Theatre Designers: What are some problems you have had with directors?

Answer 1

Early in my career I had some problems. It is almost always communication ~ we, as designers, want it to be collaborative and directors have been taught they are demi-gods.

Nowadays, I can try to get into the directors head and see what they are talking about - have a conversation - and then suggest that we take it "one step farther" so it's my design. They get the base of what they envision, sprinkled with my stuff on top. As we get to know one another, it can grow and become unique.

The key is being led to an idea, not being dictated to an idea. We want to own our design and enjoy the process. A good director will lead.....

Let me give an easy example using lighting. ....
Director: I think some isolation is needed.
Me: how about a down pool or maybe a shaft of light across the eyes?

If the director asks for a down pool, I'm limited. If he can ask for the concept (isolation) ... I can suggest several solutions and he can play with the ideas. This way: we collaborate.

Answer 2

Not knowing what they want - not having fully developed their vision for the piece.

I've worked with a couple directors in a design capacity and while a few were wonderful, a few were horrible. Either they decided on one thing and a week out decided it had to be different and couldn't live without the change (and I'm talking repainting, reconstructing, rebuilding, rehanging, retiming, all sorts of things) OR they didn't know what they wanted until a few days before even though they knew from the get go the aspect in question would be the most difficult and time consuming.

As a director, having experienced these frustrations, I try to come in fully prepared and having thought through my vision already.

In the capacity of Stage Manager, as well, I have been the liaison for a lot of frustrations between directors and designers when one didn't know and the other refused to try or didn't have the budget.

It can make for a miserable pre-load-in (and even post load in!) period when people aren't on the same page, and even more so if they don't want to be!!!

Answer 3

My biggest pete peeve is when a director tells me that this is an easy design show, if is easy, why do they need me?
Young directors can get on my nerves as well, they either know nothing about design and either tell me too much what they want, or not enough. There is a skill in communicating with the other artists in a show, most directors are if anything else an actor, thier ability to communicate with designers often take awhile.

Answer 4

Is this really a question from a director who wants to improve? This is good. Know a set designer and carpenter for same and the biggest problem I have heard about is dishonesty with the financial backers - and thus bigger problems. This dishonesty about costs going up and up effect the actors and the support crew/staff. The money people are not stupid about costs going up...the dishonesty and secrecy is the biggest problem.

If this is a director asking, hope you improve. Old habits are hard to change.

Answer 5

Biggest problem with a director? The one who decided to set I Pagliacci in the modern-day Middle East in the summer of 2001. As we were finishing off the giant portraits of Sadaam Hussein and the air field for the final scene, in the middle of September, we heard about the Sep 11 tragedy on the radio... Seriously, I was putting the final details of Sadaam's ten-foot portrait up when I heard the planes had crashed.

The whole thing had to be re-done, and put off for an entire year.

Answer 6

Not a designer-but acter: Time off for sickness!