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Eric's Tips for Directors
I will be the first to admit that I am not a veteran director. I have five shows under my belt and a sixth coming up in August. However, I do have over 30 years experience working with theatres, directors, and other actors. Plus, I did have some formal director training back when I was a wee college student.
So take what I have to say with a grain of salt. Sea Salt, preferably; it has a nice texture.
I'm not saying my way is the only way, but it is a way that, in my humble opinion, works well and leaves the cast and crew wanting to come back and work with you again.
That being said, these are the things I strive for as a director.
Be Enthusiastic
Be enthusiastic about the production you are leading. Bad mouthing the script, the story or the playwright only hurts morale. If you really have no enthusiasm for the project, step down.
Have an Open Audition
All shows should have an audition. All auditions should be open.
Advertise auditions as much as possible to attract new people to the auditions. Open auditions are a great way to bolster the membership of the company and recruit new people. A community theatre troupe is only as good as the people who participate and if auditions are closed or hard to find, you will never discover new people or make new friends.
Don’t Pre-cast
Pre-casting should be avoided when possible. All pre-casting does is bolster the impression of new people that the troupe is a clique and all the best parts go to the same people. It’s OK to have specific people in mind for the part before auditions but go into auditions with an open mind and you may be pleasantly surprised.
There may be times when pre-casting is necessary or forced on you. If some roles have been pre-cast, advertise that in the audition notice and announce it at the audition.
If you’ve pre-cast the whole show, you’re doing it wrong.
Be Respectful of the Cast and Crew
The actors and stage crew are volunteers; be respectful at all times. It is never OK to berate, belittle, bully or scream at your people.
Someone not doing something the correct way? Fine, use it as a teaching moment to empart your years of experience and not as an excuse to show how loud you can scream. It is a proven fact that people do not respond well to being intimidated and bullied.
Granted, not everyone gets along all the time and tempers can flare during stressful rehearsals, but remember you are the leader and morale can hinge on how you behave.
However, do not be afraid to replace those who are not respectful to you or others in the cast or crew.
Be Respectful of the Playwright
To the playwright, the play is their creation. They have spent a lot of sweat and tears to create the spectacle you are directing. They own the intellectual rights to everything on the page and we are only paying for the privilege of performing it. It is never OK to change dialog, settings, scene order, gender, etc. without the consent of the playwright.
Not only is it not OK, it is against copyright law and the agreement made with the playwright or their representative.
According to the Dramatists Guild, playwrights have the right to approve casting and attend rehearsals and playwrights may exercise that right. It’s your responsibility to know what is expected and what is acceptable.
Set Casting Expectations
Always specify a date and time when casting choices will be announced and stick to it. Do not drag casting out more than a week.
Verify with the actors who have been cast that they will take the part as soon as possible so you have time to recast if necessary.
Notify those not cast by phone or email. Make sure to thank them for auditioning. Do not feel obligated to offer roles to everyone who auditioned, especially if you feel they would not be a fit for any of the open roles.
If you are still working on filling roles, it is OK to post a cast list with uncast parts.
Be Prepared
The director should be the leading authority on the play they are directing. If that means you need to read it ten times and take notes, do so. There is nothing more frustrating to an actor than a director who doesn’t understand the story they are trying to direct.
Plan out a rehearsal schedule and stick to it as best as possible. Plays should have a minimum of six weeks of three rehearsals a week (or the equivalent) before tech day.
Always plan as if tech day were opening night. This means all costumes, sound cues, light cues, props and set pieces need to be ready to go before tech day.
Involve Your Crew
Appoint a Stage Manager and get them involved early in the rehearsal process. The Stage Manager will be running the show from offstage during the production, so the more you get them involved, the better. They can stand in for an absent actor, feed lines when everyone is off book, take notes, work on sets, etc.
A good Stage Manager can make or break a show, so choose wisely.
The stage and tech crews should be involved before tech day, especially in a show that has a lot of set changes or light/sound cues.
Be Respectful of the Cast and Crew
I feel that this is very important, so I'll say it again. Be respectful of the cast and crew.
There you are. These are the little bits of wisdom I have culled over the years and the ideals to which I endeavor to meet when I wear my director's beret (metaphorically speaking, of course). Hopefully, you can find a few nuggets in here that you can use too.
To paraphrase The Bard, "All the world's a stage, and all the dressing rooms are too small."
The End of Company
This coming weekend will mark the final performance for my return to the New Castle Playhouse. I haven't been on either stage there for over a decade. The last time, I was a singing and dancing fork... or was it knife... in Beauty and the Beast. Well, that and several other small speaking roles including the Baker, a Gaston Crony and a townsperson. This time I'm playing Harry in Company on the Annex stage.
Just like when I did B&B, I've learned a few things about myself and how I relate to theatre. What I learned doing B&B ten years ago was that I was getting too old to play bit parts in musicals. It didn't seem worth my time or effort. I've endeavored since then to only take roles that allow me to either showcase my singing chops or my acting ability. It's worked for me so far.
This time, however, I learned some new things.
First, and this is probably an unpopular opinion, I discovered I don't like Sondheim. The music just seems unnecessarily complicated and difficult to sing and all of it sounds intentionally discordant which doesn't make me want to sing it. I always thought I didn't like Sweeney Todd because I couldn't relate to the characters or even feel sympathy for them, but I'm starting to suspect that I don't like ST because of the music. Even Tim Burton, who I love as a director, couldn't get me interested in seeing ST more than once. Besides, Sondheim sounds like a place in Valhalla where the honored dead go to drink mead and sing rousing Viking songs. You see my dissapointment?
Second, I learned that I have a very low tolerance now to other people's shitty behavior and attitudes. I never liked conflict to begin with but now I just don't have any more fucks to give. It's probably making me difficult in some people's eyes but, too bad. The field where I grow my fucks is fallow and barren. It's reaffirmed my belief system in how directors and actors should work together and I've added this experience to my mental list of things not to do when I am directing.
Third, I discovered I suffer from TMJ and it is one of the more painful things I've had to deal with. Apparently, I learned the lesson too well about opening my mouth when singing. Add that to the stress I was feeling during rehearsals (refer to above paragraph for clues) and the combination of gritting my teeth and sining "Bob!" really loudly, triggered a jaw clenching muscle spasm that brought me to my knees. So, I either need to be more relaxed or stop singing words that start with the letter 'B'.
What can I say, doing Company at NCP was a learning experience. I didn't have any fun and I hated 90% of it but I at least I learned some things.
Am I sorry I took this role?
In the words of my character, Harry, "You're always sorry, you're always grateful..."
Wait Until Dark
I will be appearing in R-ACT's production of Wait Until Dark with some very talented cast-mates.
This is the story of a blind woman who is being conned by three men searching for a missing doll. I'm playing Mike Talman, one of the con-men. He's a complex character torn between the con and his fondness for the mark.
This is a thriller from beginning to end.
Performances are November 13, 14 and 15 at 7:00 PM at the Avenue Theatre in Rochester.
48 Hour Film Project to Begin
So tomorrow begins the 48 hours of sleep deprivation and creativity known as the 48 Hour Film Project. I am working with a group as a writer so my contribution starts tomorrow evening after we get our genre. I'm nervous and excited and have no idea what to expect.
If you've never heard of this, it goes something like this.
Production teams choose a genre, a character's name, a prop and a line of dialog at random. They then have 48 hours to create a 4-7 minute film that incorporates all of those things from the writing of the script to the filming of the scenes to post production.
I imagine with so little time will come very little sleep. Although my involvement may not go beyond the initial creative flurry happening tomorrow night as we write our script. I'm way too used to working for live theatre. This will definitely take me out of my comfort zone.
Anyway, wish me luck
Gaslight (Angel Street)
As so often happens, I find myself inhabiting a role of someone so far from myself that I have to take two busses, a train and a horse-drawn carriage to arrive at their point of view. And thus it is with Jack Manningham, the original prototype of the sociopathic bastard. Much to my chagrin, I find I really relish playing Jack. He's so smooth and so polite and so devious.
If you've never heard of the term, "gaslighting," I suggest you turn on the news. The play Gaslight, or Angel Street as it is known here in the states, is the origin of the term. Gaslighting is the act of manipulating someone via psychological means into questioning their own sanity. I leave your imagination to work out what that has to do with this play.
The play takes place at the Angel Street home of Jack and Bella Manningham which, on the surface, gives the impression of the ideal Victorian household. But there is a dark and sinister undercurrent just out of sight of the public eye. It is this darkness that the audience becomes privy to as the play unfolds.
I shall say no more except that this is quickly becoming one of my favorite roles and it would be a shame if you did not come see me.
The play runs for two weekends starting October 27, 2017 at the Avenue Theatre in Rochester, PA. You can find more information at R-ACT Theatre Productions Website.