THEATRICS
Thoughts on Directing

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A group of people enter a room and watch a smaller group of people pretend to be something they are not; they watch people 'play'. If, for even a small while, the audience believes in the story they are watching, believes that the concerns and feelings of the players are real, then the play has succeeded. This is the essence of theatre.

Toward this goal, the actors must believe in the play and the characters they are playing. This belief can then be shared with the audience. The principal participants are the actors and the audience. The director and the technical crew provide the support that they need. However, it is the actors who make the production come alive, or not. One of the biggest mistakes that directors can make is to go into the rehearsal process knowing exactly what they want, and expect to see, as the final result.

What then is the role of the director? First, the director must know and believe in the play. The script must be good. No amount of talent on the part of the cast or crew can save a bad script. The director should know the play, should study it and should be highly motivated to do the play. The director must do his or her homework. The more ideas the director has on design, staging, character, stage business and all the other aspects of the play, the better.

But here's the irony. The director must be prepared to abandon any of these ideas at any time. The play will evolve from the collective creativity of all the participants. Directors with tunnel vision are not just stifling the creative impulses of the actors; they are missing the opportunity of discovering some exciting possibilities.

Peter Brooks, in his book, The Empty Space, tells us that the play development process can be divided into three stages. The first stage is:

Here the director presents his or her vision of the play, the subject, to the set, costume, sound, lights and other designers. This must be done early to insure that everyone understands the intentions of the director in regards to the play. In amateur theatre, and sometimes in professional as well, the director takes on many of these roles personally, especially the ground plan of the set, which cannot be separated from the blocking of the play. Although part of this should be done before rehearsal has started, much of the design will evolve during the rehearsal process. For example, costumes must fit the character and the characters may not be fully developed until well into rehearsal.

It is traditional that the director has the final authority in the selection of the stage manager, especially in amateur theatre. This job is extremely important. When the run of the show begins, the director is no longer directly involved in the production. The stage manager calls the cues for the show and oversees all aspects of the production except the management of the house. The stage manager is often the only person in the crew who has been to most of the rehearsals. When a judgement call is needed, such as a missed cue line for a sound or light cue, the stage manager is the person best qualified to make the instant decision needed. The stage manager provides the continuity between the rehearsals and the productions. For this reason, it is extremely important that the director and the stage manager have a good working relationship. When the play goes into performance, the stage manager is charged with trying to maintain the interpretation of the show that has been achieved by the director and cast.

The single most important job of the director is the casting of the play. Some people have described it as eighty percent of the job in terms of the final effect on the play. This is true. A good cast can make a show, but if you cast poorly your work will be frustrating and the outcome will be in doubt. Once the play is cast, the director must impart to the cast his or her vision of the play. It is important that the director and cast share the same basic interpretation of the play. Is it a comedy? Is it a farce? Are the characters deep and meaningful, simply caricatures or somewhere in between? What is the theme of the play? What is its predominate element? Does the play have a moral? These matters must be understood from the start.

The next stage is:

During the rehearsal process, the director represents the audience. The actors cannot get outside themselves and watch. Even with video equipment they cannot easily place their work in context. The actors now present the subject (the play) to the director and modify this presentation based on feedback from the director. Actors cannot be fully creative until certain technical matters are worked out. The play must be blocked and the actors' lines must be learned. Good blocking emphasizes the players' characters and motivations. It drives the story line forward. When dealing with new actors, some of this time will be used in teaching basic movement, stage awareness and other technical aspects of acting. If these matters are done early enough in the rehearsal process, there will be time to work on the scenes.

If production time comes near and the actors are still uncertain about their lines or if the blocking is not done, then an important opportunity has been lost. This is the opportunity to allow the play to grow. At this point the director's homework will pay off. He or she can provide ideas on stage business, possible humour and so on. However, it is important that the play develops its own identity. The actors will perform the show. They must convince the audience. To do this they must believe in what they are doing. The actors are the best source for creative input. Of course, it is good that the director is well prepared because ideas will often be needed. But the same director must be prepared to abandon these ideas when the ideas from the cast are better. This will happen often.

A director will sometimes see that an actor's idea simply does not work. That is one of the reasons that a director is needed. A director can guide, try to convince and suggest but, in the end, if the actor does not believe what he or she is doing, then neither will the audience and nothing is gained. If an actor makes a suggestion, it should be tried. If such suggestions are ignored, then the actors will stop making suggestions. Again, there are lost opportunities. If a cast member asks a question, it must be taken seriously. The question usually indicates an unresolved problem. When in doubt, try different ideas. Often 'doing' accomplishes more than 'talking'.

When doing scene work, the director has an important duty. It is to be sure that the actors understand the motivations, or objectives of their characters. Sometimes a lot can be accomplished by asking the question; "What does your character want to do? (or have happen?)" These motivations should be expressed in their most basic form. A common method of rehearsal, when doing scene work, is the three-step method. First, the scene is run once through without stopping. During this run the actors can try any ideas that they might have. The director can take note of any ideas that he or she may have. Next, the scene is run stop/start trying ideas, working on motivations and making changes. Last, the scene is run once more, without stop, to set the changes in the actors' minds.

As the play nears production, it is important that the director does not accept anything less than an actor's best. The actors must experience the appropriate emotions and not just indicate or demonstrate them. Actors will often shy away from a complete commitment to their parts because such a commitment is a very intense experience. The director will now need to focus on the pacing of the play, concentrating on cue pick up, finding the places where the scenes build and encouraging a high level of energy. In amateur theatre, the director may also wish to remind the cast of certain technical and ethical matters. For example: handling laugh lines, voice projection and the seriousness of upstaging or dropping character.

There is often very little time to join the technical cues to the play, especially in amateur theatre. The technical rehearsal will run more smoothly if a dry technical rehearsal is held first, without the cast. Here, the director goes through the cues, one at a time, explaining them carefully to the crew. The technical rehearsal itself is run stop/start with the director in charge. The remaining rehearsals, including the dress rehearsal, are also run by the director. However, the director should start to withdraw from active involvement after the first technical rehearsal. The final dress rehearsal should not be stopped for any reason. Notes can be given and technical problems noted after the rehearsal.

A well directed play should not appear to have been directed at all. The play should appear spontaneous. It should have its own internal energy and drive. Near the end of the rehearsal process, very little new business should be added. The notes to the cast, given at the end of each full rehearsal, should become less specific and more general. I feel that a director needs to have acted, at least a few times. As I have stated, acting is intense and it is not a trivial matter to 'play' in front of a group of people, mostly strangers. A director must be able to fully empathize with what an actor is experiencing. When the production starts, the director has no specific duties. However, it is important that he or she continues to offer encouragement and support to the cast.

The last stage is:

These are the performances. The audience has now replaced the director. True theatre is now being done. Three of the French words that mean: rehearsal, performance and audience literally mean: repetition, representation and assistance. In many ways this tells the process better than the English words. The audience provides the assistance needed to transform the performance into real theatre. The actors give the audience the assistance they need to, just for awhile, believe in something beyond their own lives. However, it is the actors and the audience who create theatre. The director simply helps.

Brian R Sears