Do what I mean, not what I say!
</font>
<font face=Arial size=3>So there I am - a newbie - surrounded by old hands - in the
Green Room of the Kenton Theatre, Henley-on-Thames - my first rehearsal - my
first show.</font>
<font face=Arial size=3>I'd been cast in one of the lead roles and I was terrified of
letting the others down - I was okay with the singing but what did I know about
acting? Dodo don't just that I thought were to is</font>
<font face=Arial size=3>And there she was - the director – giving me instructions -
attempting to direct me: “Walk on stage, stop in your tracks, point at the
clock and deliver your lines.”</font>
<font face=Arial size=3>So, in front of all the other actors, I had a go at what she
asked.</font>
<font face=Arial size=3>“No, not like that. Walk on stage, stop in your tracks,
point at the clock and deliver your lines.”</font>
<font face=Arial size=3>Mortified, I tried again.</font>
<font face=Arial size=3>“No, no, nooo. Walk on stage, stop in your tracks, point at
the clock and deliver your lines.”</font>
<font face=Arial size=3>And in that moment - I learnt something!</font>
<font face=Arial size=3>If someone doesn't
understand what you mean, it's no good repeating yourself. You have to convey
information in a different way for
them.
<font face=Arial size=3>We all process, store and retrieve information differently.
No two people handle information in exactly the same way.</font>
<font face=Arial size=3>My director knew exactly what she wanted. And she used
exactly the words that she would need
if I were directing her!</font>
<font face=Arial size=3>After several more failed attempts, exasperated, she stomped
onto the stage, stopped abruptly, pointed towards the curtain rail on the back
wall of the Green Room and delivered my lines.</font>
<font face=Arial size=3>Bingo !</font>
<font face=Arial size=3>Now I could see exactly how she moved, exactly
how she wanted me to be.</font>
<font face=Arial size=3>That's all I needed!</font>
<font face=Arial size=3>I imitated her to the best of my ability and was relieved
when she said, “Exactly! That's what I asked you to do in the first place!”</font>