You'd be amazed at how much of this so many of you achieve...

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If you can take everything seriously whilst remaining entirely playful…

If you can develop certainty and build on what you previously found still retaining a continual sense of discovery…

If you can be utterly focused and yet aware of all aspects of the world in which you and the character you are portraying live…

If you can remain stress free and yet aware of the responsibilities of being a member of a cast…

If you can know the script inside out yet listen to and speak those words as if for the first time…

If you can be supportive to each member of your company and keep yourself strong and sane…

If you can be truly open and yet retain your privacy and dignity

If you can develop the arrogance to know you can do it with the humility to learn from everything and everyone…

If you can assess yourself with heartbreaking honesty and put yourself back together stronger than before

If you can cherish every single moment and yet yearn for the greater things to come…

Then you’ll be a perfect youth theatre member… …

With thanks to Rudyard Kipling

(I couldn’t bring myself to write the my son bit)

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