This is completely optional, but with new actors that tried it they found it useful and I could see the improvement.  For seasoned actors, they didn't need it.

 

I liked them sharing it with me, too, it helped me get an idea where they were coming from.

 

Anyway, it depends on the actor too.  As a seasoned actor, I resented being led around like a little kid, having every move, every nuance, every thing defined for me. I always say - give me an idea of what you as a director want from me/the character, tell me where you want me to be, when to be there (if it makes good sense) and let me get there as I know how to do.  I even had one director define EVERY blocking move - i.e. take a 1/4 turn to the right or left, etc., etc., and it became very tedious very fast. It was so broken down that one could feel NO freedom onstage at all.  Now I know that was for those who didn't have the same experience as the more seasoned actors. AND I KNOW it doesn't always mean diddly to BE a seasoned actor either.  But I do know that I feel much more free when a director tells me what they want, then let's me give that to them as I know how. And I've recognized in casts I have directed who NEEDS the help and who doesn't and focus or split focus the attention I give where it's needed most.  I've even had well seasoned actors who WANTED to be told every little move and that's ok too.  IT is so subjective in my book that you can't define anything so rigidly for everyone involved.  So doing the exercise thing or not - well it's trial and error.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  Nothing to do but try.

 

Good luck

 

TonyDi

 

I then reply with a written report suggesting places in the script where those adjectives could be utilized in character formation and scene interpretation.  If there are adjectives I'm unsure of, we discuss them privately and make sure we are on the same page.  If there are adjectives I feel they should be pursuing, I put them in the report and ask if the actor feels they could be used in certain areas.

 

It is always a kick when someone puts down an adjective I didn't think of that fits the situation perfectly.

 

 

 

As a director, I always liked the idea of "suggesting" things about the character based upon my research of the play, the tradition/history of it, and prior things that had been done with it.  I also suggested at times that they write a biography of the character at the beginning - then later near the end of the rehearsal process FOR THEMSELVES and then compare the two - to see if there had been any changes or new thoughts/ideas emerge.  OFTEN many did that and it was very revealing.  I always knew what I wanted from them, but allowed them the freedom to 1) find it on their own and/or 2) to get them where I wanted them to be by seed-thoughts of who the character was....meant I really HAD to KNOW the script inside out.  But a fun exercise for ME too.  As an actor - again - I ask the director what they want from the character, where they want them to be...when, and then allow ME the freedom to give them that doing what I knew to do.  Most of the time it worked - except for one standout that is still a nightmare by a director who literally wanted to DEFINE EVERYTHING but didn't have a clue what she was doing...a control freak without the skills and knowledge to do things logically or sensibly - AND didn't even know the script well enough to be telling others what to do.  That still haunts me.  Suffice it to say it was a lousy script in the hands of a lousy director and we as a cast, did more with it than there was to do with it....but it still was only marginally ok in the end.  Even the critic who reviewed the show gave accolade to the cast in the face of a bad script and no direction and that we were "valiant" - I believe were his words, in the attempt at the execution of doing the show.

 

There are SO many ways to get to the end products.  There are so many people involved and so many different (trans. subjective again) ways to get them there.  It CAN be trial and error.  It can be PRE-DEFINED and mechanical.  It can be freeform all the way - but YOU as director just HAVE to know what you want and be able to GET as much of that as you can from your cast of individuals but being flexible enough in your viewpoints that allows THEM to be creative and give you more or different perhaps, than what you expected.  BUT you must be ready for anything.  I've had actors whose heads were totally in the clouds - during rehearsals - but during performances were impeccible.  THAT is always strange to me - but it's how some people work.  Then I had a guy who was GREAT in rehearsals - but drunk at just about every performance.  Threats to fire him?  Oh yeah, and he'd apologize.  But to no avail.  STILL oddly enough, the other guy who he had to work with most on stage was better than he was - though always had to be on his toes (never knew what line was coming or how many were being left out, etc.) and saved scene after scene after scene.  So it's a wild ride to say the least and one that YOU have to have as much control over as you can knowing where you want the show to go, who the people are and then getting as much of that as you can from the actors - while giving them the freedom to give you more than even YOU expected.

 

Good luck.....and sorry for my lengthy replies all the time.  I type fast and sometimes the thoughts just flow. Whether they're lucid or valid or appropriate - well that's often in question. I just hate leaving anything out.

 

TonyDi