Directing bloopers
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Directing
Forum Discription: For questions about handling shows, actors, crew, board members, children ...or do we repeat ourselves?
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2110
Printed Date: 11/23/24 at 2:46pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Directing bloopers
Posted By: eveharrington
Subject: Directing bloopers
Date Posted: 11/08/06 at 1:26pm
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We've been discussing a lot of problems directors HAVE on this board and in the interest of fairness I wanted to start a thread about problems or mistakes directors have CAUSED. I will start with a tale of my own stupidity when attempting to cast my first show........
I was directing a farce with a small cast of 3W and 2M. At auditions there were two viable choices for the male lead, one fairly untried newbie who did well at auditions and one guy I had worked with before and knew he was capable of learning a sizable part, but was not impressive acting-wise in my opinion. I ended up casting the newbie who, after a little encouragement about the number of lines, agreed somewhat warily to give it a shot. Since he seemed so unsure and his main worry seemed to be about letting me and the rest of the cast down, I decided to do something new for our theater and cast an understudy. I know. My thinking was that the lead would feel more at ease if he felt he had a safety net, and the 2nd auditioner would be happy to be involved with the show. That was my first mistake. When I called the 2nd auditioner about the decision I made the second mistake of answering his ? "Why are we doing an understudy on this show?" Long story medium sized, after an hour long circular conversation about why I didn't just cast him if I was unsure of the 1st guy, and me continually explaining what an understudy IS to this guy,(so what, I come to the rehearsals and I might not go on!)and trying to avoid telling him his audition stunk, I ended up getting off the phone with no understudy, a lead who was even more afraid that I was worried about his abilities, and a splitting headache. I still can't look the 2nd auditioner in the eye, but the guy who played the lead actually ended up selling his business and pursuing a professional theater career with some success. We're still friends amazingly enough!  ------------- "If nothing else, there's applause... like waves of love pouring over the footlights." |
Replies:
Posted By: JShieldsIowa
Date Posted: 11/08/06 at 4:29pm
| I was directing Book of Liz by Amy and David Sedaris. The script calls for an actress to wear a Planters Mr. Peanut costume (it's pretty important to the show) I was given $300 to do the show. So, we couldn't afford to buy a costume and couldn't find one to rent. I decided to make one myself out of chickenwire, fabric, etc. I spent two nights making it and painting. I used myself and my roomate (both 6'1", 240lb men) as models for it. We could slip it over our heads and it fit perfectly. However, the two women who wore it in the show were significantly smaller than we were. The eye holes were not positioned correctly for them AT ALL, the arm holes role weirdly and painfully on them and they had to crawl inside it to get in it. They had to get in and out of it pretty quickly - on stage - too. Getting in and out of the costume was an unintended "gag bit" that actually worked, but I was extremely embarassed over my oversight and poor planning on that one. |
Posted By: Linda S
Date Posted: 11/08/06 at 6:33pm
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I once auditoned and cast a guy who showed up to volunteer to help build the set. In my enthusiasm I handed him a script and he got swept up in the moment. It wasn't until we were almost ready to open that he finally told me. I thought I got an actor who was a really good set builder. What I got was a set builder who I shanghied on to the stage. I really felt awful for the poor guy. He was a nervous wreck the night we opened. Linda |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 11/08/06 at 8:19pm
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I have two stupid director stories that come to mind immediately--not including forgetting to rehearse a scene before we got to tech rehearsals--oops: The very first play I ever directed I had more drama backstage than on. There were two cast members who were "in love" (for a want of a better term). They spent most of the time fighting, in the hall, out of the hall, behind the hall--you name it. One of them I had to cajole to take the lead and I didn't have enough guts to kick him out--he wasn't the best worker in the world either. What I learned--if you have to replace an actor, do it. There's nothing worse than directing a turkey. Fast forward 11 years later . . . (last year to be exact) I was so excited about how the casting was turning out during auditions that I decided to announce the leads to the auditioners before going home. I had two very good leads, but one was a better singer. I finally had to choose her. It was heartbreaking seeing the looks on the girl's face who didn't get the part. I was also subjected to . . . "well, if we were that close, can't we share the role?" and other scenarios put forth by the girl's friends. From this point forward, casting decisions are now made by cast list on a bulletin board at school or via the web. I also put this lovely little statement on the cast list: "All casting decisions are FINAL. However, the the director is willing to give you tips on improving next year's audition." ------------- |
Posted By: falstaff29
Date Posted: 11/09/06 at 1:21am
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Like all directors, I've made my share of mistakes, but there's one that stands out far above the rest: (And, surprisingly, this was NOT my first directing attempt- far from it.) I was directing a play for a one-act festival- there were four shows, each with their own director or directors. At the end of auditions, we would fight over who got what auditionees. My show was called Juliet, by Romulus Linney. Great twisted comedy about Ibsen and incest. Anyway, I was having guys and girls come into the room to read together the "critical" scene, where Philip flips out at Jane. There was this pair that had such fantastic chemistry, great timing, rhythm, tone, etc., that I just got really excited and kicked them out of the audition after they said maybe 2, 3 lines each. They thought I hated them, and started freaking out. The producer had to give them this "Well, no, that doesn't necessarily mean anything" speech. When I went in the fighting room at the end with the other directors, they were all shocked that I wanted them in my show. I ended up getting them, and when I called them to offer them the roles, I spent several minutes apologizing. They forgave me, and became two of my favorite actors to have ever directed. |
Posted By: JShieldsIowa
Date Posted: 11/09/06 at 2:14am
Falstaff - that makes me laugh a little because I had that happen this spring. We were doing My Fair Lady and I had the biggest turn out for auditions I've ever had. To save time I had some people read just a little bit (I knew the actors extremely well that I did that to). Those who read only a little bit were all cast, but that wasn't what they were thinking. I also was going to call one guy back but his "competition" backed out suddenly. I called the person back and said "don't worry about coming to callbacks". Sadly, in my mind, I had already decided that I was going to cast him - but he (understandably so) took it as "he doesn't want me at all." This, too, was far from my first directing attempt. 
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Posted By: Nanette
Date Posted: 11/09/06 at 7:10am
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I was directing A Christmas Carol one year and a young actor playing one of the boys in the street was out sick for a performance. We had a girl who knew all the lines and agreed to fill in for him that one night. Came time for the girl to say her lines and she wouldn't. We prompted her again ... and she wouldn't. Finally, after hissing at her backstage for the third time she gave the line ... and the audience fell off their seats laughing! We forgot that the line was about the turkey "as big as me" ... and here the girl stood at least 5'3". To this day I can't help but search for that giant bird when I'm looking for my Thanksgiving Day turkey. ------------- In a world of margarine, be butter! |