Ch 6- The Director!

Me, directing a scene from our 2009 production of MIDDLE AGED WHITE GUYS at Talon Winery.

* Controls the artistic direction and VISION of the production. The director is the person responsible for how the show looks, sounds and feels. This is a very complex position, that often times is misunderstood. An old instructor of mine used to say "If a show is GREAT, the actors get the credit...but if the show is BAD, the director gets the blame." As someone who has directed over 50 shows, I can tell you that truer words were never spoken!

 

HISTORY OF THE DIRECTOR-

 

The history of the position known as the director is an interesting one. The position, as we know it now, has only been around for some 150 years (which in the scheme of Theatre history is NOT very long) There has always been someone who provided some of the functions we now equate with the director, but the position didn't come into it's own until sometime in the mid 19th century.

 

The text divides the history into three phases:

 

1) Teacher Director phase- from the beginnings of Greek Theatre, there was always a TEACHER who would instruct and guide the actors. This person was referred to as the didaskalos (meaning teacher).

 

2) Realistic Director phase- As the theatre began to move in a more realistic fashion, and strive for a sense of verisimilitude (meaning "very similar to life), the position of the director began to flesh itself out. One man, George II (also known as the Duke of Saxe Meiningen) would become the father of modern directing and help establish the director as a separate and important entity(circa 1874 ). The Duke of Saxe-Meiningen toured Europe with his troupe of actors. The tour showed theatre artists the value and artistic opportunity a director could have. For six years prior to the tour, the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen implemented basic directing principles which continue to be used, if modified, today. His principles included intensive rehearsals, the demand for disciplined and ensemble acting (NO stars), historically accurate sets and costumes, the directorial need for vision and total control over all aspects of the production, and the value of minute detail. Many of the Duke's methods are still in place to this day.

 

3) Stylized Director Phase-On the heels of the realism movement came a backlash (around the early part of the 20th century) and a group of theatre practitioners who were more interested in creating "Theatrical brilliance" than in any sense of verisimilitude. They helped to solidify the director's position as a visionary, in total artistic control.

 

A theorist named Edward Gordon Craig wrote in a now famous essay that the director should be "likened unto the Captain of the ship".

 

DIRECTORIAL FUNCTIONS"

 

The text divides the functions of the Director into two separate phases, each with separate duties.

 

1) Preparatory phase (things done BEFORE rehearsal begins). These include:

 

a- play selection

 

b- concept

 

c- designer selection / design phase (The text separates these- I feel they go hand in hand)

 

d- casting (The old adage says that casting is "90% of directing! Incidentally, film director Woody Allen says that 90% of directing is "showing up")

 

2) Implementation phase: (From rehearsal to the stage.) These include:

 

a- staging (blocking, choreography, etc)

 

b- actor coaching

 

c- Pacing ( a surefire way to know if a director has not done their job is to pay attention to the overall pacing of the show. Is it too slow, does it seem to drag or are things firing by so fast you can barely catch the meaning? This is a crucial and very difficult aspect of the job.

 

d- coordinating (In essence, tying together all the loose ends)

 

e- production- Strangely enough, the director has no real "job" during this time. His/Her job is actually finished AFTER final dress rehearsal. The show is then in the hands of the stage manager, and the director is free to move on to another project.

 

QUESTION - Which aspect of the directors job do you feel would be the most challenging or difficult to accomplish?

Ch 5

A shot from the final tech rehearsal of BCTC's production of "A FEW GOOD MEN".

There are four "primary" staging alternatives in modern theatre

They are:

 

1) Prosecenium- Most common format- the auddience sits on one side facing the stage, and the proscenium "arch" frames the action (also sometimes know as the "picture frame stage".

 

2) Thrust- A more "actor-centered" space- audience is on three sides (also called 3/4 staging) . In most cases , there are "no bad seats" in the house.

 

3) Arena- also known as "theatre in the round" , as the audience surrounds the action on all four sides. Most traditional scenery must be dispensed with.

 

4) Black Box- a very flexible space, where the seating is mobile and can be configured in a variety of format. Most often, these are smaller, more intimate spaces.

 

AREAS OF DESIGN-

 

SCENERY

 

Generally, the first area of design we think of (and usually the most expensive), yet it is a relatively new area of design. The first great period of scenic design didn't come until theatre moved into indoor, artificially illuminated spaces. This allowed designers to create more realistic illusions and extravagant visual effects.

 

Two broad categories of "sets"-

 

1) Realistic - generally known as the "box set"- it looks like whatever it is supposed to represent.

 

2) Metaphoric / abstract- tends to be more conceptual / less literal. These are sometimes refer ed to as "unit sets", in that they are usually a series of different leveled platforms that can be used to simulate a variety of locations.

SCENIC MATERIALS;

 

3 Traditional Media (materials) of scenic design are:

 

1) wood

 

2) paint

 

3) canvas

 

With these, we build the three "building blocks" of scenic design:

 

1) FLATS- wooden frames covered in canvas or some hard surface (like Masonite) which are used to indicate walls, windows and doorways.

 

2) PLATFORMS- Serves the all important function of creating levels for the actors to work on.

 

3) DRAPERY- Used to neutralize the space ( hide the backstage area, mask the lighting and electrical equipment, and sometimes they are used to create entrances and exits.

 

LIGHTING:

 

Lighting, while a crucial area of design, is an even newer area than scenic design. For it wasn't until the advent of gaslight (mid 19th century) that we began to see this area of design come into it's own. What gaslight allowed was the ability to control the "intensity" of the light (how dim or bright it was). This opened up whole new worlds in theatrical design, which were taken even further with the advent of the electric light.

 

FIVE CONTROLLABLE QUALITIES OF LIGHT:

 

These are the "tools" that allow lighting designers to do their work. These are the five elements of light that we are able to control, thus the ability to create a lighting design.

 

1) Intensity

 

2) Color- we do this by using thin sheets of plastic called "gels" which are placed over the front of the lighting instrument, thus changing the hue of the light.

 

3) Shape- certain instruments have "shutters" on the sides which allow us to change the actual shape of the shaft of light.

 

4) Direction- We can aim the light in any area we choose.

 

5) Movement- certain instruments (like the Follow spot) are meant to be "mobile", or used in motion.

 

The three primary functions of lighting design:

 

1) VISIBILITY- FIRST AND FOREMOST. The most important aspect of lighting design. For if it can't be "seen", then what good is it?

 

2) PLAUSIBILITY- Making sense of the surroundings. If the show takes place outdoors, on a pier, in the late evening, then the lighting design needs to simulate that environment.

 

3) COMPOSITION- The lighting design often times "ties together" all the other elements of design, thus making them come to life.

 

COSTUMES:

 

Modern costuming came into it's own in the late 18th / early 19th century, when the desire for realism took hold in the world of Theatre. Before that, most costumes were little more than "dressing up".

 

4 primary functions of costuming:

 

1) Ceremonial "magic" - In keeping with the ancient traditions from which Theatre sprang.

 

2) Illuminate the "world of the play" / establish time and place

 

3) Express individuality of character/ "status" (Is this a King or a servant?)

 

4) "Wear-ability"- needs to be functional for the actor. Just because it looks pretty, it may not be right for the actor or the demands of the scene.

 

* You will not be responsible for MAKEUP design.

 

 

QUESTION- Which area of design do you feel is most essential to your personal enjoyment of a play?

Ch 3



Katy Lyster from BCTC's Fall 2012 production of SCRAMBLED.

 The first known actor was a Greek named THESPIS, form which we get the term THESPIAN.




* Cohen refers to acting as the most "bewildering profession known to man".

The reasons for this are many, but the text mentions:

a) Fear - fear of failure, of forgetting lines, of losing emotional control, of losing your looks, of losing your audience, etc. This is commonly known as STAGE FRIGHT, and it can beset an actor at any time in their career!

b) Uncertainty- Where is the next job and / or paycheck coming from? Actors must deal with a great deal of rejection, and there is little (if any) job security to speak of. This is true even at the highest level. (How many times have you seen an actor in a TV show or film and NEVER seen them work again?)



Two notions of acting:



-EXTERNAL: outward,physical and technical form of acting. Involves what is called MIMESIS, which simply put is creating the physical side of the character (voice, movement, etc)

- INTERNAL: The actor creates the character from the inside, concentrating on the emotional and intellectual side of the character. Also known as "EMBODIMENT"



In order to create a true, full character, the actor must JOIN these two processes, thus creating a believable and life-like character.



* Virtuosity- Refers to a "superb set of skills".To achieve greatness in acting, one must exhibit this.



* MAGIC- Presence, charisma, charm...whatever you call it, the actor MUST have this to have a truly successful career. The unfortunate thing here is that all the training in the world will NOT give you this! You can train to create a superb set of skills, but you either have stage presence or you don't! (However, one's confidence does have a great deal to do with this)



THE ACTOR'S INSTRUMENT



Physical instrument:

Voice

Body (movement)



These are your primary tools as an actor and you must care for and maintain them as you would any other form of instrument.



Psychological Instrument:

Imagination - A must for any creative artist. This must work on a variety of levels. You have to make the art real to the audience, but in order to do this, it must be real to YOU. If YOU don't believe in what you're doing HOW will an audience? (* this is one reason why children are sometimes the greatest actors of all- they haven't yet "lost" their creative imagination!)



Discipline- Possibly the greatest tool at an actor's disposal. You must be disciplined to work in a creative ensemble as part of a team, and the professional actor must lead a vigorous and demanding life, thus they must prepare themselves for a tough, demanding journey. Many are the "great actors" who have no discipline, thus they never enjoy strong careers. It takes hard work and sacrifice to be a professional actor, and it is not for the weak!



THE ACTOR'S ROUTINE:

The actor's professional routine exists in three stages:



1) The audition- The process by which acting roles are rewarded. There are three basic types:

a) Prepared- where the actor must prepare a short piece called a "monologue" and perform it for his casting directors.

b) cold reading- the actor reads directly from the script he/she is auditioning for, alone or in pairs/groups.

c) musical/dance- where the actor prepares a short song, and learns a simple dance routine to be performed at the audition, usually in a small group.



2) The Rehearsal

* Standard is 3-5 weeks, sometimes longer/ sometimes very abbreviated, depending on the type of show and the time allotted.

* A time to memorize:

-lines

-blocking (stage movement- example/ I cross from one side of the stage to the other and sit)

-business (small, directed stage actions/ example- after I sit, I begin to clean my glasses)

* It is a time for experimentation and discovery. The actor should feel free to explore and to work in concert with the director and the other actors to create the best possible production.



3) The production- What Theatre is really all about- the endgame. The audience is the "final ingredient" for the production, and can help take the actor's performance to it's full potential.



FOR DISCUSSION-

a) What are some factors that can make an actor's life challenging and difficult?

b) If the profession is as "bewildering" as Mr Cohen suggests, WHY do so many people want to do it?

Discuss!