She was playing the role of Abigail in The Crucible. Her impact on the character was just beginning. There is an intense scene between her and John Proctor, and she was having a little trouble reaching the inner turmoil of the character. I took her aside one day and asked if she ever raised her voice around her family. She thought about it for a bit, and couldn’t really think of anything, but then offered an idea.
She was in conflict with her father over a boy she was dating. He didn’t agree and she would have arguments with him that left her feeling helpless. I asked her to channel that frustration into Abigail’s encounter with John Proctor. About a half hour later the scene came up, and Abigail just tore into Proctor, leaving us all pretty stunned in the room. I expressed my excitement with how well she nailed that character and the rehearsal went on.
About a half hour later, Abigail’s next scene came up and she wasn’t anywhere to be found. I asked a couple of students, and they said she is over in the corner of the stage. I walked over and found her sobbing uncontrollably. I asked her what was wrong and she moaned – I’ll never get my dad to agree with me, it hurts too much.
Lesson Learned.
What Crosses My Mind 
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