My general operation philosophy is "as you rehearse it, so shall ye perform it." I make the analogy to a basketball player who practices foul shouts for hours on end, going over the exact motion of the shot so he develops muscle memory and his body responds automatically. Although he may take a break and try shooting it with eyes closed, or back turned and over his head, that's not how he'll do it in performance, so he doesn't waste too much doing it that way.

That said, the process of rehearsal is getting to performance quality, and trying more and more to do it that way is the expected approach, right up to tech/dress week. It starts very loose as the actors begin to become familiar with the roles, and the blocking is established and tweaked, until it gets to the point where it is mostly "set".

My question: there is a rehearsal technique that I believe is called "Italian Rehearsal" or for a more PC reference, a speed-through. I've heard some actors working on their lines before a rehearsal this way, and even before a show. And I generally don't intervene, because whatever it takes to get it right is a help. But I don't personally feel that it's a good practice. You get used to saying and hearing lines in a manner that will not occur during the show, and your response will not be as quick and lifeless.

So, what's the general consensus? What sort of these "non- standard" techniques do you employ or avoid, and why?