Written by Mark Ashton – Artz Centre
Before talking about the art of “Theatre Directing” specifically, I think it would be useful to just set some wider context about artists and the commonality between them all.
We require three things when producing any piece of art. Whether that be performing art or visual art the same principles always apply. The quality of the art depends on how much of the following principles you posses.
Knowledge – Even the basic knowledge of how to hold a paint brush, or to tap the keys on a key board is the starting point for creating a piece. Obviously the more knowledge you develop the more skills you have at your disposal.
Resources – The means to create a piece of art. The actors, the space, the paints and paint brushes, the instrument. Obviously art can be created with the most basic of resources but if you want to create a piece of sculpture, you will need the raw material to sculpt from.
Vision – The ability to see into the future. All artists will start with a picture in their head of how something will look, how it will sound or how they want the piece to feel. It maybe abstract at the time you start but its definitely there and it becomes the compass that guides the artist to their destination. When JK Rowling sat down to write Harry Potter, she knew she wanted to write a fantasy, fictional novel about a young wizard. She may not have known much else but she had a vision of where she wanted it to go.
With these principles in mind, I will now outline ten common problems or challenges that Theatre Directors often face; this is based on my personal experience of over 100 productions.
10 Common problems a theatre director will face
1 – Finding the balance between science and nature.
You may be the most knowledgeable director in the world, with years of experience of tried and tested techniques and practices. But if you don’t understand people then you have no chance. Before trying to understand the minds of Shakespeare, Brecht and Stanislavsky; I would suggest people work much harder to understand what goes on inside the mind of their cast.
2 – Communicating Your Vision
The best directors are always great communicators, not only can they imagine how something will look and feel; but they can make their cast and crew see it too. This allows everyone to make independent choices and bring their own creativity to the table without losing sight of the end goal.
3 – Reality vs Expectation
This is really a question of resources. As theatre directors we would always like more flexibility, more talent to choose from, a bigger stage, more rehearsals, better costumes….the list goes on. But like all good artists; it’s about learning to work with what you’ve got.
4 – Knowing Your Limits
Particularly in amateur/youth theatre, there is often a difference between the things you would like to do and the things your cast and crew are capable of doing. I have always wanted to produce Les Miserables, but I have never had the right cast to do it or the funds to invest into an orchestra etc. Consequently I have still not produced the show.
5 – Putting it simply
Often the messages and themes you are trying to explore are complex. It’s not fair to assume that all of your cast should understand exactly what you want them to feel, especially when working with young performers.
Unsurprisingly good directors are great story tellers and will often create an imaginary situation that evokes the same sort of feeling; but put in simple terms that the actor understands.
6 – The clock is ticking
I am of course talking about TIME. We could all use a little more of it when we are trying to perfect our production.
Divide your time accordingly based on how much of it you have. Spend more time on the more complex scenes and don’t leave yourself 10 minutes to block your finale unless your brief for the scene is CHAOS.
Time is one of life’s luxuries, but not only does more time mean more money, but over rehearsed pieces can often be as bad as under rehearsed pieces.
Use is wisely.
7 – What is my motivation?
Motivation is always an issue where hard work is concerned. As directors you are dealing with people who have other demands on their attention and their time. Just because the show is the most important thing to a director, it may not be for the cast and crew. (Especially in an amateur/youth setting).
*This comes with an additional problem. It is a well known fact that the more you demand someone to be motivated, the less motivated they actually become.
8 – Too many cooks
It’s vital to the success of any production to have the right people in the right roles. Not just on stage but off it to. Theatrical directors form part of a delicate eco system, where every cast and crew member have a very specific job. It’s usually the job of the director to define them roles very clearly.
The problem comes when everyone starts to try and do each others job. Let the dancers dance, let the techies tech and don’t touch ANY props unless you are given express permission.
9 – Being original
Every single piece of art is NEW at the time it is created. Even if you are copying someone else’s work, it is a NEW version of an original piece. The problem is, it is so easy to be influenced too much by the work and opinions of others; that what you actually create is just a bad version of an old idea.
We all love things that are original. The “art” of directing is about creating something new.
10 – Trying to please everyone
If you asked 10 of your friends what was their favourite foods; no doubt you would get a nice mix of ingredients from Ice Cream, Pizza, Spaghetti Bolognese or even olives. But if you put them all together in one dish, it would be horrendous.
The point is, everyone has different tastes and art has always been a huge source of debate because people like different things. This is actually what makes “The Arts” so diverse and interesting.
The ideas and choices a theatre director makes should come from them. The problem lies, when you start making decisions that you hope will please others. Remember, that if nobody is commenting on your work then you have done something wrong. (That includes those that don’t like what you are doing)
My final thought is about being clear on WHY you are directing in the first place. As with any leadership role, directing is a tough job; so tough in fact that not many people can actually claim them have ever done it. But the rewards for those who can navigate their way through the stormy seas of theatrical production are worth its risks.