The Puzzle Pressures of Acting Class

Puzzle pieces.
Unruly, chaotic Disarray.
An acting teacher assigns a scene.
Scattered across a surface,
Pieces lay every which way.

Unsuspecting students.
Nervous, eager Ambition.
A puzzle’s outer rim is assembled first.
After a scene’s first read,
Some actors hold onto hope.

Piles of puzzle pieces.
Overwhelming Much-too-much.
Acting students begin breaking down a scene.
Once sorted, one-by-one,
The pieces start to fit into place.

Student scenes- take one.
Anxious, reaching darn good Try.
Finding the fitting piece is a challenge of trial and error.
Students perform as they see fit.
Teacher says, “try something different.”

Glimpse of a picture.
Close-to-cool, small-but-sure Success.
Students try to intently interpret their teacher’s notes.
The puzzle seems to resemble
The picture on the box.

Student scenes- take two.
Disastrous, insincere Inadequacy.
A puzzle piece often looks like it fits, but doesn’t.
This harshly self-righteous teacher
Scolds students for lack of improvement.

A piece doesn’t fit.
Patient persistence vs. pitch-a-fit Frustration.
The teacher invalidates the students’ misunderstanding.
Options: calmly keep searching, or
Refuse and force the first piece to fit.

A confused student.
Tension-filled, mistaken Resistance.
A puzzle can’t be completed if one stops searching for the right piece.
The teacher blames the student
For the note’s failure to fix the scene.

The piece snaps.
Cardboard-crushing puzzle Demolition.
“Okay, next scene.” The student ran to the bathroom in fear of tears.
To fit a piece where it doesn’t belong,
One has to bend, fold, and break it.