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."