Co-Directing?
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=4392
Printed Date: 11/23/24 at 6:20pm
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Topic: Co-Directing?
Posted By: tech_director
Subject: Co-Directing?
Date Posted: 1/01/10 at 11:04pm
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Hello,
A friend and myself will be co-directing a full length play this spring at our High School. We have grown-up doing theater together so we are on the same page as far as ability, knowledge, etc. I'm just not totally sure how we should go about directing together though. Should we sit down and block the show together before rehearsal? I usually just block as I go during rehearsal. We will for sure have many meetings before auditions to decide our artistic vision for the show, etc.
Basically, has anyone done this before? Any tips? Ideas?
Thanks!
Matt
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Replies:
Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 1/04/10 at 2:15pm
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I often co-direct with my wife, which may be a different dynamic than yours, but I think there may be a couple good points I can offer. First - Play to your strengths. I'm a good "overall concept" and "rhythm of the show" type of guy. My wife is a detail fanatic. I'm obsessed with sets, she is the same about costumes. We work well together because we tend to fill in each other's blank spots. If we ever disagree on anything, we talk it out (outside of rehearsal) and come to an understanding. Sometimes my view will prevail, sometimes hers. Second - You absolutely must speak with one voice to your cast. One of you should be the designated "speaker." The cast has to know who to listen to. I've acted in shows that were co-directed and received conflicting directions from both directors. (This is where it's extremely important that you each understand what you're going for with your production.) So, for example, one person should do all the talking for blocking purposes (although both of you are sitting there). Then, when it comes to notes, each person gives his own set after each scene. You need to demonstrate to the cast that both sets of notes carry equal importance. And never, ever let your cast see any conflict. If the two of you disagree about something, work it out in private and then speak to the cast. It's like being effective parents. You have to present a united front, otherwise some in the cast will play you off one another and chaos will not be far behind. I suppose it all just boils down to two things: "Communicate, communicate, communicate;" and "United you stand, divided you fall." Anyway, that's my two cents worth. - - - Break a leg!!! |
Posted By: KEB54
Date Posted: 1/05/10 at 5:45pm
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Scary.
IMHO Co-directing doesn't work. One can be an assistant director or a creative consultant, but there should be just one director. Someone has to have final say and everyone involved needs to know who that is.
Even a night of one acts needs to have one person in charge of the overall concept even though each play may have a different director.
I'd have the director work on the stage with one group and then send another group off with the assistant/consultant/coach. He/she can work scenes and lines with the actors and then come back for the director to see what was done. The assistant can make sure they work on repetition and add detail, but the director will have final say when he/she sees what was done. ------------- KEB |
Posted By: tech_director
Date Posted: 1/05/10 at 8:48pm
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edh915...thank you for all your helpful advice.
We will forsure have a very clear plan before we begin rehearsals. I also hope to have a brief meeting after every rehearsal to discuss things that may come up.
KEB54, last year in this spot of our season we did one acts with out a person in charge. I think as long as you communicate co-directing isn't that different from a director or asst. director.
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Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 1/06/10 at 2:05pm
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You're very welcome, tech director. I hope I was helpful in some small way. Let us know how it worked, will you? BTW - You really should have the show entirely blocked before the first rehearsal. If you have trouble visualizing, use a piece of paper with the layout of the set on it, and a bunch of buttons for the actors. You can always change and polish as you go along, as you see what people look like instead of buttons; but doing it on the fly takes more unproductive time than it's worth - everyone standing around while you decide if George should cross left or right, and should Alice move upstage or down. Being unprepared is the same as being disrespectful to your actors. Work it out beforehand. You'll be glad you did. |
Posted By: B-M-D
Date Posted: 1/08/10 at 8:57am
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I wouldn't co-direct if you paid me a million tax free dollars or put a gun to my head. ------------- BD 
"Dying is easy, comedy is hard." |
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 1/09/10 at 7:34pm
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Find a good SM to take care of transfering the blocking/moves to the script & creating a 'show bible', [in p;encil], this saves a lot of down time & bitch sessions later.
Chalk in your lines of demarkation with your codirector, this will also help the warm props/luvvies greatly - but stick to it!
It's bad enough inherting psuedo & small 'd' co-directors anyway - without asking for 'It'! ------------- Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house} |
Posted By: tech_director
Date Posted: 1/12/10 at 8:00am
| Many directors I have worked with block everything out as they go. Like everyone else they have clearly read the script more times then they can count and have an idea in their head. Complex scenes sometimes are written down others are just blocked as they go. Sometimes seeing it as you go prevents you from staging too many scenes stage left to many up stage, etc. I kind of like that approach, but for co-directing I will be doing it before hand. |
Posted By: greenphoenix
Date Posted: 2/11/10 at 4:24am
| I think co-directing is asking for a lot of headaches, especially in a school environment. I have never seen it work successfully anywhere. I have collaborated quite well with trusted peers in an arrangement where one person is the captain and the other is second in charge. That is what I would recommend for the future. |
Posted By: tdsands
Date Posted: 3/13/10 at 11:17am
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I agree with B-M-D .................... The gun to my head part. ------------- tdsands @ NRT |
Posted By: little_owl
Date Posted: 3/23/10 at 2:28pm
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I think it would be fun to co-direct. A lot more of pooling each of your strengths together and fine tuning things it seems like it would be. |