VI- Directing:
The directors main role is to direct the play; thus the director
needs to have had previous experience in doing so. Directing is defined as the
process of decision making behind the artistic needs of the production. S/he
is to work directly with the producer to create an artistic concept that ideally
envisions the opinions of both director and producer.
The director always has the last word in terms of the conceptualization
of the play; s/he has to make sure that the rest of the people working on the
production understand her/his notion.
The director is in charge, at all times, of leading others and inspiring
motivation and confidence that the final product of the production is a process
to which it is worth devoting time and energy. The role of the director is often
compared to that of a teacher who guides others and directs the way duties are
performed. However, it is important to always leave enough space for personal
creativity to take place.
Good directors do not show people how to do things; artists, specifically
actors, like to feel that they are accomplishing things on their own. Thus,
the role of the director is to make production team members feel that they are
discovering things on their own.
A. Duties
of the director
Selecting a play:
When directing a play, the first step is to determine which play to put
on. Enclosed are a few guidelines of how to select a play that meets the specific
needs of Teatrotaller. However, keep in mind that regardless of the specifications
here mentioned, it is important that the director enjoys the play and feels
some personal urge to direct it.
In the past, I have found that those plays that I have enjoyed the most
to direct are those that I have had to read a couple of times before I get to
like them and understand what the conflict of the play is about. Plays that
I absolutely love right away can be good, but in many occasions arent
as challenging. When you fully understand a play right away, it might mean that
you have figured out most of the conflict and that there wont be much
more to discover through the process.
Developing
a concept:
After you have selected a play think: What is this play about? Determining
what a play is about is one of the most crucial aspects of directing. Everything
in the production stems from the main conflict of the play, and if the director
has answered this question correctly, the production will be stylistically consistent
and the process will flow naturally.
When determining what the play is about to you, always state it as a
verb in its gerundial form. For example, Rosa de dos aromas is about liberating
two women who find themselves trapped in a machista society. Notice
that the key word here, liberation is a very visual and physical word. It was
from this idea that we developed the concept of the jail as the central metaphor
for the play and decided that the play would take place in an arena
space.
In order to decide what the play is about, a lot of text work is necessary.
One of the most useful techniques is to analyze the text backwards. That is,
if in the last scene of the play one of the characters leaves another, then
take a look at the previous scene and determine the reasons why the character
left. The previous scene might in fact reveal if the characters sudden
exit was, for instance, a running away or a storming out. Determining subtle
differences in the play, like the one just mentioned, will make a great impact
on the final development of the production elements of the play.
Another useful and essential technique when directing a play is to be
able to determine what the conflict of the play is about. Always state the conflict
between the characters in a verb form-- i.e. a pushing vs. a pulling. Use verbs
that reveal the physical and psychological states of the characters. While using
psychological verbs will help to determine traits of each specific character,
physical verbs will help to block the scenes. After you have stated the conflict,
then determine when is the conflict resolved, who wins, and who was the dominant
character in the scene.
Determining the resolution of the conflict, or the action equals determining
what the scene is about. Knowing who the dominant character in the scene is
and who wins the conflict are also instrumental in the blocking of the play.
Once you have developed the conflict of the play, then you are ready
to move on to the next two steps of the production process: casting and meeting
with the designers.
Casting:
When casting the play, always keep in mind the specific need that your
interpretation of the play requires. For instance, Teatrotallers version
of La barca sin pescador required different casting specifications than those
that the author states in the original text.
More information on how to prepare auditions and select a team for the
production is included in the first chapter of this manual.
Remember: ALWAYS CAST THE BEST ACTOR. NEVER SELECT A CAST BASED ON TYPES
OR LOOKS: IT NEVER WORKS!!!!!!!
Meeting with the designers:
Right after the director has determined the concept of the play and sometimes
even before the play has been cast, meet with the set designer to begin talks
about the general design for the play. It is important that this take place
as soon as possible, since designing the space and building the set are extremely
time consuming. The set design must be ready before rehearsals begin so that
the play may be blocked.
When talking to designers, first let them know what the play is about
to you. Use visual verbs. You may wish to explain why you selected the play
or any specific visual images that it brings to mind.
Selecting a metaphor is often extremely useful. It activates the designers
imagination. Talk about specific colors, textures, images, artists, etc. that
the play brings to mind.
For more information on how the specific needs and ideas that you need
to discuss with each specific designer, please refer to the design sections
of the manual.
Preparations for the rehearsal period:
After the set has been designed, and the cast has been selected, the
next step in the process is to begin the rehearsal period.
However, before rehearsals begin, it is very useful for the director
to divide the play in scenes. For the purposes of Teatrotaller, it is very convenient
to base the division of scenes by the exits and entrances of the characters,
since this way, not everybody need to be at rehearsals all the time. Enclosed
is a sample of how to divide the play by entrances and exits.
Along with the stage manager, the director will prepare a rehearsal schedule,
specifying who needs to be present at rehearsals and which scenes will be rehearsed.
Please make sure that only those characters who will be needed are called to
rehearsal. It is very discouraging for actors to attend rehearsals where they
arent needed. The stage manager needs to have a copy of the conflict sheets
that the entire team filled out at auditions.
Blocking:
The first step in the rehearsal process is to block the play, or to mark
the movements of the actors on stage. If the conflict of the play is well defined,
this should run smoothly and naturally. For example, if the conflict is a persecuting
vs. a running away, the blocking will merely reflect these actions.
When blocking a play, always keep in mind the importance of taking full
advantage of the downstage anchors. Anchors are used on stage to ensure that
the actors will have a motivation to use the whole stage area.
A play must always be blocked in diagonals. Diagonals intensify the conflict
between the characters and create multiple visual levels. This is the easiest
way to avoid dull stage movements and flat patterns on stage.
The Rehearsal Period:
Rehearsing is the process of determining the action of each specific
moment of the play. Action is the resolution of the conflict, and it determines
what the scene is about. Thus, rehearsing a play is the process of determining
what is going on at every specific point of the play. Clarity is the key to
a good theatrical production. The conflict must be evident, intense, and well
defined at all times.
Another simple way to block the play and to direct the way the acting
is executed is by asking yourself: What does the character want at this particular
moment? This is called determining the objectives of a character, and the actions
that you perform to achieve those objectives are tactics.
Defining the tactics is also very useful for the blocking of the play.
A character might be running away from the other character, but the way he/she
does it may vary throughout the scene. For example, a character might try to
run away at one point, but at the other he/she might simply try to silently
escape the room.
Obstacles are what prevent the characters from achieving what they want.
These might be physical (useful for the blocking) or psychological (useful for
the acting).
Always ask the actors : WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHY DO YOU CROSS TO THAT
CORNER OF THE ROOM?
Working with good actors is the key to a successful production. Trust
your actors. Actors are very creative individuals and if you inspire them in
the right way, they might actually do most of the job for the director.
ASK THEM QUESTIONS. This will make them feel as if they were discovering
things on their own. Ask them: where would you cross with this line? why? what
do you want? etc.
Observe their actions and movements. Encourage them to do things even
if they feel silly and dumb. They might not work, but they might inspire you
to try something that may in fact be useful.
If an actor asks you a question, it is often very useful to revert the
question back to them. For instance if they ask you: why do you think my character
says this? ask them: Why do you think he/she does?
Very often , they will provide very good insights about the characters,
and they may in fact provide answers to questions that you do not know. Even
if you do not know anything, appear confident and that everything is under control.
This will make them trust you.
What to do when a scene isnt simply working or doesnt look the way
you want it to?:
Observe the scene carefully and determine what is it about it that you
do not like.
Once you have diagnosed the problem in the scene, correcting the problem
will be relatively easy if the right techniques are applied.
Theater games and improvisations are a great solution to the most common
problems encountered in the rehearsal process. While playing games, most often
the actor liberates him/herself from inhibitions that were coming in the way
of performing the scene correctly.
Viola Spolins book Improvisation for the theater is an excellent
source for directors and actors. It provides solutions and alternatives to virtually
every pitfall that the director might find her/himself trapped in.
Other useful techniques:
Props or stage business are very useful tools for actors who are self-conscious.
Giving actors something to do helps them to keep attention away from the way
they deliver the lines and to focus on the action that they are performing.
This way, the language will seem more natural and will flow better.
When in doubt, add music. Music fills in the silences beautifully and may help
to intensify the conflict of those scenes. Music is also a great way to create
style/ ambiance is a play.
Entrances and exits say a lot about a character. Watch these carefully and determine,
where is this character coming from, where is he/she going to, what happened
previously, what is happening next, etc.
Another very useful exercise is to play with the rhythm of the piece. It adds
variety and makes the play move faster. Have actors perform the scene slowly,
quickly, alternating speeds, etc., and observe the results. After this exercise,
you may wish to decide to alter the speed of some parts of the piece and the
actors might get insights into their characters.
Repeat the exercise above mentioned but alternating the volume this time. Have
the characters be loud, soft, etc. This might be very useful in determining
who is the dominant character the scene and who is supposed to be getting the
audiences focus.
Notes:
The most important part of a rehearsal is giving notes to the actors
and the technical staff.
Give notes clearly and concisely. Get to the point. Make sure that you
understand the root of the problem that you are pointing out to the actor. For
example, if a scene isnt working, dont just tell them that it isnt
working, since this might be frustrating. Tell them why. Is it too slow, fast,
etc?
During rehearsals, specifically final rehearsals, it is very useful to
request actors and the technical staff to write down the notes.
Preparation for technical rehearsals (Dry technical rehearsals):
Before final rehearsals take place, the director must have talked to
all of the designers and made sure that everything is set for the final rehearsals.
Time in the theater is very limited, and therefore, it needs to be used
wisely. That means:
Lights:
The lighting design on paper should have been submitted to the lighting
designer at least two weeks before the final rehearsals begin (For more information
regarding deadlines, see production calendar enclosed.)
The director should provide the designer with a copy of the ground plan
for the play. The easiest way to design the lights on paper is by allocating
a letter to each of the areas in the ground plan (see example in the lights
section of this manual). Each of these areas named by a letter is called a plot.
Then, the director will prepare a chart (look at sample chart enclosed
in the lights section of the manual) indicating:
1-) Cue #
2-) Which Plot (letter)
Intensity (Percentage at which it should be lit)
Color (If any)
3-) Time (seconds)
4-) Cue (For bringing the lights up)
5-) Page number in which the cue happensSound:
At least one or two weeks prior to the final rehearsals, make sure that the
sound designer knows which cues to use. After he/she knows which cues to use,
he/she must have prepared a cue sheet (like the one enclosed in the sound chapter).
The sound designer must also have recorded the cues on individual tapes.
Costumes:
All costumes must have been selected and moved to the theater along with everything
else when the U-Haul is rented.
Rehearsals in the theater:
A- The Spacing
Rehearsal
Right after the set has been moved to the theater and the set has been put in
place, the first step is to have a spacing rehearsal. Remind the actors to open
up and to adjust to the special needs that the new space might require.
B- Cue to
cue
In a cue to cue rehearsal, the stage manager, following the script, will
lead the director and the designers from cue to cue. Both lights and sound are
done at the same time and in the order in which they take place in the play.
The director must make sure that he/she has headsets to communicate with
the designers/stage manager.
So far, the designers have only talked to you about your ideas for the
play and you have set the design on paper. The cue to cue is the first opportunity
to actually see on stage the things that you have imagined.
Thus, keep in mind that the cue to cue will take a long time. Do not
rush this part of the rehearsals. It takes time for the designer to set the
cues in the computer.
Make sure that when the cue to cue is over, you have decided how each
of the cues will happen. This is the moment to make decisions and try different
alternatives.
Run each cue until it has been perfected. Repeat running the cues as
many times as possible--not less than ten times.
Final Rehearsals:
Even though running the final rehearsals is the responsibility of the
stage manager, the director is still in charge of making sure that the artistic
side of the production is running well and that there arent any stylistic
clashes between the design elements of the production.
Here are a few pointers of things to look at during the final rehearsals:
-Make sure that the actors are opening up and that they are visible from every
point in the audience. Switch seats, dont sit in the same place every
night.
-Make sure that you can hear them from every point in the audience.
-Check that the makeup is adequate and looks good with the lights.
-Check that the cues are happening at the right timing, etc. If they arent,
repeat them as necessary.
- If you are running out of time at rehearsals, run a cue, dont run the
whole play. Another option is to run a speed run through, doing everything at
speedy motion.
Curtain call:
Always arrange the curtain call in such a way that the audiences
response will keep increasing as the actors come on stage.
Match the actors in pairs in such a way that those who might not get
the best response from the audience will benefit from their partners.