- Specialized in historical dramas.
- Emphasized historical accuracy and realism (particularly in
costumes and settings).
- Emphasized a pictorial style – focus and composition – and
was particularly renowned for his crowd scenes and "ensemble."
André Antoine
(1858-1943) – Théâtre Libre (Free Theatre), Paris,
founded 1886.
Fourth-wall realism—real beef onstage for slaughterhouse.
Otto Brahm (1856-1912) – the Freie Bühne
(Free Stage) in Germany.
J.T. Grein (1862-1935) -- Independent Theatre, London.
Constantin Stanislavsky (1863-1938)
– Moscow Art Theatre, 1898. With Vladimir Nemerovich-Danchenko
(1858-1943) as co-founder.
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Edward
Gordon Craig
– after 1020 – a designer – wanted "uber-marionettes" – so that
he could control variables and unpredictability of actors – never realized.
Vsevolod
Meyerhold
(1874-1940)– a dictatorial style.
THUS – by 1900, the term "director" was in wide-spread
use and the primacy of director became clear – directors placed themselves
at the center of production…
David
Belasco – American producer and playwright also.
Did popular plays – sensory spectacle (real food)
– an eclectic approach – he used all approaches.
Max
Reinhart
(1873-1943)– German – authoritarian, eclectic.
Tyrone
Guthrie
(1900-1971)– Canadian – eclectic – in 1956 did Troilus updated to
be set in England just before WWI.
Elia
Kazan
(1909- ) – Group Theatre in the 30s – mentor, critic, therapist of
actor – used Stanislavsky’s "inner" "psychological realism"
– Streetcar, Salesman. (New controversy regarding his 1999 Oscar for lifetime
achievement because he named names to HUAC.)
After World War II, the term "auteur director"
developed.
New eclectics – Jerzy Grotowski (1933-1999),
Peter
Brook, Richard Schechner
No real theories yet about these new directors or the changing
face of director in modern theatre.
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The
Modern Theatre Director:
Functions: Artistic and Managerial
- Decides on interpretation of script
- Casts actors
- Works with other theatre artists in designing the production
- Rehearses actors
- Coordinates all elements into a finished performance
A new question has developed:
should directors be "interpretive" rather than "creative"
artists? To interpret the script or fashion their own work of art, using
the script as a basis?
value: ability to focus the production
danger: concept may distort script or diffuse attention
(many think Peter Brook is this last kind…)
Still evolving…
Director’s skills:
In the past, a manager or theatre owner organized everything,
but not really "artistic" unity.
Greek and Medieval – a businessman or civic or religious
leader – goal was efficiency, not artistic unity…
Organization
- Human relations – with designers, actors, etc.
- Decision-making – with a willingness to change.
- Professional – business manager, publicity director, etc., to all
who do individual jobs.
- Non-professional – director often does it all.
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Artistic
Functions
- Script selection
- Professional directors either approve of scripts or are "matched"—by
the producer(s).
- But most try to do the things they like best.
- Non-professionals – do what they like, usually – doing what they
dislike might ruin the production.
- Idea and spectacle are the most common elements to excite directors.
- Must learn to know what you do best, and improve on others – choose
plays you can do well…
- The "master metaphor" – or "directorial
concept" – a concept or directorial image – To
sort out the random ideas into a pattern of sorts – draw connections,
give theatrical life to those that seem possible.
- Concept implies rational and thoughtful.
- Image implies picturemaking.
- Perhaps a combination of both, depending on director, is best.
- Wilson, in The Theatre Experience, 6th edition, 138,
suggests using the following as ideas/ jumping-off points:
- Period
- Central / controlling image / metaphor
- Concept / purpose:
- Alan Schneider called it the "directional conception."
- Zelda Fichandler of the Arena Stage refers to the Russian term,
"zamissel," or pervading thought.
- (Example: Oedipus
as a mystery--- perhaps?)
- Harold Clurman (1901-1980) – critic and director –
look for the "spine" of the play – the "throughline"
-- the "main action" -- a general action that "motivates
the play" – the fundamental drama or conflict.
- Stanislavsky referred to the superobjective.
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- Analysis of the script—to help
director "understand" the play – to make director’s consciousness
capable of staging the play.
a. Depends on your point of view about directing:
(This following is from Cameron and Gillespie):
The worshipful vs. heretical approach to the script:
On a continuum
-- Worshipful approach:
Director’s job is NOT to create theatre, but
to cause the script / play to create exciting theatre.
Can become boring and empty (letting the
text do the work), or it can thrill us with the brilliance of getting
the text’s strong points across.
-- Heretical approach:
Director’s job is to interpret the text in order to
make a theatrical entity of the entire production for the audience.
--to make good theatre exciting.
--director’s responsibility is to the MEANING of the
performance, of which the script is only a part.
Historical precedent: classic plays becoming opera,
"Bowdlerizing"
(or click here)
a play -- refers to deleting or changing parts of a script, removing
socially "unacceptable" or sexually "offensive"
parts of the script (from Thomas Bowdler, who published the "Family
Shakespeare," with sexual innuendo and reference left out, and
turning sad endings into happy ones).
Can lead to offensive or meaningless productions,
or innovative and truly exciting ones.
Analysis and interpretation of the script would also include.
b. The pattern of the play – its major elements -- structure.
-
How do the characters function in the play?
-
What are the demands on the actor?
-
What are the technical demands / requirements?
-- sound, lights, costume, sets?
-
The context of the play (often this is a factor)
-
Biography of the playwright’s life
-
Playwright’s canon of work (other stuff)
-
Period play written
-
Period play takes place
-
Critical response to play and earlier productions
-
Old plays are often updated, new plays often
need a different combination of techniques.
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-
The play’s intended effects – director’s ideas
can be placed on them.
-
Relative importance of elements
-
Which elements are the most important?
-
Pick elements that the script gives theatrical
life to.
-
Spectacle and sound can be most clearly manipulated
– can add to play.
-
Character, idea, story usually integral to
the play itself.
-
Director interprets and helps actors achieve
characterization clearly.
-
If a play of poetic language, must pay attention
to.
-
If play of character directed as play
of plot, has long stretches where nothing seems to be happening,
boring (Three Sisters).
Environment of play:
"Given circumstances" – what
are the necessary elements?
Updating – can often make a strong statement or clarify
an idea (Julius Caesar in Nazi Germany, Hamlet in
Nicaragua, As You Like It in 60’s commune [I was in
this one!]).
Mood of environment is also important )rain, warm
summer, hurricane, tension).
-
Idea – paradoxical
While the idea may appeal to directors at first,
other values need to be gotten across.
Seldom are plays written "about an idea."
Other elements shape the production – (Cameron
&Gillespie: "idea blatant in none, but subtle in all.").
Idea needs to be embedded in entire performance
– when stands out, can ruin performance.
-
Design oversight and inspiration:
-
Production meetings
-
To coordinate – managerial efficiency
-
Concept meetings
-
To coordinate artistic elements
-
Director helps to get ideas across to designers,
without restricting with interpretations.
-
(H, P, &L, 237:
Hal
Prince, very famous director / producer, said: The
worst thing that can happen is to get back from artists exactly
what you ask for."
-
Director brings all different interpretations
of different designers into a single focus.
-
Unity and Variety – variety within unity sought.
Ground Plan – we'll discuss under the
heading of Design.
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-
-
Stanislavsky’s influence has led to collaboration
between director and actors.
-
That can lead to dependency.
-
Actors and directors should be aware not to let
actor be too controlled.
-
Collaboration – coaching.
-
Advises, inspires, encourages.
-
Helps actor see other dimensions.
-
Both actor and director are engaged in mutual
creative enterprise.
From Cameron & Gillespie:
-
Actor-Director relationship can be seen in a number
of ways:
-
The director as parent --authoritarian
-
Guru --visionary
-
Therapist ---"trust me"
-
Seducer --emotional attachment
-
Victim --cajoler
-
Playground Director --fun and creative
-
Green Thumb --let’s grow—little planning
-
Lump --vague
-
Amalgam of above is probably best
-
Preparation and adaptability necessary
-
Less actor coaching as performance approaches
-
Where should actors / characters go so that the focus
in the right place?
Focus – arrangement of stage picture so
as to direct audience’s attention to the appropriate character, object,
or event. (H, P, &L: 244).
Blocking – where actors go on stage.
Remember stage positions and body positions.
Called "blocking" because early directors conveyed staging
instructions by drawing a grid on stage floor and labeling each stage
position, or "block." (H,P,&L: 248).
Stage business: -- detailed handling of
props, specific actions such as answering telephones or turning on
a lamp.
Visual composition and picturization.
Physical movement of characters onstage.
Movement, pace, rhythm.
Visual punctuation marks, emphasis, motivations,
relationships – all conveyed through movement, pace, rhythm [Edwin
Wilson, The Theater Experience, 7
th
edition, (McGraw-Hill, 1998), 146-147)]
Body language, symbolic values (If Richard II starts
high, moves slowly to earth…)
H,P,&L, 244: Achieving focus
-
By body position – the actor who is most "full
front" will have the focus.
-
By stage area – central areas have most focus.
-
By level – actor on highest level.
-
By plane – farthest downstage.
-
By triangulation – actor at apex of a triangle.
-
By contrast – actor who is apart from group
(sitting, while rest of cast is standing).
-
From late 19th century, the proscenium, "picture-frame"
(box set, fourth-wall realism) have exploited stage’s potential for
displaying pictures.
Not as easy on thrust or arena.
Mood and rhythm can be conveyed through movement: angular,
round movements, jerky / smooth, etc.
Progression – the rate at which things happen --
speed and emotional intensity and energy.
Setting up of rhythms.
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Managerial
(Director as Manager):
Scheduling
Casting –
American Director Alan Schneider said
"style is casting" – casting is half the work.
Rehearsals
1. Read-through
Read through play, actors and director discuss character
and vision of the play, discuss play, show designs.
2. General rehearsals
rehearse in parts
scenes with particular characters
"French scene" -- entrance
or exit of a character Scenes -- between "curtains" or
blackouts (Remember: many contemporary stages do not have or do
not use curtains).
3. Run-throughs -- of acts
or the whole play -- sections.
4. Technical rehearsals .
5. Dress rehearsals -- like an
actual performance, sometimes for an "audience" (of selected
invited people).
6. Previews (also called tryouts)--
usually primarily for the professional theatre -- so the director
and actors can work out some of the rough spots before opening it
officially -- often previews are out of town before coming to New
York. (We at this campus usually have a preview performance for reviewers
to come to).
7. Opening night -- in most professional
theatre, the director's job is then over .. usually goes on to another
job, and the Stage Manager takes over any directing responsibilities,
such as "brush up rehearsals."
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See the chart of the Director's duties
in text
The Stage Manager
The Dramaturg
Artistic Director
The Producer
Important terms:
master metaphor
given circumstances
choregus
master of secrets
actor-manager
keeper of the register
blocking
Staging
Next Section: Designers.
This page and all linked pages in this directory are copyrighted © Eric
W. Trumbull, 1998-2008
Last update:
January 4, 2008
