How to direct a play?

Question

Can someone give me some ideas on what to consider when directing a play?

Answer 1

Know the script backwards and forwards BEFORE starting casting and rehearsals. Have an understanding of the material, its tone, and themes. It really helps to have a passion for the script.

Cast experienced actors- this will make your life much easier. If you cannot do this, cast people who are cooperative and hard-working.

Map out a plan beforehand of rehearsal schedules and blocking- share your schedule with the actors. Have an organized assistant director/stage manager onhand to help with coordinating the actors and props.

You need to have a vision of how to bring the material to life. This will include set, lighting, and costume design, and music choices.

Best wishes in your endeavor.

Answer 2

In addition to all the other stuff, here are a few practical hints to make your play more interesting for the audience to watch -- for regular spoken drama, that is. Musical theatre is different. The two most important things are that your performers can be seen and heard. Run warm-up exercises at each rehearsal teaching these things if they're weak in either one.

MAKE TRIANGLES!!! Performers should (almost) never be in a straight line. Two actors can make a triangle by using a piece of furniture as their third member. (No, silly, they don't talk to it, but simply stand in relation to it so it forms either the left or right -- NOT the center -- point of the triangle.) In large bunches, group your actors into triangles instead of one large mob. They'll be seen better. Remember that triangles can be vertical as well as horizontal; if two people are standing and the third is seated, it's a much more dynamic picture.

KEEP THE ACTORS MOVING!!! There should be some movement on at least every third line. Very, very rare is the performer who is talented and focused enough to carry the energy required for a good performance while seated for long periods.

MAKE FOCAL POINTS!!! Decide where you want the audience to be looking when things happen. Figure out a way to make that work.

Make your performers look good and they'll make you look good. If everyone talks about the play afterwards, you know you did your job right. The director shouldn't be drawing attention to himself and his clever direction; the play is the important thing. Make it fly and you will come off looking good, even though that means folks won't notice YOU.

Email me if you want specifics.

Answer 3

Things to consider: budget, location, theme, actor talent. Ask yourself things like:

What is the setting? Does that warrant different gestures?
What is the play trying to accomplish or "say"? What can you do to convey that to an audience?

The best thing to do is write down your immediate reactions when first reading a play, because they're similar to what an audience may feel (provided you're not doing something like "Hamlet" and the audience knows the story).

I always start by drawing a picture of the set and thinking about how the characters will move in the space.

There's a great book by David Ball called, "Backwards and Forwards". It's a play-reading guide, and should help you immensely in terms of understanding a play and how to direct it. Hope that helped!

Answer 4

TO begin with, is it a musical or straight play?
If its a musical, then get help! You need a musical director. You can't do it all yourself. Just admit you can't up front it will make your life easier.
If its a straight play, then read it a minimum of 3 times before you start to think about how you want the theme of the play to be. Like modernizing Shakespeare.
Find the Play Director's Survival Kit! Read it alot! My two copies are very dog eared and I have been doing this for a few years.

Answer 5

Read the play over and over again... get an idea into your head of what you want each scene to look like (the set, the lighting, where the actors should be at any given moment). Be flexible. Sometimes your actors just won't understand your vision, so try to keep things simple for them. Have a clear understanding of every character in the show, and help your actors get to some combination of your and their vision of the characters. Share the load -- don't try to do everything yourself. Get someone to do lighting and sound for you -- you tell them what you'd like, they make it happen. Same goes for set and costume.

Answer 6

You will be helping actors and designers tell a story. Your main responsibilty is to keep the actors from being embarrassed and helping them tell the story.

Casting is the most important single task. The rehearsal schedule should be done moving back from opening to the first reading rather than the normal way of scheduling the opposite.

The director must be very alert to what each actor brings to each scene and not impose their own vision unless it truly serves the telling of the story.

Answer 7

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