Senior One-ActsDIRECTING: THE BASICS

You are the Captain, deciding the course.The SM is the helmsman, steering the ship.

The crew is the tech – it’s how you get there.The actors are the sails.

If you captain the ship properly, the sails will fill themselves and carry the ship wherever you want. But they are fragile,

and require a lot of care.

They also can’t steer the ship, though they often may think they can.

A SHOW IS LIKE A SHIP.

You have already done this. Congratulations!

You have also discovered how challenging it is to select a show for production.

FIRST STEP: READ

Redundant, right? Wrong.

I often read a script a dozen times before casting.

The director’s job is to tell the story. You must be the EXPERT on the show. The Actors may end up understanding their characters more than you, but you need to understand

the WHOLE SHOW better than anyone. The way this happens is through repeated exposure. Just absorb the

story and let it marinate your brain.

SECOND STEP: READ

These are different from Actor beats, but are based on the same idea. A directing beat shift occurs when the tone/pace/conflict shifts. Therefore, they tend to be a bit longer than actor beats. They are characterized by tone and

pace.

Identify the tone of each beat: furious, languid, tense, quiet, reflective, dangerous, thrilling, terrifying, mysterious, etc…

Also make note of the pace of the beat: fast, s l o w, rhythmic, arrhythmic, etc…

At every beat shift, there should be a shift in blocking, a pause, an event, SOMETHING to mark the change. Sometimes it’s as simple as a blocking

shift. Sometimes it is an epic song and dance.

DIRECTOR BEATS

2nd most important thing a Director does after casting.

How long will you spend on blocking? How long will you spend on working the scenes? When will you begin run-throughs? When will

you be off-book with/without prompting?

These dates provide deadlines which are important to keep progress on-track. Actors need a little pressure or they will do

nothing.

You may not know what dates you will be rehearsing individual parts of the scene until after casting, but deadlines will need to be

laid out, enforced, and consistent.

CALENDAR/SCHEDULING

The director is responsible for blocking the show in an attractive and meaningful manner. Half of this is accomplished by creating multiple acting areas. ALL MOVEMENT MUST BE MOTIVATED.

A simple formula for staging:Actor position is determined by:

1. Goals vs. obstacle2. Who is the primary focus

Actor distance is determined by:3. Goals vs. obstacle4. Emotional distance

FLOOR PLAN/BLOCKING

Royalty.Mystery.

Mysticism. Magic.

Other-worldliness

Power. Importance.

Drama.

Beginnings. Birth. Hope.

Balance. Normalcy. Intimacy.

Endings. Death. Finality.

CERTAIN AREAS OF THE STAGE GIVE CERTAIN SUBCONSCIOUS

IMPRESSIONS TO AN AUDIENCE.

What do you NEED to tell the story? (different from what would be nice to have)

K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Do not rely on TECHNICAL solutions to CREATIVE problems. This is the challenge at the heart of directing.

Solve your problems with acting FIRST. Then use the budget to help out.

SPECTACLE is the LEAST important element of Drama.

PROP/SET LIST

1. Always say “yes” when an actor requests something. Actors will test you to see how far you will let them go

with the character, and see how much creativity is welcome. Don’t kill their creativity. At some point, you will need to say “no” but start with “yes” to grease the

gears.

2. Actors may be free to experiment with their own characters, but establish early and insist that all direction

comes from you. It’s nice to be liked, but your job is to tell the story. The biggest problems come from power struggles. I WILL ALWAYS DEFEND YOUR CHOICES.

IMPORTANT TIPS

1. Direct moment-to-moment. When in DOUBT, always go back to character goals. If that fails, revisit your

dramatic action and direct the action of the scene from that perspective.

2. When in PANIC, Raise the stakes – without urgency a good scene falls flat.

3. When in TEARS, ask me. I’m here to help, not to take control. I will not interfere until you request it.

MORE IMPORTANT TIPS

Beat AnalysisCalendar

Floor Plan/BlockingProp/Set/Costume List

Due Monday, April 14 3:00 PM

HOMEWORK

1. Who is responsible for telling the story?2. How does a director become familiar with a script?3. What is a director’s beat, and how do you characterize

them?4. What is the director’s 2nd most important job?5. Actor Position is determined by _______.6. Actor Distance is determined by _______.7. Always say: Yes/No?8. When in doubt, you ________.9. When in panic, you ________.10. When in tears, you _______.

REVIEW