Problems and Solutions The joys and rewards of being and advisor far outweigh the challenges ... unless or course you’re in the middle of one! We’ve been working with advisors for years, sharing in their triumphs and supporting them through the tough times. There are some common issues that develop for troupes. Here are a few of them, along with solutions that have been successfully implemented. Flagging Commitment Sometimes troupes will lose their sense of excitement or enthusiasm. As a result their commitment begins to flag, they begin to skip rehearsals or team meetings. Here are a few solutions that other troupes have successfully tried. *Make sure that you’re scheduling regular performances. One a month is a good rule of thumb. If the troupe is not performing they begin to lose their momentum and drive. *Make sure you’re allowing time for students to socialize as well as work. All work and no play.... *Make sure the meetings/rehearsals have an objective or goal. If students feel they’re wasting their time they will lose interest. *Some groups have tried “spicing things up” with a party instead of a work session. Overcommitment-Not Enough Time Students are pulled in so many directions. Especially our high school troupes. Advisors have gotten very creative in finding ways to make rehearsals and performances worth the time invested. * Holmen High School ‘s troupe began as a diversity club, then the group advisors developed a curricula and the troupe’s extracurricular activity status evolved into a partial credit class like band, or chorus. Rehearsals happen during the school day as a class, and performances are scheduled within that scheduled class time whenever possible. • River Valley Middle School and High School have created a situation where the troupe has a “season”, just like a sport. This limits the length of the time students need to commit, and it increases the frequency and number of performances in that stated time. A great way to maintain enthusiasm, and contain time commitment. * The New Ulm Area S.P.O.T.S. rehearse at 7:00am once a week before school begins. They also serve breakfast. Students contribute to a group breakfast fund and everybody has a healthy breakfast before rehearsal begins, and are wide awake for the school day. Students report that feeling prepared for performances is well worth the lost sleep. * Many of the middle school troupes meet during advisor/advisee times or during the time designated for extracurricular activities. * Larger troupes find that it’s not necessary to have all members at every rehearsal. They limit the number at rehearsals to those involved in the upcoming performances. We still recommend that the entire team meet at least once a month if possible. * One high school group found that the only time they all had in common was Sunday afternoon. They meet 2 times a month, and one of those meetings is on a Sunday afternoon. The meeting includes pot luck dinner and a rehearsal. It provides social time and rehearsal time. Solves two puzzles with one piece. Settling Down and Getting to Work We’re fascinated by the fact that in our 2005 survey of students their number one complaint was that too much time was taken up during rehearsals with fooling around!!! The irony is not lost on us. * Nancy Kitchens, in Kokomo , Indiana became frustrated during one rehearsal and simply left the room. She told the students that they had a performance the following day and they could either choose to rehearse and get it right or they could fail. It was entirely up to them. She left the room! A risky move to be sure. She returned about 10 minutes later, peeked in the door and they were working like storm troopers! There’s something to be said for taking ownership. * Establishing a “ritual” for rehearsals can help. Maybe begin with a quick check-in and update on programs pending. Follow this with a quick theater game. You could even assign a troupe member to bring a game in to facilitate (check out the improv game webpage). And then break into groups for scene rehearsal. Conclude with stone soup snacks... everybody brings something and the group hangs out for a bit before leaving. * Several groups have said that students are more inclined to get down to business if there is a performance pending. So make sure you’re scheduling programs monthly when your group is “in season”. Troupe Members Who are Using Alcohol or Other Drugs Nobody is perfect. And we all stumble sometimes. How stumbles will be handled will be determined by the seriousness of the infraction itself along with your school’s policy. Some groups need to follow the nonuse extracurricular code and so their choices will be determined by the rules and regulations of the school. Others have more flexibility in choosing their response. Here are a few situations that have developed over the years and some different solutions. First of all, it’s very disruptive and disappointing when a student or group of students are using. It impacts troupe morale and can become very divisive. Troupes will splinter into “for” and “against”. And make no mistake, they all know when a member is using. Sometimes, often the advisor will be the last in the group to know. * One advisor was informed by several troupe members that they were concerned that a fellow troupe member was drinking and partying on the weekend. The advisor called the girl in and expressed her concerns. In this case the girl came clean and owned up to the behavior. In this case there was no policy in place, nor was there a nonuse agreement signed. It was decided that the group would implement a new policy. Anyone who chose to use could voluntarily and privately meet with the advisor to get support. They would not be able to perform for one month, but they would be able to travel with the team, and attend rehearsals. They could choose to share their situation with the group or they could keep it confidential. * Sign a nonuse agreement. Some troupes have team members sign a nonuse agreement. So if a student uses a controlled substance while the troupe is in season they must abide by the consequences outlined in the agreement. * One troupe encountered a situation where student troupe members used during a break between performances. When the advisor was informed she was bound by school policy to report the students and they were asked to leave the team. * Another troupe is aware that some members are choosing to use, and many do not. They have discussed this in team meetings, and it is covered during trainings as well. The advisor feels that the group is one place that these students have a “safe haven”, a place they can belong, and for some it is the only positive activity they’re involved in. She feels with these students it’s “the devil or the deep blue sea.” She has chosen to work one on one with the students encouraging them to make more positive choices, laying out consequences, but keeping them as troupe members.