15.2 Performance Evaluation and Self-Assessment

2 min readjuly 23, 2024

Musical theater performance evaluation is a crucial skill for aspiring performers. It involves analyzing personal performances, recognizing strengths, and identifying growth opportunities. This process helps performers refine their craft and continually improve their skills on stage.

Self-assessment is equally important in musical theater. It requires performers to reflect on their artistic choices and their impact on the audience. By tracking skill development throughout a course, performers can gauge their progress and set new goals for future growth.

Performance Evaluation

Analysis of personal performance

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  • Understand the established for evaluating performance
    • Assess technical proficiency in vocal technique, dance technique, and acting technique
    • Evaluate artistic expression through interpretation of the material, to the character, and
  • Seek and incorporate feedback from various sources including instructors, directors, peers, cast members, and audience reactions
  • Objectively assess personal performance by identifying moments of success and areas for improvement
    • Compare performance to established criteria and personal goals while avoiding self-judgment and focusing on constructive self-evaluation

Strengths and growth opportunities

  • Recognize personal strengths in showcase performance such as vocal abilities, dance skills, and acting range and versatility
  • Acknowledge areas for improvement and growth, including specific techniques or skills that need refinement, consistency in performance quality, and the ability to adapt to different roles and styles
  • Create an action plan for addressing opportunities for growth by setting specific, measurable goals, identifying resources and strategies for skill development, and establishing a timeline for progress and reassessment

Self-Assessment

Impact of artistic choices

  • Understand the relationship between artistic choices and audience response, considering factors such as character interpretation and believability, pacing and timing of performance, and emotional connection and authenticity
  • Analyze specific artistic choices made in showcase performance, including vocal inflections and delivery, physical embodiment of the character, and interaction with other performers and the environment
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of artistic choices based on gathered through observing audience reactions during the performance, seeking feedback from audience members after the showcase, and reflecting on the alignment between intended impact and actual reception

Reflection on skill development

  • Identify initial skill level and goals at the beginning of the course by assessing strengths and weaknesses in various performance areas and setting specific, measurable goals for improvement
  • Track progress and milestones throughout the course by regularly evaluating performance in class exercises and rehearsals, noting breakthroughs and challenges in skill development, and celebrating achievements and successes along the way
  • Evaluate overall growth and skill acquisition by the end of the course through comparing final showcase performance to initial skill level, recognizing areas of significant improvement and mastery, and identifying ongoing opportunities for growth and development beyond the course

Key Terms to Review (18)

Audience feedback: Audience feedback refers to the reactions, responses, and evaluations provided by the audience during or after a performance. This feedback can take many forms, including applause, laughter, silence, or verbal comments, and is crucial in understanding how well a performance resonates with its viewers. It not only helps performers gauge their impact but also plays a vital role in self-assessment and future performance improvements.
Criteria: Criteria are the standards or principles used to judge or evaluate performance, effectiveness, or quality in various contexts. These guidelines help individuals and groups assess how well something meets predetermined expectations, which is crucial for performance evaluation and self-assessment. Having clear criteria ensures consistency in evaluation and provides a roadmap for improvement and goal-setting.
Emotional connection: Emotional connection refers to the deep bond that allows performers to engage authentically with their characters and audiences, creating a shared experience that resonates on a personal level. This connection is essential in conveying feelings and intentions through performance, making the storytelling impactful and relatable. It often manifests through genuine expression, vulnerability, and the ability to evoke empathy from the audience.
Goal setting: Goal setting is the process of identifying specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound objectives to enhance performance and motivation. It plays a crucial role in self-assessment and performance evaluation by providing clear targets that help individuals focus their efforts, track progress, and stay accountable. By establishing concrete goals, performers can create a structured path toward improvement and mastery in their craft.
Growth mindset: A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication, hard work, and perseverance. This perspective fosters a love for learning and resilience in the face of challenges, allowing individuals to embrace failure as a stepping stone towards improvement and mastery.
Journaling: Journaling is the practice of regularly writing down thoughts, experiences, and reflections in a structured format. This method serves as a tool for self-discovery and personal growth, allowing individuals to evaluate their feelings and track their progress over time. By consistently documenting one's experiences, journaling enhances self-awareness and facilitates deeper understanding of performance and personal development.
Meisner: Meisner is an acting technique developed by Sanford Meisner that emphasizes authentic emotional responses and truthful interactions between actors. This method trains performers to listen and react instinctively to their scene partners, fostering a deeper connection to the text and a more genuine performance. The technique is built on the belief that acting is about being present and responding truthfully in the moment, rather than merely reciting lines or playing a character.
Peer review: Peer review is a process in which experts in a particular field evaluate the work of their peers to ensure quality, validity, and relevance before publication or presentation. This process helps maintain academic integrity and encourages constructive feedback, which is crucial for personal and professional growth in fields like performance and portfolio development. Through peer review, artists can refine their craft, receive insights from others, and enhance the overall quality of their work.
Qualitative assessment: Qualitative assessment is a method used to evaluate performance based on subjective, non-numeric criteria, focusing on the quality of an individual's work, skills, and contributions. This type of assessment emphasizes personal reflection and the richness of experiences over mere numerical scores, allowing for a deeper understanding of strengths and areas for improvement.
Quantitative feedback: Quantitative feedback refers to measurable and objective data that provides insights into performance, allowing individuals to assess their strengths and areas for improvement. This type of feedback is often represented through numerical metrics, statistics, or scores that can be tracked over time, making it easier to analyze trends and patterns in one's performance.
Rubrics: Rubrics are structured assessment tools that outline specific criteria for evaluating performance or work, providing clear expectations and guidelines for both assessors and performers. They are designed to clarify what is expected in an assignment or performance and can be used for grading, feedback, and self-assessment. By breaking down performance into measurable components, rubrics help to ensure consistency and fairness in evaluation, facilitating personal growth and development in a performing arts context.
Self-assessment forms: Self-assessment forms are tools used by individuals to evaluate their own performance, skills, and development needs. These forms typically require individuals to reflect on their abilities, identify strengths and weaknesses, and set goals for improvement. They play a crucial role in performance evaluation, encouraging self-awareness and accountability in personal growth.
Stage presence: Stage presence is the ability of a performer to captivate an audience through charisma, confidence, and an engaging demeanor while performing. This quality not only enhances the overall performance but also establishes a strong connection with the audience, making the performance memorable and impactful. Strong stage presence is crucial across various forms of performance, as it integrates elements of acting, singing, and dancing to create a cohesive and compelling experience.
Standards: Standards refer to established criteria or benchmarks used to evaluate performance and guide self-assessment in various fields, including the arts. They provide a framework for measuring progress, ensuring consistency, and fostering improvement by setting clear expectations for skills, techniques, and outcomes.
Stanislavski: Stanislavski refers to Konstantin Stanislavski, a pioneering Russian theater practitioner whose methods revolutionized acting by focusing on emotional truth and authenticity. His system emphasizes the importance of an actor's psychological connection to their character, fostering a deep understanding of their motivations and relationships, which is essential for performance evaluation and self-assessment in acting.
Verbal critiques: Verbal critiques are spoken evaluations or feedback provided to performers about their work, focusing on strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. They are essential in the performing arts as they foster growth and help artists refine their craft through constructive criticism and dialogue.
Video analysis: Video analysis is the process of reviewing recorded performances to evaluate and enhance skills, techniques, and overall effectiveness in a performance context. This method allows performers to gain insights into their work, identify areas for improvement, and track their progress over time, fostering self-awareness and growth in their craft.
Vocal projection: Vocal projection refers to the technique of using the voice effectively to be heard clearly and distinctly over a distance without straining. This skill is essential for performers, as it ensures that their voices carry to the audience, enhancing communication and emotional impact. Proper vocal projection is achieved through a combination of breath control, resonance, and body alignment, contributing significantly to the overall performance quality.
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