<p>This has been noted many times in other threads: go see as many college and professional theatre productions as you can (any kind of show is good, but try to catch as many high quality productions as possible). As she gains experience, I have noticed that my daughter now carefully critiques each show that she sees. We’ve had some excellent discussions about the choices, interpretations, strengths and weaknesses that she has observed in the productions. Try to apply what you learn from your voice, acting and dance lessons to your observations and then learn to use those observations to improve your own skills. We just went to a Shakespeare festival and were blown away by the fact that the same actors that did “Hamlet” one night turned around and did “Ernest in Love” (the musical version of “The Importance of Being Ernest”) the next night. They did both productions very, very well - and most of them are just starting their professional careers. This helped reinforce the depth of commitment required in the field for my d - having done a little Shakespeare, she was amazed to see that actors can memorize and play large parts in multiple productions simultaneously from both the classical and modern repetoire.</p>
<p>My daughter feels that she learns something from every show that she sees. Watching the actors go about their chosen profession also helps reinforce in her mind that this is truly what she wants to do in life. We watch every show that we can fit into our schedule, even if we have to sit in the cheap seats. I have been amazed at how many shows we have been able to squeeze in around her own rehearsal and show schedule.</p>