Hi Neeshia,

Glad to hear that things are going better then you thought. You need to be a little patient with your actors when it comes to emotion and expression. They need time to develope their characters. The characters maybe fully formed in your head, but the actors need time to see what you see. Don't give them too much to think about at once. Give them each a couple of things to work on. When they have that give them something else. It is process.

As far as getting actors off book: again give then some time and a reasonable deadline. No one wants to go on stage with a book in their hand, so they will work on their lines.  Be prepared that when you take them off book they will be calling for lines and you may feel that you have taken a step backwards. But it is temporary and they will catch up fast.

Linda