Positive Reinforcement

**If you've been one of my actors, please don't read too much into this!  It really is a good thing in this case!

I treat my actors like dogs.  I'm in the second directing scene for my class and I'm working with my second set of actors.  In class we started talking about what we'd learned about ourselves as directors.  I said that I learned that I was a very positive director.  The professor said he called that style the 'cheerleader.'  In rehearsal I started thinking about this, and I realized that I was using positive reinforcement dog training techniques on my actors, and it was working!!!

For Lady and Bentley I use positive reinforcement.  This means that I reward them for good behavior and ignore bad behavior.  It is also a very simple form of trianing for things like 'sit' 'down' and basic obedience commands.  I taught Lady how to 'bow' using this method and all her other tricks.  Simply, whenever she was sitting, I'd say "Good Sit!" without having commanded her to do it.  She learned to tie the word 'sit' with the action of sitting.

In rehearsals I've been pointing out all of the good things that my actors have been doing, and unless there is something I want to change, I don't point out anything negative.  I love my actors and thank them for doing this scene for me voluntarily!  Thank you so much, and I hope we rock it on Tuesday!