Sitting in on the rehearsal early this week, I watched seven young actors involved in the upcoming production of A Christmas Story learning to work at their craft under the patient skill of their director David Nairn.

As far as I could see, the patience of the actors equalled that of the director, for he had them doing a small section of a scene over and over until it was just what he wanted.

But, as Mr. Nairn obviously feels that simple tyranny will not bring out the best in his actors, he asks them to explain the changes he is suggesting. He asks them to remember what the references were before in the play, what was within the context of the dialogue.

And they do remember; they do suggest and, together with their leader, they do figure out what is the best way to deliver the moment. It does not always happen quickly. Like anything worth doing, this is worth doing well. And the kids do not mind the repetition. They do not mind the effort in working it out and trying it again and again until it is right.

Mr. Nairn is a stickler for detail. Nothing escapes his comment, tiny adjustments, honing the delivery, for much of the content of the play is comedy for which timing is everything and the details matter.

I was watching the rehearsal of a section in which the young hero, Ralphie, played by Adam Bartley, gets some bad news and there ensues a theatrical "fight" with some very nifty special effects. It will be an interesting moment in the story, no doubt, a turning point of sorts.

The youngsters, coming to the play with varying degrees of experience under their belts, are all clearly quick learners. Each nuance of difference Mr. Nairn asks of them, they give to him.

The younger two, Christopher and Tyler, who share the task of playing Ralphie's younger brother, Randy, were just sitting and waiting while the others went over and over their lines, but there was no fussing and fidgeting, no unnecessary noise; they sat quietly, observing the others, watching their progress.

In the midst of the carefully conducted melée, stood Terry Hart, as Ralph, the grown up version of the young hero. His commentary runs through the play as it does the scene that I was watching and, in order for the nuances and details to be refined, he had to stand and deliver his lines over and over as the cue for the action that was being perfected. A seasoned trouper, Mr. Hart was easy about the drill and pleased with the results.

After a moment it was time for the two Randys to come on; Christopher took first turn at the lines, after which Tyler played the scene.

The time "on" is more than equal reward for the patient waiting.

There is a freshness in the youthful approach to acting, the lack of experience in the field that is the result of being young. There has not been time for their confidence to be full grown; most of them already know most of their lines; in fact, Jade Lavoie, with the role of a somewhat sappy Ester Jane, knew her lines before the first meeting. She and Jacqueline Vandervaart, playing Helen, can giggle convincingly as many times in a row as Mr. Nairn asks them to, looking as girlish and silly as he would want, every time.

After stage manager, Kate Brown, called an end to the day, there was time for talking. We sat around half a table, one of the props, and they began to declare, unprompted: "We love it." "Every moment is great."

What about the repetition? "It's great." "We love the challenge to get it right."

I could not dissuade them, nor find a gap in their enthusiasm.

"You gotta keep the same sparkle."

"Sometimes it's not easy but it always has to be like the first time."

There was, in addition, general agreement that seemed to have grown with them.

Alexander Newell, who plays Flick, said it first: "We just want the audience to have a good time."

They piled on the comments: "We hope they'll want to come back again and the see the play more than once."

"This should be a boost to the theatre. People can say - if this play is this good, then we should come to the other shows."

They are learning how the theatre creates family amongst actors: "Everyone here is great fun." "All of us are friends."

In answer to my looking for the funniest moments of the rehearsals so far, they handed me a load of private jokes to which they all laughed uproariously and made me happy to listen to them.

What about getting out character at home, I wondered.

They confessed to playing that up a bit. Daniel Real, playing Schwartz, admitted that his mother had to remind him that he was not going to rude at home, no matter how he acted on stage. "Just being in character," he told her, to no avail.

Young Tyler's favourite new game is to tell his parents that he has "to go wee-wee" while driving in the car, which, apparently, his character does.

Samuel Grant, who is Scut Fargas, a bully in the play, assured me that he leaves his character in the theatre, and, from what I saw of his playing the role, his remarks were a relief.

Adam accepts the burden of his lead role philosophically. He auditioned in the first place when his mother learned the auditions were being held. He was not necessarily looking for the lead, as the others were not - they were just coming for a part, a chance to participate in this professional theatre.

As Christopher commented, "We just want to do a good play for everybody to enjoy."