Rehearsals

So far rehearsals are going as I have expected them to, that does not necessarily mean "well".

i find it deeply frustrating that the geisha are taking extremely long to learn their dance and how their lack of effort and commitment (some at least) is hindering their performance.
i think constant repetition of actions in the dance will help them learn it and it will further engrave in their brains that it's not about whether they want to do anything or not, it's about the play and it being successful. I read in Marowitz' book that a director must have a balance between someone who is firm and gives orders and someone who takes suggestions to make the performance better, however, what if when I take suggestions and agree with them the end product is still the same? (no effort, bad product) or when i'm firm and tell them to work i still get nothing? How does one deal with something like this? because usually, the books and information given by actual directors is mostly about their work with professional or at least experienced actors NOT with 6th grade and above.

roberto came up with the idea to have the geisha along with the ninjas come every rehearsal so that they learn their parts alone. I think this could be effective because they will somehow become bored with not doing anything (what they would do in the first half hour i think) and actually get some work done, maybe they feel intimidated by anyone else's presence (anyone in charge that is) so we'll give this a try.

This week start the actual rehearsals, what i mean by this is the rehearsals of scenes. I think the last one i had was quite successful but i have come to the realization that the actual arrangement of the scene (particularly the ones in the palace) is kind of restraining. I found myself thinking about things the royal family could do, around the stage or even stand somewhere but this would not be possible because they are fixed in the platform, moving them would ruin the aesthetics of the scene so i think yes, this does restrain but isn't that what we want? restrain then earthquake? so i will have people there move only when an earthquake or very important and tense action happens in the scene.

with this last thing i realize that things that restrain us can actually turn to our benefit, so i begin to wonder about the so called "no-nos" of theatre, what is wrong? because say, turning your back on the audience is something that is wrong in western forms of theatre but it could work in other traiditions an places. so
what exactly do we mean and what exactly is, in theatre, wrong?