m doing something wrong and my actors don’t like this,” and more as “we’re figuring this out as we go, and finding an entirely new rhythm in this virtual world.”

5. Have frequent check-ins

Make sure you know how your actors are feeling each day and what you are each bringing into rehearsal.

6. Talk it out

When you have a bad/good/complicated rehearsal, you may normally be able to walk out with your cast-mates/head home to housemates or partners or friends who you can have good ‘ol theater debrief with. Recreate this for yourself. You don’t actually have to live in tiny boxes. Stay in conversation with those who are engaging in similar work.

7. Take time to just hang out

You lose so much in those pre and post rehearsal moments when you’re waiting for an actor to arrive or walking home in the same direction. Take time to just chat. You'll get to know your actors better, and rehearsals will start to feel more energized, focused, and exciting.

8. Be present with the people you're with

Turn off self-view in Zoom. Not being able to check in on yourself allows you to focus on the people you are with.

9. Have open conversations about your goals

Telling your actors what you are trying to work on may help you feel more connected to them and the project. Embracing the fact that you are all learning together allows you to share a sense of excitement about the rehearsal process.

10. Recommend movies, TV shows, and books that may deal with similar themes as the play you are working

It helps remind everyone why their work on the play matters and a larger cannon it might fit into. Plus, it feels exciting to be able to watch a movie or TV show that may have some kind of larger purpose rather than just binging a bad teen drama on Netflix for no reason other than extreme boredom.

11. Exercise imagination and saying Yes (because you may find this more challenging)

Every day take an idea and run with it (in your head, in writing). This may help you identify what keeps you motivated and curious, or what you are curious about, or discover new things!

12. Feed from the curiosities and motivations of others

Sometimes helping others achieve their goals is Really Wonderful and can integrate into your own goals. Lean into your actors' curiosities as much as possible. Let their excitement motivate you, when you don’t feel motivation.

13. Create a universal language

Find new ways to communicate with each other. Don't feel confined to words, can a sound help make sense of a situation? When you are confined to a box you can lose communication abilities that you may take for granted, like body language, so find ways to make up for it.

14. Play together

Move together in some way. Whether this is stretching as a group or doing yoga together, you can connect through a shared physical activity. Play games. Have fun. Treat rehearsal as a celebration! Enjoy being with people you aren’t self-isolating with.

avery

"I found that finding time to listen to music together, to get up and dance, to move our bodies and share a physical experience, even though we were so far away, became really integral to how we began our rehearsals and got our creative juices flowing."

nathan

"Embrace limitations. Embrace the disconnect. So much beauty and power can be found in the struggle for community and intimacy, in the conflict between our desires and our reality. Find a way for discomfort to be okay, find a way for beauty to come through conflict. Laughter may be the most dependable ally."

anna

"Find your why. Find your ensemble’s why. Establish communal goals. Consciously working not only to achieve collective goals but helping others to achieve theirs is incredibly unifying when you’re so distant."

izzy

"Honor the physical experience we left behind, and try and find ways to both connect to and differentiate that on Zoom. There are no rules! We get to create them and that's an awesome experience. And remember that art is a practice, not a perfection. Stay light about failures, and hold onto successes."

liz

"Radical transparency. Now more than ever. Nothing builds community more than a sense that you are all in it together, all figuring out a puzzle together. Be honest with yourself and your team. Communication must take the place of what was previously unspoken--body language, energy, momentum. Set that standard for yourself and your team will follow."

betsy

"The more open I was about my fears, questions, and concerns for directing on Zoom, the more connected I felt to the project and my actors. It gave all of us permission to find answers together. Creating the space to be vulnerable about what is scary, also creates the space to celebrate what is exciting."

isabel

"Practice gratitude. Thanking my cast did wonders for myself and them. Taking the time to just laugh, enjoy each others' presence, and be together made us a family. It can be hard to feel thankful in times like these, but once you've done it, the rest is easy."

elijah

"Create the circumstances for everyone to speak from a place of satisfaction. What feels right to do? What movement or gesture carves the laptop screen in a pleasing way? What is the most satisfying use of rehearsal time?"