Originally posted by direct-errr Here's another question.  How do you get respect from actors and other people when you don't have experience directing?  I was asked to Direct this play by my partner who wrote it.  I'm not a nobody because I have experience in this industry and have been in a film with an Oscar winning actress as well as performed Off-Broadway for six months recently and am a member of a legendary theatre company in New York City.  Even though I am not in NYC now and have taken a different route... Do I emphasize that I may not have Directing experience, but I know this industry and what it takes? Also, I directed something small before so I understand it and I was obviously asked to do this so someone sees something in me.  I just don't want people to think just because my partner wrote this that she is doing me a favor by letting me direct it.

Maybe it's too late to say this and only this but it sounds like:

A) You HAVE directed something before.
B) You've performed off Broadway
C) You're a member of the famous XYZ theater company in NYC.

Seems like that should be more than enough to qualify you for this particular gig. It doesn't matter who picked you for the job.

There are apparently people with far skimpier resumes than that passing themselves off as experienced directors.

I wouldn't emphasize or even mention a lack of experience as that only opens the door for the lack of respect issue you brought up.

Just my two cents.

Good luck.

Originally posted by DWolfman While I've never been near Broadway, twenty years in community theatre (mostly acting and some board stints) and nearly a couple dozen directorial efforts may not be "skimpy."

Just for the record, I certainly wasn't referring to you with the "skimpy" remark and I wasn't offended by anything you said.

Originally posted by jayzehr Maybe it's too late to say this and only this but it sounds like: A) You HAVE directed something before. B) You've performed off Broadway C) You're a member of the famous XYZ theater company in NYC. Seems like that should be more than enough to qualify you for this particular gig. It doesn't matter who picked you for the job. There are apparently people with far skimpier resumes than that passing themselves off as experienced directors. I wouldn't emphasize or even mention a lack of experience as that only opens the door for the lack of respect issue you brought up. Just my two cents. Good luck.

Thank you & yes I have learned to take more pride in my experience & going through this process has helped me learn that I actually do have a talent for this & I really am enjoying it.  It's all a learning experience and a work in progress. 

P.s. I liked the 3 points you wrote above also & I do see the truth in that!

Update: I did let that actor go.  She pulled something the night before the staged reading saying that she didn't know it was at 2pm & she thought it was 4pm.  I had the understudy on call & she was there & it turned out the understudy was exactly what we needed.. she was one of the best performances that night!

Things are slow right now, but we are deciding where to go with it next.  We have a performance coming up at a University and are planning to tour it around U.S. College's & Universities since it has such social & political topics. 

My partner has decided she doesn't want to go into this full-time and a lot of times I feel like the upward battle is with her more than anyone else.  Some days she wants to give up all together & I have to convince her to let me continue pushing it forward.  Things unfortunately don't happen overnight in this industry as we all know.

We are both students, so this semester we have decided to put the play on hold or slow down with it a bit while we attend college full-time.  Next semester I plan to do online classes so I can tour with the cast.  It's all exciting, but definitely a huge challenge.  I'm happy that I'm taking a directing class at my University right now. I'm learning a lot.