Students come to me about eight weeks before a competition, and we select a piece together. It is really important for a good fit between the words and the students who will speak them.

We give students a deadline by which they must have their pieces memorized. We suggest they set an amount of lines to be memorized for each day so that they are not caught short because...

The important thing they are taught is that if they forget a line or two, they are to continue on and finish the piece with poise. Improvise if needed, but continue to speak in character...

All of this helps students develop the confidence needed to command the audience’s attention. (This) will serve them no matter what field or endeavor they might pursue.