In theatre, a note is a specific observation about a specific moment, given so the work can improve: “the entrance lands late,” “I lost the last line — the volume dropped.” Companies end every rehearsal with notes; nobody takes them personally, because a note aims at the work.
Giving a note
The rule is the same one from Writing About Drama: describe before you judge. Say what you saw, then what it did to you as an audience member — the habit of Watching Like an Artist, out loud.
- Weak note: “The middle bit was kind of boring.”
- Strong note: “In the middle tableau, everyone was at the same level, so my eye had nowhere to go.”
The strong note is kinder and more useful: it names a moment and a cause, so the group can act on it tomorrow. A judgement with no description is just a mood you handed someone.
Notes name moments, not people
“Jayden was flat” is a verdict on a person. “The reveal in the last scene came and went at the same energy as everything around it” is a note on a moment — and it might not even be Jayden’s to fix. Aim every note at a place in the work.
Receiving a note
Receiving is the harder half. The whole method is:
- Listen to the end. Do not compose your defence while they talk.
- Say “thank you.” Not “yeah, but” — the note-giver watched carefully on your behalf, and thanks keeps them willing to do it again.
- Write it down. A note you did not write down is a note you will not remember by next rehearsal.
- Decide later. You are not obliged to take every note — only to consider it once the sting fades, usually about a day.
Explaining what you meant to do is the classic trap. The audience only gets what reached them; if the note says it did not reach, the intention does not matter yet. Fix the moment so it does.
Curriculum connection
B1.3
identify aesthetic and technical aspects of drama works and explain how they help achieve specific dramatic purposes (e.g., write a report outlining the technical and aesthetic strengths of a peer’s presentation, using appropriate terminology; describe how basic stagecraft has been applied in a drama; identify and explain or justify their own and others’ aesthetic decisions using journals, checklists, or rubrics)
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C3.2
identify and apply the skills and attitudes needed to perform various tasks and responsibilities in producing drama works (e.g., demonstrate respect for others and use focused listening, negotiating, consensus-building, and collaborative skills in group work)
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