Work backwards from your performance date.
The sequence below is a starting point, not a promise about how many rehearsals any group needs. Allow more time for younger performers, complex movement or limited attendance.
- Read and understand. Read the story together. Explain each scene and confirm the cast. Give everyone the same version of their lines.
- Find the movement. Walk entrances, exits and positions with simple markers. Check that every speaker can be seen and heard.
- Connect the scenes. Add props, songs and dances. Rehearse handovers so performers know what starts the next action.
- Run the whole story. Time a full performance. Note where a missed cue or a slow transition interrupts the story.
- Check the space. Rehearse with microphones, lighting, costumes and the people handling music. Make a fallback plan for absences.
Give helpers one clear responsibility each.
Assign someone to track entrances, someone to help with props and costumes, and someone to follow the sound or music cues. A quiet cue from a familiar helper can support a performer who loses their place.
Keep the final rehearsal useful.
Fix the few things most likely to disrupt the performance. Keep water, accessible routes and a calm waiting area available. Let the group finish knowing the story they are sharing and where they belong.