And you're directing your first show.

You don't bother coming up with blocking and you just tell your actors to move around naturally. The problem is that you don't have a lot of seasoned actors, but rather a couple adults and about 7 teenage boys.

Now imagine that instead of being the crummy director, you're one of the adults in the show and frustrated.

How do you tell the director he's doing it wrong? How well would you receive it?


Okay no more beating around the bush....

Our director is also adding and or changing lines in the script, giving lines reads to actors and not waiting til a rehearsal is over before giving notes...he's doing it as we're in the middle of a line sometimes and I'm pulling my hair out!!!!

So how would you handle this? How would you need to receive it if you were the director?

This is the place to vent and you've got my shoulder to cry on! If you've done enough community theater, sooner or later and probably sooner you go through this and it makes you pull your hair out. Now, on the flip side, I'm not sure everything you're describing is "crummy directing" in and of itself. I don't see a problem with giving notes during a rehearsal but maybe I don't understand what you're describing.

Having been through this before, unfortunately, your options at this point are basically to quit or go with the program. You're not going to turn this guy into a good director, at least in this production, no matter what you do. If you have a low BS tolerance level the ultimate answer is to be more careful about what shows you commit to. If I'm suspicious, I'll talk to a director and ask specific questions. I find it pretty easy to spot the "crummy" ones.

Good luck!

By the way, just to interject a postive note I'm opening on the 18th in a play directed by a first-time director who is directing his own play. He's one of the best directors I've ever worked with. So, lack of experience by itself isn't necessarily a reason to not work with someone.

Originally posted by imamember Our director is actually quite a good actor which I think makes it frustrating. He's doing everything actors hate.Adding/changing lines. He seriously added a Seinfeld joke.Giving line readsInterrupting in the middle of a scene or line just to say "Yeah!" which startles you and breaks your concentration.Too lazy to block any scenes, just tells you to move where you feel is natural...but with all the kids "natural" is side by side in a line then he complains that they're in a line but won't block them out of it.He's 5 to 15 minutes every dayAdmitted that it's hard for him to see the big picture of anythingAdmitted that he doesn't like the script (hence adding/changing lines)I know I'll just suck it up and stick with it since I'm a board member but it's so frustrating.

Oh, I see what you're talking about now. That drives me up a wall, too, when directors want to interject "yeah" or whatnot and expect you to continue on in the moment. I guess you could try to view it as an exercise in increasing your concentration. And I don't envy you as you're in an even trickier position as a board member. It sounds like one of those situations and really your best choice is to grin and bear it.

If it would be of any relief to you, one thing I think you would be justified in doing as a board member, though, is putting your foot down on changing the script. If this is something you're using from Dramatists or Samuel French or whatever, he can't do that, it's against your contract, it's a violation of intellectual property rights and in a worst case scenario your theater could be penalized in the future or even lose your rights for this production.

By the way, what was the Seinfeld joke he added?
"They fooled ME, Jerry." ?

Hmmm....

And if Mr. Sachar or his literary agent or anybody who might have professional or personal relationships with them is by any chance now reading this, you will assure them that as a board member you will make sure that you are following whatever contract your group entered into regarding the treatment of his work.