What a Theatre Production Taught About Teamwork

Glenda @ Mitchell News

Be intentional about what you choose to do. Be intentional about actually doing it.

From Strangers to Storytellers

What a Theatre Production Taught Me About Teamwork

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*Hot Off The Press*

July was exhausting, exhilarating and emotional.  Much of my energy – physical, emotional and spiritual – was taken up by preparing for, rehearsing and performing a drama.  I met new people, learned new things and realised I could get by on a lot less sleep than I’d thought previously.

In order not to steal my own thunder, I’ll leave you to read about the experience through my piece on teamwork that follows.  If you’re interested in reading a personal reflection on the impact of taking part, you can check out The Luke Drama – My Journey

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*What a Theatre Production Taught Me About Teamwork*

A few months ago, I joined the cast of a 90-minute theatre-in-the-round production of the Gospel of Luke. When I first walked into the rehearsal space, I didn’t know what to expect.  The cast was eclectic — teenagers to retirees, people of faith, people exploring, people simply saying yes to something new. Half the people knew each other, the rest of us had not even set eyes on each other before.  Some had theatrical experience; others had never set foot on a stage. 

What unfolded over the weeks that followed was more than just a rehearsal process — it was the creation of a team, a community, a kind of church in motion.  In a matter of weeks, we became a team that could tell one of the world’s most powerful stories — live, with no scripts, props or staging and surrounded by an audience.

Looking back, I realised we didn’t just rehearse a play. We unknowingly lived out a classic model of team development: Tuckman’s five stages — Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, and Adjourning. It’s a helpful framework in business and leadership, but I saw it come alive through theatre. Here’s what it looked like from the inside.

Stage 1: Forming — The Polite Beginnings

In our first few rehearsals, we were cautiously optimistic but somewhat reserved.

Some people had worked together before, but many of us were complete strangers. We were there for different reasons — faith, curiosity, challenge, community — and none of us quite knew what we’d signed up for.

There was a lot of observation — of the director, of each other.  People introduced themselves, smiled politely and scanned each other for clues: Who’s done this before? Who are the confident ones?

Some people leaned in with enthusiasm, others stayed quiet on the edges. Some offered up bits of background: “I’ve done a few plays,” or “This is my first time doing anything like this.”

As with many new groups, there was an unspoken need to “not get it wrong” before trying to get it right. No one wanted to be the difficult one, or the one who forgot their lines.

Roles hadn’t fully been cast, personalities hadn’t emerged. We read the script aloud, unsure of how theatrical or spiritual this experience would become.

In the early stages of any team, people are finding their feet. There’s uncertainty about roles, rules, and relationships. What mattered at this stage wasn’t performance, but psychological safety — the slow-building sense that this was a space where we could try, stumble, and still be part of the group.

Stage 2: Storming: Wrestling with the Text, and with Each Other

As the weeks unfolded, challenges surfaced. Not so much conflict, but friction — moments when expectations clashed, when interpretations of the text didn’t align, or when someone forgot a line one too many times.

Some cast members wanted more structure, others more freedom. There were awkward line runs, forgotten cues, and some emotional moments when people felt overwhelmed or invisible. It’s natural — in this phase, people start expressing their individuality more strongly, and the group has to learn how to navigate difference.

At times, we got stuck — on a scene, or on silence. The Gospel of Luke is long, poetic, and demanding. Memorising entire chapters and delivering them with meaning — without props, lighting or microphones — was no small feat.

We wrestled not just with the material, but with ourselves. Some people had strong opinions. Others were overwhelmed. Group energy fluctuated. There were hard days.

But here’s the thing: we kept showing up.

This is the phase many teams fear — but it’s where transformation begins. Storming doesn’t always mean overt conflict. In theatre terms, this is when the show starts to feel real — and the pressure begins to mount.

What helped us through this? Listening. Checking in with each other. And having a director who could hold the tension with calm clarity. As in any good team, conflict wasn’t avoided — it was surfaced and worked through.

Stage 3: Norming – Finding Our Rhythm, Building the Bond

Somewhere along the way, something shifted. We began to settle in — not just into our roles, but into each other. We figured out how to support the nervous ones, how to hold space for different interpretations, and how to give feedback with kindness.

Laughter showed up more often.  So did trust.  Trust developed quietly — through shared inside jokes, whispered line prompts, spontaneous applause when someone nailed a scene they’d been struggling with.  We started finishing each other’s lines, catching each other’s eyes, covering for missed cues without panic.

Confidence grew. We began to sense not just who we were as individuals, but how we worked together.  We became more than a group of individuals. We became a troop.

This stage is marked by the creation of team norms — the unspoken agreements about how we show up, how we support each other, and how we recover when things go wrong. In our group, that meant trusting that someone would pick up a missed line, offer a kind word after a tough scene, or quietly encourage someone who felt unsure.

It also meant learning how to co-regulate — syncing our emotional energy to each other so that we didn’t just perform side-by-side, but with each other.

Stage 4: Performing – One Body, Many Parts

During the live performance, standing in the centre of a room full of people, with the audience on all sides, there was nowhere to hide.  By this time, we were no longer just cast members. We were an ensemble. We had formed a shared rhythm.

We remembered our cues. We held the narrative together, seamlessly and without ego.

And then something beautiful happened.  We felt the weight and wonder of the story we were telling.  We disappeared, and the story took over. Our differences didn’t matter. Our unity did.

The Gospel of Luke unfolded through many voices, but with one shared heart. The audience leaned in. Some cried. Some laughed. We felt connected – to them, to each other, to the ancient narrative itself.

What I remember most is the strong sense of we. We carried the story. We shared the space. We didn’t just say the words — we became them.

This is the hallmark of the Performing stage: high trust, shared ownership, and a collective focus on purpose. No one was trying to outshine anyone else. Every person’s presence mattered.

Stage 5: Adjourning – The Last Amen

And then it was over. Just like that. The lights went off, the audience went home, and we packed up.

No more late-night or early morning text threads.  No more rehearsals, no more shared meals or warm-ups.

We hugged each other a little longer.  Some of us cried.  We said goodbye and promised to stay in touch (some of us will, some won’t). There was sadness, but also satisfaction. We’d done it – together.

We didn’t want to leave. But that’s the nature of good teams — they form, they create, they perform, and eventually, they part. Hopefully having been changed in the process.

Tuckman later added this fifth stage — Adjourning — to acknowledge the emotional complexity of disbanding. Even temporary teams form bonds. And when the work is meaningful, parting is always bittersweet.

Reflections Beyond the Stage

Being part of this production reminded me that whether we’re putting on a play, launching a project, or leading a team, the journey often follows the same rhythm:

• Forming with curiosity
• Storming through discomfort
• Norming into trust
• Performing with purpose
• Adjourning with meaning

We can’t skip steps. Forming feels awkward. Storming can feel frustrating. Norming requires patience. Performing demands trust. Adjourning asks us to let go.

And when it works — when people of all backgrounds, ages, and experiences come together to do something that matters — it feels like a little miracle.  When we embrace the process — really lean into it — something remarkable happens: a group of strangers becomes a team. And a team can tell a story, solve a problem, build something meaningful.

In our case, it was a story about light, healing, and transformation. But in truth, the deeper transformation happened in us.

We began as strangers reading an ancient story. We ended as a community who had lived it.

If you’re leading a team, joining one, or forming a new project — don’t fear the awkward beginnings or the messy middle. They’re just part of the process. Because if a group of 20 people, aged 14 to 70, can memorise 90 minutes of scripture and come together as one voice — well, your team can do remarkable things too.

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*The 7Ps – To be intentional about what you choose to do and intentional about actually doing it*

Teamwork thrives when there’s a shared sense of purpose and passion among team members.  This alignment motivates individuals, fosters collaboration, and ultimately drives collective success.  When everyone is working towards the same goal with enthusiasm, the team becomes more effective and resilient.

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*Quote of the Month*

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success”

Henry Ford

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*Kicking out The Bucket List*

For further information or to order the book directly (signed copies available)

It is also available from Amazon, Kobo, Booktopia, Barnes & Noble and other leading book retailers.

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If you have led or been part of a team that has flourished, I would love to hear your story.

If you have experience of a team that didn’t meet its potential because of its failure to work well together, please share that story too.

Glenda

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