Time- Part II. Actor's time
Every actor knows the frustration of being called to rehearsal and not being used. The actor's life is already a waiting game. Waiting for an Audition, waiting for a Callback, Waiting for the next show, Waiting to rehease, Waiting for Tech, Waiting for the role to be yours, Waiting in the wings, Waiting, Waiting, Waiting. Why ask them to wait even more if they aren't going to be used.
The Actor's time is important not only to them but to a productions health as well. They may remain silent about it, but every time they are not used to their creative abilities actor's will start to feel less than their worth. If an actor is called, that actor needs to be used. When you realize you may not get to them, don't be disengenuous, let them know. When you absolutely know you will not get to them, let them go. Now there are times when actors are only in the last page or two of a scene, and unfortunately it has become common to spend more times on beginnings and run out of time on endings. That does not make the actor any less important. Stagger the call. If they do not come on until later, do not call them until later. If it is an ensemble piece where everyone is called, make sure that eveyone has equal imput. Standing around is a waste of time. Time is money. Time is Precious.
Another way you can solve this problem is to be realistic about what you can and can not do. Our motto is " Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible, and soon you will be doing the impossible." By keeping to that we can cover our bases and still be making forward progress.
Actor's like to work. They enjoy process and performance. What they do not like is to stop and start, stop and start. If you as a director have an idea for an actor, or if what they are doing is the exact opposite of what you are looking for, give them time to find their way in to it. If you never allow them to develop an arc, because they have never run a scene without stopping, they will start to shrink away from those amazing ideas that make a role shine. If they are doing something fabulous, don't stop them to tell them it was fabulous, let them continue to shine.
At some point they will be begging to Run the show. Recognize this need and stop tinkering. You can tinker afterwards, but they need to run it now. If you wait until the week before tech (or God forbid, in so many cases, if you wait until Tech) you have left yourself very little time to solve the problems of transitions, costume changes, Entrances and exits, and emotional arcs. A run through will open everyone's eyes to these problems and solutions. It is not bad to give as many run throughs as possible. Some people believe it cuts down on the spontaneity of performance to do multiple run throughs. If your actors can not be spontaneous, you have other issues to worry about besides Time.
Notes should not last an hour! Period. I have been in rehearsals where directors have gone on for more than two hours with no end in sight until someone spoke up. It should not have to be in the actor's hands to speak up about their wasted time. Give important notes now, sleep on the rest and if they still have the same merit give them tomorrow. I will go into notes further at a later date, but as to time for notes: Don't leave to little-Don't take to much. 15 minutes should do it. If you need much more than that either you are talking to much and you aren't being clear, or your actor's don't understand the show. I tend to believe that it is the former, not the latter.
Follow the Golden rule with actor's: Treat them as you would want to be treated. Respect your Actor's time, and they will do wonders for you.
Keep up the hope
The Actor's time is important not only to them but to a productions health as well. They may remain silent about it, but every time they are not used to their creative abilities actor's will start to feel less than their worth. If an actor is called, that actor needs to be used. When you realize you may not get to them, don't be disengenuous, let them know. When you absolutely know you will not get to them, let them go. Now there are times when actors are only in the last page or two of a scene, and unfortunately it has become common to spend more times on beginnings and run out of time on endings. That does not make the actor any less important. Stagger the call. If they do not come on until later, do not call them until later. If it is an ensemble piece where everyone is called, make sure that eveyone has equal imput. Standing around is a waste of time. Time is money. Time is Precious.
Another way you can solve this problem is to be realistic about what you can and can not do. Our motto is " Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible, and soon you will be doing the impossible." By keeping to that we can cover our bases and still be making forward progress.
Actor's like to work. They enjoy process and performance. What they do not like is to stop and start, stop and start. If you as a director have an idea for an actor, or if what they are doing is the exact opposite of what you are looking for, give them time to find their way in to it. If you never allow them to develop an arc, because they have never run a scene without stopping, they will start to shrink away from those amazing ideas that make a role shine. If they are doing something fabulous, don't stop them to tell them it was fabulous, let them continue to shine.
At some point they will be begging to Run the show. Recognize this need and stop tinkering. You can tinker afterwards, but they need to run it now. If you wait until the week before tech (or God forbid, in so many cases, if you wait until Tech) you have left yourself very little time to solve the problems of transitions, costume changes, Entrances and exits, and emotional arcs. A run through will open everyone's eyes to these problems and solutions. It is not bad to give as many run throughs as possible. Some people believe it cuts down on the spontaneity of performance to do multiple run throughs. If your actors can not be spontaneous, you have other issues to worry about besides Time.
Notes should not last an hour! Period. I have been in rehearsals where directors have gone on for more than two hours with no end in sight until someone spoke up. It should not have to be in the actor's hands to speak up about their wasted time. Give important notes now, sleep on the rest and if they still have the same merit give them tomorrow. I will go into notes further at a later date, but as to time for notes: Don't leave to little-Don't take to much. 15 minutes should do it. If you need much more than that either you are talking to much and you aren't being clear, or your actor's don't understand the show. I tend to believe that it is the former, not the latter.
Follow the Golden rule with actor's: Treat them as you would want to be treated. Respect your Actor's time, and they will do wonders for you.
Keep up the hope
posted by The Necessary Theatre at 10:40 AM
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