WORKING WITH ACTORSfrom STAGE DIRECTING, A director’s itinerary

General Guidelines Be specific, never vague

Know what the actors want

Be flexible and open to new ideas

Be ready to explain ideas

Value the input of actors

Understand the actors process

General Guidelines

Understand the actors ego

Play whatever role you need to play from moment to moment

Remain uninvolved with offstage drama

Creative a rehearsal atmosphere that fosters creativity and risk-taking

Specificity

Be clear, concise and confident in what you are saying. You don’t have to be right, you have to be clear.

Questioning the director

IF THE ACTOR QUESTIONS A CHOICE, THE DIRECTOR HAS A COUPLE OF OPTIONS.

1. LISTEN TO WHAT THE ACTOR HAS TO SAY AND RECONSIDER YOUR CHOICE WITH AN OPEN MIND.

2. IF ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT IN THE IDEA, ASK THE ACTOR TO TRY IT WITH FULL COMMITMENT.

Ultimately, is the battle worth fighting?

Ty to avoid showing

Let the actor discover. It is always better for the actor to discover moments than for you to impose something the actor does not understand.

LINE READINGS

Avoid if possible, since it is always better for the actor to live the line than to mimic…HOWEVER…sometimes it becomes the best solution. BUT, when is that? Let your experience guide you.

LISTEN to the actors Different actor require different methods

depending upon the circumstance (school, community, professional)

Ultimately, whatever works is a credit to your work as a director

It doesn’t matter where the good ideas come from, the show’s success should be the focus

Be flexible and listen to everyone’s idea

Respect the actor’s process

Be patient

Every actor works in a different way

Take your victories as they come

Don’t rush

Let the relationship between you and the actor guide the work.

Understand the process Study acting

Actors focus in inward, Director’s is outward

Build and maintain trust

Balance notes with sensitivity of the actor

What about the actor who resists? Ignore them. When they ask for help then you can offer it.

Director or psychologist?

Set your ego aside Every situation has its own best

solution

Remember, it is not about you, it is about the show

Over time, you will become better able to understand human behavior

Offstage drama Actors have lives and issues outside the rehearsal

hall, try not to be involved

Keep offstage drama outside the rehearsal hall

Novice directors will struggle with this, but they must develop thick skins and avoid these entanglements

Creating the rehearsal atmosphere

Risk taking

Adventurous

Fund

Imaginative

Positive

All a reflection of you

Difficult actors Start conversations on a positive note

Don’t demean the actor and don’t attack

Listen

Don’t let your anger show

Don’t relent, if you are trying to modify behavior

If they become to disruptive, replace them

Divas

• Focus on WE not ME• Remember that knowledge is power• Level the playing field• Develop an ensemble• Don’t embarrass a diva• Find out what makes them tick

Managing diverse personalities Pay attention in casting

Start assessing the challenges at first rehearsal

Use common sense, focus on the work, not on personalities

Set appropriate rules and enforce them

Make it clear that actors can bring problems to you

Actors who dislike one another

ACTORS don’t always get along

Remind them of their professional obligations

See anecdote, page 186

Other issues Actor who direct

Actors who direct others

DON’T GET INTIMIDATED

FOCUS ON THE WORK