Establish seen, respected, and safe on day one of rehearsal.

technique — attributed to Jason Alexander

Alexander opens every rehearsal process with the same speech. Everyone in this room needs to feel they are seen, respected, and safe. They should also be able to experience joy. If any of those things does not feel true, come tell him directly, or tell someone they trust who can change things. The speech is not ceremonial. In a play like The War of the Roses, actors will say and do horrific things to each other on stage, and that requires an unusual amount of trust to be built quickly. The opening-day commitment is what makes the difficult material physically and emotionally workable in the weeks that follow.

For creative directors and producers running short-cycle high-intensity projects where intimacy and trust must form on a compressed timeline. Particularly useful for shows with emotionally demanding material.

psychological-safety, company-management, opening-moves, rehearsal