Student

A symphony of sound. A symphony of character. Vivid themes. Vivid characters. Stressed by Alan Haehnel is a true theatrical experience for any drama students looking for a bit of a challenge and a whole lot of fun. For Alex, it’s school. For Josh, it’s his girlfriend. For Carmen, it’s dealing with her coach. And Mindy’s frustrated with her parents. Stress is driving this quartet crazy – so much so they can’t stop talking about it. This play is a symphony of sound and character. A challenging but incredibly fun piece. The incredibly talented group of student performers that make up the Stromness Drama Club off the northeastern coast of Scotland in Orkney , didn’t stress at all about their production of Stressed. In fact, they thrived! “Every year we try to put on a youth production as part of the Scottish Community Drama Association’s one-act play competition. This year we were fortunate (or good!) enough to win the youth trophy and also to come 3rd overall. We also won the Northern Divisional Youth Final and will be competing at the Scottish Finals as well.”

Nick Pappas wears many hats. He is a playwright, a director, he teaches and he’s a dramaturg. This conversation took place at the International Thespian Festival where for the past five years he’s worked with student playwrights. How do you give student playwrights feedback? Here are the highlights from the full podcast. Be honest with your students.Nick says, I try to tell students very, very flatly, “I’m sorry. You’re not going to change the world with your play or anything. Nobody is going to change the entire world.” Everyone seems a little disheartened but then I kind of pop into, “ But, you can change one person’s world. You can change one person’s mood. One person is going to see this and they’re going to feel better. They’re going to laugh when they’ve had the worst day of their lives. That one life is going to change.” That’s doable. Let your students know where you stand and what you can do.Nick explains to his students, “I’m there for the play – to help you create what you want to create.” I really try to make it very clear that I am there to help them and no way do I want to write the play myself. It’s a good reminder that I’m on their side. Encourage students to accept that the first draft is going to be bad.Nick says, “it’s going to suck and that’s all there is to it. But the point is that you’ve gotten a first draft and only after you’ve gotten the first, I always say, only after you finish the first draft can you actually start writing because, otherwise, it’s like this weird mishmash of ideas in your head that you sort of like vomit out onto a page to see what you even really have in the first place.” Make sure you understand a student writer’s intention.Nick explains, I know, as a writer, I love when someone says it back to me like, “So, I read it and this is what I’m seeing. This is what I think the play’s about. Is that congruent with what you’re thinking?” Help your students learn to try new directions in their writing, even if they don’t work.With his students, Nick always tries to make it very clear that his feedback doesn’t necessarily have to be accepted in its entirety, but he asks that the student gives it a try. If they try something and it doesn’t work, the writer has learned forever that it doesn’t work and you have to go in a different direction. Don’t focus on the negative.When we focus on the negative, we tend to miss the overall picture of things. It’s not exactly focusing on the positive either. It’s focusing on moments that are striking, exciting – those kinds of things that just sort of stick to your guts and won’t let you go, those images that feel really strong and beautiful, those moments, those single lines of dialogue where it’s like, “Yes, this is it! This is the place where you’re supposed to be for this particular show.” If writers focus on these moments that feel right and are working, they will start to identify what areas need to work to ensure that more moments that work the same way. They can ask themselves, ‘is this working the same way?’ Feedback Form Exercise.A great exercise for students is to have them create their own feedback form for readers. When asking for feedback on a draft the playwright has to be specific. They can’t just say “tell me what you think!” That can be overwhelming and paralyzing for a reader. There is two parts creating the Feedback Form. In Part One, the playwrights does two things: 1. Lets the respondent know where they (the playwright) are with the draft. 2. Give the respondent a job. That is going to give some context for the respondent. First: where is the playwright? What are they thinking? If the respondent knows the playwright is struggling, that they didn’t have a good time with the first draft, that’s a much different context than “I feel really good about this draft.” Second what does the playwright specifically want the respondent to look at – do you connect to the main character all the way through the play? That’s a specific element for a respondent to look at rather than – do you like the play? In Part Two the playwright is going to ask for two things: Impressions and questions. Ask for Impressions, meaning what stayed with the reader, rather than asking the reader for what they “liked.” Impressions tell a playwright what resonates. It could be a line, an image, a character a moment. We want our work to stay with an audience after the curtain comes down. Student writers also want to ask for questions rather than for negative comments. Questions are tangible. They can be answered. They let a playwright know if there’s confusion or if an intention is unclear. Always include questions in your feedback sessions. Listen here to the full conversation.

Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays For….Student Directors. Do you have a student directing class? Do you have students who show a knack for taking charge and establishing vision? Then you need plays that are perfect for student directors to tackle. Think short, think active, think character driven. Think plays that can be accomplished from audition to performance within your class periods. Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. Hand this list over to your student directors and see what they think. All the best with your search! Ten/Two Ten plays for two actors. The plays can be performed individually or all together for a full evening of theatre. Excellent for the classroom or competition. This collection is ideal for student directors because they’re contained. Two actors, a complete story from beginning to end with specific characters. Hamlette Imagine if you will that “Hamlet” was not “Hamlet” at all, but “Hamlette” – a woman! This play is a twisty-turny interpretation of the classic Danish tale. If you have a student director who wants to spread their comedic wings, try this piece. It requires a lot of physical action, so it’s more work than it seems on the page, but your students are up to the challenge, right? Hairball A light vignette play about our obsession with hair. I’d highly recommend this for starting directors. Because it’s short scenes based on a theme, it gives a student director something short to find success. You can divide the play up among a number of directors if you have a large class. Or take one scene and see how your directors tackle it. What are the similarities? What are the difference? Smarty Pants Dallas is a real smarty pants and can’t wait to show off. But he’s in for a shock. His new class is very different. This piece gives students directors a chance to explore both character and physical action. Rainbows vs Bunnies: Annihilation A talking bunny. A talking rainbow. Plus annihilation. This piece would be a lot of fun to direct, The challenge here is taking charge of a couple of large groups and staging. If you have students who need to improve their leadership skills as a director, this is the piece to do it. Will and Whimsy Shakespeare’s Sonnets come alive in this play where modern scenes play hand in hand with the original text. With this piece you have the combination of modern scenes and Shakespeare. If you have a student who wants to tackle the bard, give them this play first. Skid Marks: A play about Driving Your first car. Getting your license, Getting pulled over. The relationship between teen and car makes a great backdrop for this vignette play. Vignette plays are always a great place to start with student directors. Ten Minute Play Series (All Girls, Girls & Guys, Be Challenged) These plays offer everything from broad flat-out comedy to quiet, intimate drama. All the pieces have small casts, have modest set requirements and well defined characters. Your student directors will find something they love in one of these collections. EllenAliceMonaJune (in Malled) Ellen, Alice, Mona, and June share those uncomfortable truths that only close friends can tell each other. A lovely four actor piece that dives deep into character. If you have student directors who need to work on bringing out a three dimensional character in their actors, this is the piece. Anxiety is Orange Join the characters in this vignette play as they navigate the world, each other, and the greens, greys, blues, reds, pinks, yellows, and oranges around them. Give this play to one director or divide the scenes up among group of directors.

Directing a show for your students can be a daunting task. Teachers are busy people! On top of in-class time, lesson planning, marking, administrative tasks, and all the other jobs that arise, taking on an extracurricular activity–especially one as large as a school production–might seem like a lot. However, this is a great opportunity to make an important leadership position available for one of your students: the student assistant director. Now, some of you might think, “How will it be useful to have a student in such an important role as the assistant director? What will I do with them?” There are lots of things you can do with a student assistant director! Here are six suggestions for tasks and responsibilities that a student assistant director can accomplish. 1. DelegateTake a load off your plate! The student assistant director could be in charge of making a props list, leading warmups, doing line runs with smaller groups of actors, or distributing notes from the previous rehearsal. They could also be in charge of tasks like distributing posters and advertising materials to the cast and crew, assisting with sign-in and sign-out, or taking photographs during rehearsals for publicity purposes (a “behind the scenes” look at the process). 2. Learning through observingPart of the student assistant director’s role can be to watch you interact with the student actors. They can observe how you approach character work, block scenes, and deal with problems that arise. After the rehearsal, take five minutes with the student assistant director to answer any questions they have, discuss what went well at that rehearsal, and plan out what to work on in subsequent rehearsals. 3. Double dutyIf you don’t want to take on two separate students, or you have a really keen and super-organized student who’s up for a big challenge, you could combine the assistant director role with that of the stage manager. They can take blocking notes during rehearsals and call the show during the production run, on top of doing the other assistant director tasks that you assign them. 4. Polishing scenesOnce a scene is blocked, student assistant directors can work with one group of student actors (while you are working with others) on polishing the scene. They should focus on details like making sure lines and cues are correct (and loud enough!), developing interesting physical traits for characters, and ensuring that students’ character intentions are clear (“What does your character want in this scene?”). 5. Directing a scene that you assignGiving your student the opportunity to direct a scene in the show is a wonderful chance for them to learn and practice their directing skills. It also gives you the chance to see the show through someone else’s eyes, which can be really useful! Select a scene in the show that you would like your student assistant director to work on. Sit down with your student and discuss your vision for the show and their vision for the scene. How does this scene fit into the overall structure of the show? Have the student assistant director plan their blocking in advance and have them talk you through the blocking. From there, assign your student time in rehearsal to lead the actors. Stay as hands-off as possible–perhaps schedule yourself to work on another scene at the same time. Just before the end of the rehearsal, have the actors perform for you what they’ve worked on with the student assistant director, and give them feedback. 6. Liaising with the cast and crewStudent assistant directors can be very useful in bridging the gap between you as the teacher/director and the rest of the students in the cast and crew. Students may feel more comfortable bringing problems or concerns to one of their peers rather than a teacher. Have your student assistant director check in with the cast and crew periodically to see what they can do to help out and make the rehearsal process a positive one! Having a student assistant director can really be a positive asset to your production. Who knows–perhaps they’ll be the one directing the school show someday!

Do you include student directing in your program or are you thinking about introducing it this year? Tfolk playwright Clint Snyder reveals some tips for student directors. Directing can be extremely difficult and exhausting in a school setting. If you are a student director, directing your first production, the task can seem almost impossible. Luckily, here are a few quick tips to making your first production a successful one. 1. Have Faith in Your Cast & CrewIt can be tough, particularly in a classroom setting, to make choices on who is best qualified for a role or position. If you are a student director, it can be even tougher. The last thing you want people to think is that you are making selections based off who you are friends with. The best thing to do is always to cast who would be most qualified for the position and to let everyone know that their input and work is valued. If they did not get the role they wanted offer them a crew position based on their talents. After all, theater is one of the few collaborative art forms. 2. Develop a Sense of CommunityYour cast and crew should feel like a family by the end of the production. Sure families fight and bicker, but at the end of the day they come together for a common goal. You should make it your job to create situations where they can bond together outside of rehearsal. Try visiting a local community or professional production as a group. This will give the students a chance to bond and also allow them to brainstorm for ideas that they could apply to their own production. 3. Plan in AdvanceWhen you can avoid it, never put yourself in a situation where you have to scramble at the last minute. Sure, there will always be last minute adjustments, but major setbacks can be avoided by taking on the big projects at full force before going into rehearsal. If there are rehearsal space restrictions because of the classroom setting, talk them over with your crew far in advance so you can brainstorm ideas together. 4. Devour the Script BeforehandBy the time rehearsals start you should have a familiar sense of what each character’s motivation is, where each scene is set, and the general atmosphere of the play. You should still be open to the artistic process and allowing your crew and cast to bring their own unique creative perspective to the production. However, it is essential that the director is aware of what their perspective on the production is. For example, my script Lord of the Pies is set in a pie shop during the supposed apocalypse. Ask your cast and crew what would be unique about the set based on the circumstances of the play? 5. Find a Unique TwistPushing yourself beyond the script to bring some unique directorial aspect to the production can be one of the most rewarding parts of the process. As long as it is done in the spirit of the production, you can find ways to elevate the material. For example, a director might collaborate with the makeup artist and set designer to make all of the actors in a dated piece to appear in black and white. 6. Stay PositiveThere is bound to be some negativity that arises in the production process, but the cast and crew rely on you to set the tone for the play. If you are in a bad mood every rehearsal, chances are the cast and crew will be too. 7. Don’t Forget to AdvertiseNever forget that you rely on an audience to feed the energy of the production. If a crowd is dull or small, the actors will feel it onstage. Don’t forget to take lots of pictures and utilize social media to get excited about the production that you’ve been working so hard on. Consider having other classes visit and watch the performance. You want the students to be proud of their hard work and showcase it to the rest of the school. The added excitement of having other students watching can be enough to elevate your production to the next level. Clint Snyder is a playwright and actor who hails from Portland, Maine. He has a fond love of absurd comedy and currently has two plays published through Theatrefolk, To Kill a Mocking Birdie and Lord of the Pies.

Directors have to be the ultimate communicators. Not only do they have to communicate a vision, but they also have to keep everyone on task during rehearsal. So if you’re a student director, how do you manage communicating with your peers? Drama teachers! If you have students who want to direct, download our Student Director Toolkit. In it we go through: • How student directors need to find the balance between boss and peer • What makes a good leader • Ranking leadership skills and how one can improve those skills • Rehearsal planning • Problem-solving when things go wrong Let’s look at one section: What are the necessary steps to create a rehearsal plan? Vision: There is more to the rehearsal preparation than figuring out what you’re going to do at each rehearsal. Deciding your vision for the play is the first and biggest step. A vision is created through reading a script, determining the main themes of the play, identifying a point of view on those themes, and then considering how to visualize this point of view. Every element from characterization, to tech departments, to staging should stem from the vision. A Vision Worksheet is provided in the toolkit. Exercise: Read a play, list the themes, identify a point of view, consider how to visualize this point of view, and then come up with a one-sentence vision statement. How will you interpret the play? Practice this process with students a couple of times before they do the same with the play they’re directing. A Director’s Vision Worksheet is provided in the toolkit.  Conception: Communicating a vision is sometimes hard for directors; therefore, you must turn interpretation into conception. Translate a vision into concrete action for your actors. Having a vision is not enough, the director must communicate it to everyone involved in the production. In this way, the director’s vision is brought to life. Ask student directors: How will the characters address your vision? How will the lighting and sound address your vision? How will the costumes address your vision? Exercise: Students take one of their practice visions and identify how they would communicate that vision in terms of colour, light, sound, shapes, lines, and textures. These are elements that would help visualize a vision for different design departments. Schedule: Before rehearsals start, directors should create a schedule from auditions to closing night. The best way to schedule is to work backwards: What are the performance dates? When is tech week? When is the dress rehearsal? What are the important rehearsals that need to be incorporated? How long will it take to block the show? How long will it take to introduce the play, work on character development and analysis? When will auditions be?  Directors should review the schedule before every rehearsal and decide on an action plan. What is the goal for this rehearsal? What needs to be accomplished? Are you on schedule?  No rehearsal schedule is perfect and issues will always arise. Student directors need to know that they don’t have to stick to a rehearsal at the expense of the creative work, but having a schedule helps everyone stay on track. It is an essential tool for communicating who is needed for a rehearsal and what’s going to happen. A Rehearsal Schedule Sheet is included in the toolkit. Student directors should get in the habit of filling this out in advance of rehearsals and make it routine.  Organization: Emphasize to students that being organized communicates that you’re prepared every time you step into a rehearsal. Review your schedule, know what scene you’re working on, read it, and review any notes you’ve made. Know the first planned activity and then see what happens as you and your actors begin to work. Just as you don’t have to stick to every single moment of your rehearsal schedule, you don’t have to organize every second of rehearsal. A rehearsal shouldn’t be a robotic process. Having said that, organizing the first 15 minutes of every rehearsal allows a routine to form, which we’ll talk more about in the next paragraph.  How do actors check in? Who’s running the warm-up? Is there a specific way you start each rehearsal (e.g., character work, a scene question for everyone to answer, a reading of the scene)? A Rehearsal Sheet is included in the toolkit to plan individual rehearsals.   Routine: Routine has been mentioned twice so far and that’s not by accident. Say to students that you can have a lot of flexibility in what you work on and how you work on it, but that flexibility should exist within a framework. As discussed above, student directors should consider starting the rehearsal the exact same way every time. Consider a standard shell: warm-up, identify goals and tasks, review notes, read scene, blocking, set up next rehearsal, end with a check-out. The rehearsal shell may look different; there is no one way to set up a routine. But actors like to know what they’re doing and what’s coming up next. Good work habits are borne out of following a routine. 

If you’ve acted in a play or musical, you’ve been through the audition process. But what is it like to be on the other side of the table? • What are the different types of auditions? • How do you prepare for auditions? • How should an actor behave during auditions? • How do deal complaints about your casting? In Part Two of the Student Directing Series we’ll look at preparing for and holding auditions. (Click here for Part One) Casting is an important part of the directing process. It’s like finding the right puzzle pieces to create the best picture possible. But a play is not a static picture. It is a three-dimensional world and to that end, as a director, you not only have to think about actors fitting roles, but how actors fit together. The cast of a production, be it a Broadway musical or a student-directed one act play, is a community. And a community doesn’t necessarily run on talent. That is a strange concept – shouldn’t I fill the stage with the most talented actors? Isn’t talent the first thing a director looks for? Talent is great and there’s nothing more engaging than a talented actor on stage. But that’s just one piece of an efficient and effective community, or an efficient and effective rehearsal process. You want to consider people who work well together, people who work hard, people who understand they are moving toward a final goal, people who offer ideas. The job of the director is to find actors who are going to build a play. What if your talented actor doesn’t work well with others? How will that affect rehearsals and the final product? Cast well and your rehearsal period will run smoothly, making your job as director easier. Cast poorly and it will be an uphill battle all the way. Good casting hinges on the audition – what you do to prepare for the audition, how you act on the day of the audition, and how you handle the aftermath of the audition. Preparing for AuditionsWhat to do before audition day You’ve chosen your play. The next step is holding auditions. But there is some preparation to take care of before the day. Audition PreparationClarify what you’re looking for during auditions and the play will be easier to cast. The main goal of the audition is to match actors to specific parts. List the important traits of each character and make note of any special skills needed by those characters. You’ll want to look for these traits in your actors. Don’t get bogged down with appearances. Don’t set your sights on a tall long-haired brunette to play Juliet and dismiss a fantastic short redhead on the day. What you’re looking for is emotional traits. If you’re casting for Juliet, you’ll want an actor who will shine in the mad scene, who can play an emotional breakdown. Audition Information SheetCreate an information sheet for actors, either in hard copy, on a website or facebook page. Lay out the specifics so everyone know what’s involved. You don’t want any surprises. There’s nothing worse that finding the perfect actor only to find out they’re on vacation during Tech week. Part One: The Play and Characters • What is the play about? Include a short synopsis. • What’s the genre? Is the play a comedy, drama, absurd? • Who are the character? Include a character breakdown (male/female roles, genders, ages) • Are copies of the script available? Will actors be able to read the play before the audition? Part Two: Actor Audition Prep • What should actors prepare (if anything)? • What type of audition is it? • When and where is the audition? • Is there a signup sheet? • Will there be callbacks? Part Three: Rehearsals and Performance • When and where are rehearsals? • Which rehearsals are mandatory? • What are the performance dates? Finally, let everyone know when and where the cast list will be posted. That’s the detail everyone wants to know. Audition Day SheetCreate an Audition Day Sheet for actors to fill out when they arrive at the audition. This will provide you with contact and availability information as well as some additional details. What other roles have they performed? Is this their first show? Is there a particular part they are interested in? Is there a part they don’t want to play? This is an interesting question – if you want an actor for a specific role but they are dead set against it, is there a point in casting them? Find a blank Audition Day Sheet in the downloadable PDF document. Types of AuditionsWhat type of audition will best fit your play? While the most common audition type is the prepared monologue, it’s not the only one. It’s not even necessarily the best one. The monologue audition only shows how well an actor prepares a monologue, which may or not be helpful to the final product. What are the different types of auditions? Prepared Audition• Actors prepare and memorize a monologue no longer than 2 minutes. Provide a signup sheet to schedule actors for a specific time. It’s appropriate to ask the actor to repeat the monologue at the audition, with a specific direction. (e.g. try the monologue as if the character is insane) The goal of this audition is to see how actors prepare, if they prepare a suitable monologue, and if they can take direction. Cold Reading• Actors are given scenes from the play to read and present on the day of the audition. Schedule actors to audition in groups. Actors may read more than one scene within their audition time. The goal of this audition is to see how actors work together when they are thrown into a situation and how they instinctually react to your play without a chance to prepare. Rehearsed Scenes• All actors who audition arrive at a designated time. The director runs a warm up. They are then given scenes from the play and time to rehearse their scenes before presenting. The goal of this audition is to give actors a chance to prepare and see what they bring to the scene. Do they have ideas, or do they just read the lines? How do the actors work together when they have a chance to rehearse? Improv and Group Exercises• All actors who audition arrive at a designated time. The director runs a warmup and provides exercises for actors. The director will ask actors to improv (as opposed to read) scenes. The goal of this audition is to see how actors think on their feet and find out if they resist creating without a script. How do they work together when there isn’t a net? Which audition type works best for your play? Which will bring the best out of your auditioning actors? Which will show you who will work together to build a community? CallbacksDepending on the situation and time constraints, you may want to hold callbacks. The best scenario for this is if you hold Prepared Auditions or Improv Auditions and want to see how actors use the actual text. Audition DayHow do I behave during auditions? Auditions are nerve wracking. Everyone wants to do their best, but it’s not always easy. It’s the director’s job to make the day a positive experience. This doesn’t mean you have to treat every actor with kid gloves or run around singing show tunes. But every actor will look to you, as director, to set the stage. Be WelcomingThe way you act at an audition will not only set the tone for the day but for the entire rehearsal process. Actors will remember how you behave. Welcome actors, smile at them, thank them for coming. Actors will be nervous. If they mess up and want to begin again, let them. What’s the harm? If you’re doing Prepared Auditions, let actors know when they can begin and then thank them at the end. Do not play the role of dictator director, coldly cutting off actors in mid-speech. Be TransparentLet everyone know your intentions from day one. Don’t audition anyone who wants to if you intend on casting your friends. Don’t tell your friends you’ll guarantee them a role if you’re interested in looking at other actors. On the day of the audition, let actors know what you’re looking for and what you’re not looking for. Be ProfessionalIf you wanted to be treated like a director you have to act like one from the very beginning. Keep all conversation about the task at hand. You don’t have to be rude, but if your friends want to talk about something other than the show, simply say “we’ll talk later.” Never roll your eyes or make comments during an audition. Never discuss a particular actor’s audition in the room, or in a public space. You don’t know who is in earshot. Keep your thoughts to yourself even after the cast list goes up. What should I look for? Refer to your audition prep notes. Know what you’re looking for and focus on those characteristics. Other elements to look for are strong physical and vocal skills. Does the actor just stand there or do they have a strong onstage presence? Do you have trouble hearing and understanding the actor? Each actor will complete an Audition Day Sheet. Make notes on that sheet, especially if you don’t know the actor. Jot down three visual characteristics (e.g. short hair, glasses) so you can remember which actor is which. Jot down acting notes. What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses? This will come in handy if you have to choose between two actors for one part and aren’t sure which way to go. Or if you’re in situation where a number of student directors have to choose from the same pool of actors, knowing why you need Actor A in a specific role is going to strengthen your case. Lastly, be open. It’s a great skill to be able to see potential in an actor. Don’t be so stuck to your ideas that you miss an opportunity. The AftermathWhat if people hate my casting? It happens all the time. When you post the cast list, some will be thrilled, others will be upset. How do you handle the aftermath of casting? Accept and embrace consequences. Accept ConsequencesEvery action has a subsequent reaction. That’s the most important concept to remember as you cast. If you just cast all your friends, you won’t be taken seriously by the other students. If you don’t cast any of your friends, you run the risk of angering someone. Even if you try to be as impartial as possible, it’s impossible to make everyone happy. Know that there will be consequences and that it’s OK. It happens. Never make choices simply because you’d rather not make waves. Make choices based on what will make the play the best it can be. Any consequence can be addressed as long as every decision is based on what is best for the production. Embrace ConsequencesWhat does that mean? Not only do you have to accept the consequences of your casting choices but welcome them. Don’t run and hide! Tell people they’re welcome to come and talk to you. Let your friends rail at not being cast. Let people be upset. Let it happen and then let it roll off your back. “I’m sorry you’re upset, but that’s the cast list.” Stay calm and never let yourself match an emotional outburst from an upset actor. And never change your casting to make someone feel better. Stick to your decision, know that your decision is good, know that your decision is the best for the show. But what if I made a mistake?This happens. An actor who was great in the audition is not great in the show. If you’re seeing a lot of actors, the day can pass in a bit of a blur. You may cast Actor A when you thought you were casting Actor B. Should you reveal your mistake? Should you try and recast? No. How would Actor feel? If you tell an actor that they’re not as good as in the audition, will that make them work harder toward the final product? What does revealing the mistake help or prove? Once that cast list goes up, stand behind it and do your best to work with it. A community of actors wants to trust that the director knows what they’re doing. If you betray that trust by revealing you couldn’t even cast the play properly, you’ll have consequences down the line. The next installment will talk more about the directing process – specifically how to direct your peers. How do you get them to take you seriously?

At a recent conference middle school teacher Adam Moreno from the University School of Milwaukee shared with me how he uses Agatha Rex in the classroom: students work on, self-direct, and present the same scenes from the play on their own. I knew that these would be a great project to share. You have three different classes using a scene from one of our plays AGATHA REX. Why did you choose this particular scene?First off, I use Agatha Rex because it’s a strong introduction to some great aspects of Greek Theatre, especially the use of the Greek Chorus. I also use the theme of right and wrong to have in depth conversations with the students about ethics. The students struggle with the ideas of equal punishment, breaking the rules, and standing up for what you feel is right. Agatha Rex has valuable lessons that students need to learn and discuss. The end of the first act and the end of the second act are particularly strong scenes for the students to work on as an ensemble because of the use of the Greek Chorus. Everyone, with the exception of Agatha, speaks together. This takes the focus off of what each individual student is doing and focuses their energy on how the group says the lines and how the group moves on stage as an ensemble. The result is some awesome collaborative work! What are the expectations for the presented scene?I break acting down into two elements for my middle school actors: physicality (movement on stage) and expression (variations is voice). When the students begin, I emphasis the need to use the whole stage, to stay open to the audience, and to change levels. I also remind them that, even though they are speaking together, they need to convey emotion through their unison voice. We also talk quite a bit leading up to this project about the importance of “background” or “secondary” acting. What are you doing on stage, when you’re not saying a line. I love watching the creative ideas they come up with about who their characters are and what they are doing in each scene. Each of the classes must prepare and perform the scene on their own.

Many senior drama classes have a student directing project. The best way to learn the process is to dive in, but where do you start? • How do you find a play? • Is there a budget for royalties? • How do I find out how much a play costs? • How do you approach a publisher? • What if you don’t like the play? In Part One of the Student Directing Series we will look at choosing a play and approaching a publisher. Choosing a ScriptHow do I choose a script to direct? Your first task is choose a play. That means reading scripts. Hopefully your teacher will have a library of scripts you can peruse. Also, a number of companies (including ours at www.theatrefolk.com) allow you to read free sample pages from their scripts online. Avoid choosing a play based on the description. It’s hard to know what a play is like from a couple of lines of text. Don’t end up with a play you don’t like because of a misstep in the choosing process. There are thousands and thousands of plays out there. Set the parameters of your search to avoid being overwhelmed. Discuss with your teacher the criteria for your project. If your cast size is limited to four, don’t look at scripts with casts of ten. If your royalty budget is $50 a performance, there’s no point reading plays that are $70 a performance. Set the parameters of your search: • Size of cast • Length of Play • Sets available • Props and costumes available • Budget for royalties Once you have the parameters set, read plays with a director’s eye. You’re not looking for plays you want to act in. You’re looking for plays you can visualize and that spark a vision. What does this mean? VisualizationThe director takes words on the page and makes them three-dimensional. The director tells a story visually – by creating pictures and by creating action. If you can visualize a play as you’re reading it, if you can see moments in your head, on a stage, that’s a good sign. When you read a play, what do you see? What do you visualize? VisionA director must have a specific vision for their play. What does that mean? In theatrical terms, a vision is a concept, an interpretation. The vision is going to shape the look and feel of the play. The vision is going to affect how the audience responds to the play. It is what makes your take on the play unique. How do I define my vision? Determine the main themes of the play, your point of view on those themes, and how will you visualize your point of view. Why do I need a vision? Knowing your vision is how you will make every aspect of the production come to life. Your vision joins everyone together. It will guide your choices as you discuss the play with your actors and direct their action. If you’re lucky enough to have designers, your vision will guide their choices as well. Every decision, every question, every element in your play (e.g. costumes, make-up, props) can be selected through the lens of your vision. What is your vision for the play? ExerciseWatch three movies by well-known directors with varying styles: Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, and Alfred Hitchcock, for example. Watch the movie with a director’s eye. What is the director’s vision? What is the theme of the movie, what is the director’s point of view, and how has that been visualized? Compare and contrast the three movie directors. Research & CostsWhen you choose a play, you’re going to want to do some research on the cost of producing it. Part of your selection process should involve gathering this information. What information do you need to produce this play? • How much does it cost to buy scripts for your cast? • Are there only hard copies available or can you purchase a photocopy license? • What are the royalties? Are there different royalties for class projects? Most publishers post this information online. If you received a budget ahead of time from your teacher, make sure that the play you want to produce fits within that budget. Otherwise, you may have to choose another play. Play Proposal SheetWhen you’ve chosen a script and you have gathered all the information about costs, it’s time to present the play to your teacher. Fill out a Play Proposal Sheet to show to your teacher. It is a summary of your vision, your groundwork, and demonstrates how your chosen play will fit the established parameters. The most important question to answer is this: Why you want to direct the play? What interests you? What (beyond getting a good grade) makes you want to present this particular play to an audience? Be specific. You can download a blank play proposal sheet, along with a PDF copy of this article at the end of this post. Approaching a PublisherYou’re going to have to approach a publisher to obtain scripts and royalty rights. This is true even if your audience is non-paying. This should be your job, not your teacher’s. Here is how you should not approach a publisher: I WANT TO DIRECT A PLAY, THX!!!!!!! Neither is this: Hi! I’m doing this play as part of my senior director project and I need some scripts and I’m doing the show once, is that ok????? Thxs! I really appreciate it!!!!! You may feel you’re just being friendly. This may be the way you communicate with your friends. But when you’re assuming the role of the director, you want to be taken seriously. Treat this situation as if you were really producing the play. Five steps to take to secure scripts and rights: • Have all your information for the play at hand. • What is the title? • How many scripts do you need? Or are you getting a photocopy license? • How many performances are you giving? • What are the dates of the performances? • What is the size of your theatre? • Know the procedure. • You may have to register with a company before you can place an order. You may have to fax in information from your school. Check with the publisher well in advance about their ordering process to avoid disappointment. • Apply in the right spot. • You’re going to be applying for amateur or nonprofessional rights. Make sure you get the right application. • Know your billing info • Know the name of your school and your teachers full name. • The address, the phone/fax/email • Know the method of payment and have it available. • Be sensitive to time • Some publishers are slower than others to approve performances. Do not frantically email a publisher the day before your rehearsals start. Be aware that you may not hear back from a publisher right away, and be aware that things take time to come through the mail. Treat the process professionally. You have your play, you have your vision, you have your scripts and royalties secured. You’re on your way to directing. The next entry in this series will deal with working with your peers. How do you get other students to take you seriously as a director?