Jenna gave me a great idea for a post: What I have learned about directing in the last year (I'm sure I could muster up one about teaching too). All right . . .
(1) The show MUST go on (even if the director has to learn the lead role - dancing and singing included - in two days). Ironically, what terrified me the most about this entire situation when it happened was actually performing in front of my own students. There's always that fear that your students will see you perform and think "she doesn't practice what she preaches." Luckily, for me, I was viewed as a hero in this situation and got over my "stage fright" quickly.
(2) Collaborate with the actors. The students here seem to think that as a director I should tell them everything (and I should come pre-blocked). And yet, they come up with things (sometimes by accident) I would have never come up with. Sure, pre-blocking a little bit can be good, but the bulk of blocking, gestures, etc. must be done as a collaborative process.
(3) Doing big productions (like main stages) turns out not to be so scary because you get to collaborate with other artists who have lots of creative ideas to help you out. In other words, I don't have to bring all of the creativity to the show I am directing.
(4) Always have positive energy. No matter how tired, upset, pissed off or stressed out I am, if I appear to be in a good mood and have energy it will take rehearsal a long way.
(5) Set the bar high. Don't let anyone pull it down. If you strive for high, even if your final product doesn't hit as high as you hoped it will still hit higher than if you settle for mediocrity.
The most important thing I've learned about directing this year, is that I can do it - and I can do it well. Every time I get a new show I doubt myself (right now it is LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS) and I get overwhelmed, and I don't know where to begin. And ever time I pull it off, and I am very proud of my work. So, I know I can direct well even when my brain tells me I can't.
Probably I just bored the majority of readers, but perhaps my theatre friends got something out of this :-)
Burning Leaves
5 months ago
3 comments:
You are awesome. You make me miss theater so much!!! There is going to be a production of Oklahoma here next year and I am thinking of auditioning for the dancing part... How fun would that be!!!!
oooo - I think you should do it! It would be totally fun!
I'll be able to write this post by next May (with my first show opening at the end of April)... but I don't doubt my abilities to do it... quite frankly I like the intimacy of directing even more than I like teaching!
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