After a few glitches and rearrangements our group was finally determined today. I met with my two girls, Lee and Shannon, for about 40 minutes tonight for the first time.

I brought two possible scripts to the meeting, intending to offer them a choice, and also to gauge which scene I felt the suited more. The two options were Twelfth Night Act 1 scene V and A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 3 scene II. Shannon didn't want to do A Midsummer Night's Dream as she had played Hermia in a full production of this play last year at college. Lee didn't really mind as she had not performed Shakespeare before, so we decided on Twelfth Night.

After selecting the scene, we used the first half of the meeting to get to know each other. Talking about uni, plans for after uni, school and previous drama experiences. It was good to understand where everyone was coming from and it was a positive start for us as a group. Lee and Shannon have made friends through drama and so will work together well. They also both indicated that in previous performances they have taken the lead in groups, organising and encouraging others to work. This indicates that they will be willing to put in the effort required to polish our scene, which pleases me. This could offer opportunities for them to rebel against instruction however I severely doubt that this will be a problem; they are both lovely girls and are happy to let someone else take control for a change.

Casting was achieved by reading through the scene twice, switching characters. I knew instantly how I wanted to cast it, but I asked the girls their opinion first. They didn't have a preference, however Lee stated that she thought Shannon read Olivia well. I agreed and cast Lee as Viola, and Shannon as Olivia. Lee gave enthusiasm and energy to Viola which suits her role as a messenger boy. Shannon read Olivia like the lady that she is supposed to be, yet demonstrated the changing emotions that Olivia feels throughout the scene. I am very happy with the casting and am feeling positive about the scene.

Finally, we compared diaries and chose rehearsal dates for the rest of semester. Shannon will be away during the holidays, however I feel that we had booked in enough hours during term time before the performance. Particularly with the enthusiasm and willingness that the girls have shown. I will work out a detailed rehearsal schedule this weekend, and develop some workshop exercises relevant to this scene that we can use.