To decide upon interpretation, the director must analyse the script to discover the play’s structure and meanings. Without understanding, the director cannot make choices. He or she seeks to know what the play is about and to understand each character in terms of both the script and the demands that character places upon the actor. The director must be able to envision the play’s atmosphere or mood and know how to actualise in terms of design and theatrical space. And, finally, the director must be able to see the play in terms of both physical and verbal action.
Before rehearsals begin, the director meets with the designers. At this time, the director not only gives his or her vision, but also listens to ideas. This highly creative intercourse results in a compromise which often is better than the original vision, for creative ideas interact with other creative ideas. Ultimately however, the director decides upon the interpretation to be used. The director may have specific requirements that would need to be presented to the designers before their work begins. The director must be aware of actor movement when viewing a design. Also, the director must have an idea of what kind of lighting would help enhance the mood of the production.
When casting a play, the director is aware of the physical demands of a character. Physical appearance must fit the character and must also be seen in relation to other characters. The director also tries to discern acting potential. In his book, Theatre, Robert Cohen describes traits that a director often looks for:
Depending
on the specific demands on the play and the rehearsal situation, the
director may pay special attention to any or all of the following
characteristics: the actor’s training and experience, physical
characteristics and vocal technique, suitability for the style of the
play, perceived ability to impersonate a specific character in the play,
personality traits which seem fitted to the material at hand, ability
to understand the play and its milieu, personal liveliness and apparent
stage “presence,” past record of achievement, general deportment and
attitude, apparent cooperativeness and “directability” in the context of
an ensemble of actors in a collaborative enterprise, and overall
attractiveness as a person with who one must work closely over the next
four to ten weeks.
The
director’s most time-consuming task is to rehearse the actors. The
director must be organized, for he or she focuses the entire cast during
this time. The director’s medium is the actor in space and time. Space
is defined by the acting area and the setting while time is defined by
the duration of the production and the dynamics of the drama The
director must be able to see the actor as a person and strive to draw
out that person’s potential. Consequently, the director constantly must
be sensitive to both the needs of an actor and at the same time think of
ways to meet those needs in positive ways.
Directors
tend to follow an established process during rehearsals. Initially, the
director usually has the actors read through the script. The
read-through allows the director to discuss his or her vision, character
motivation, and interpretation which will help the actors begin to see
their characters in terms of a unified understanding. The director then
blocks the actors. Blocking are an actor’s basic broad movements which
serve as the physical foundation of the actor’s performance. The
director indicates movement such as entrances and exits and positions
actors onstage. Often, this step takes preplanning. During this stage,
interpretation begins to be worked out, for blocking is linked to a
character’s motivation to move or position.
The
next step would be to work on detail, which helps an actor discover his
or her character. Detail includes working out stage business, which is
an actor’s small-scale movement. For instance, making coffee, answering a
phone, putting on shoes, or adjusting a tie are pieces of stage
business. Hopefully, the actor will originate much of his or her own
stage business.
Motivation
and detail continue while time is spent devoted to lines.
Interpretation of dialogue must be connected to motivation and detail.
During this time, the director is also concerned with pace and seeks a
variation of tempo. If the overall pace is too slow, then the action
becomes dull and dragging. If the overall pace is too fast, then the
audience will not be able to understand what is going on, for they are
being hit with too much information to process.
Also,
eventually, the actors will need to be off script. Once off script and
the lines are memorized well enough that the actor is not thinking “What
is my next line?” then the rehearsals enter into a very rewarding stage
of development. For actors cease to read their part and truly make it
living. They also discover new avenues of interpretation once off
script.
Late
in the rehearsal process, the director often has the actors run through
the production. A runthrough gives the actors a sense of continuity
from one scene to the next. At this stage, the director usually does not
stop the actors but takes notes to give after the scene is finished.
Nearly
all elements of the production — actors, scenery, lights, sound — come
together at the technical rehearsal. The stage manager, prop crew,
running crew, light and sound board operators all rehearse their various
parts to play. Hopefully, light and sound cues will be set before the
first technical rehearsal begins. A dress rehearsal is a technical
rehearsal with costumes and makeup. At this time, the director must give
over the production to the actors and technicians. The final dress
rehearsal should be the same as a performance.
Nobody
is more useless on opening night performance than the director. The
director’s job is over at this time and is often lost and feeling alone.
The best the director can do is to wish people well, sit, watch the
performance, know every flaw during that performance, and sweat it out.
http://www.edubuzz.org/dgs_drama/the-role-of-the-director/
