A few thoughts on stuff that might be of concept.
First arrange that they put up a scene or two of the
play ASAP as a cast in the lunch room while the rest of te school watches and mocks them during lunch. If they are not ready, this will quickly become appairent and they will try harder after an early education amongst peers not so much their social club. If nothing else, invite parents and others to the audience to watch a un-announced or without much notice run-thru of the show. Them screwing up in front of an audience will do something.
Next and the same type of psyche war type of thing, you do something to change their timing, setting or atmosphere.
Timing, you get with the director and allow them to start rehearsal at what ever time they want by way of not calling them to the
stage (it’s posted but not called), or you let other things as
stage manager become absent such as calling or searching them out for their appearance on
stage. Leave them alone as long as the director is willing to
play game in losing a day. End the day at the normal time no matter how far in rehearsal you got. Basically you not doing your job in some way they think they don’t need you for lets them have a quick education. This again as arranged in a lost night with the director includes nobody getting shushed. Let them talk, let them joke and come late to the
stage for one night. Let the more serious students get really upset and start the practice going on their own as leaders of the crew you can rely upon later to keep the rest under check, than let the director at the end of the night do his or her own thing in laying down the law and letting the cast know why this was all necessary. The question amongst the cast than changes from when is the director going to get his act together in starting this rehearsal or keeping it going during rehearsal, to the director/
stage manager being one step ahead of the cast and out psyche warring them by allowing them to dig their own grave. This either by way of a total flop of a show in front of an audience or a rehearsal that never really got off the
ground. Now instead of being upset with the director/
stage manager, they hopefully would realize that in not forcing them to do anything they are not wanting to do they also did not enjoy what they were there for.
An alternative to this would be a night of discipline. This be it theater warm up games all night long when they would rather be acting their roles, or doing scenes the for the most part have together or good enough - especially full cast scenes or perhaps the end of the show applause
bows all night long and I do mean all night long. Same concept of changing the timing or atmosphere in knocking the talent off what they are used to. If nothing else, do scene by scene in reverse. Start from the back of the
play and go in reverse. You than get their full attention afterwards in explaining why it was necessary and what will be required in the future.
Setting, nothing makes the talent serious like
stage lights and set in place. Even if it’s not nearly ready, making the rehearsal as close to the set as possible such as with temporary rehearsal walls and
props, plus what ever lighting can be thrown up will often help. At very least, a walk
thru or even viewing of the set design model will bring reality to the rehearsal to some extent.
Change the situation and don’t explain, allow them to hang themselves, or do something they don’t know the game plan to and they start to rely upon you and seek out what they know and is easy. In seeking what’s easy, in part it is what purpose they think they should be there for. Could be chatting all night especially if nobody is called to
stage and the rehearsal never starts, but such a thing gets boring within a few hours. They than all start to wonder and at that
point seek out daddy to tell them what’s going on. In any case, once you break them down be it from a total change of what they expect the norm or presenting the show before it’s ready, you have them.
If there is a
fire curtain or main drape, disorientate them in the same psyche war by closing it and leaving it closed all night long. Do other things to disorientate them such as if the director normally sits in the audience, have him or her sit center
stage for the night. If the
stage manager is typically back
stage, move out to the audience with the ASM and let the actors run their own show from backstage in getting on
stage on time, keeping quiet
etc. Perhaps do the entire show on the brightly lit
apron of the
stage without use of the
stage or normal
blocking and
props/set at all. Disorientation not only can be beneficial in learning to adapt and adjust, but will get them quickly thinking on their feet and very when out of the normal for them, willing to take direction or listen to advice.
Don't know how well any of this would work but perhaps it might in some way be something to look at.