It worked... I think.

The students seemed to get something useful out of the assignment I mentioned below. We read all their scenes aloud in class, which was excruciating for them (and for me, for different reasons). There seemed to be some attention to detail, but sometimes it was misplaced. Rather than giving us a sense of a character's look, they describe very specific facial features. It's a no-no because of casting. You want to be able to see a variety of actors in a role, while at the same time having a very specific sense of a character.

It's kind of an advanced skill, so a little hard to convey.

And of course I had one student who said, "We were supposed to do that for today?" Yes, that's what the e-mail said. Read the email you get from your professor! Hello!

And one who said, "Well, I wasn't here, so I didn't know exactly what I was supposed to do." So ask someone. Like me, the professor.

But overall, a pretty good experience, I think.