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Literary Arts - Articles |
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By
Che’Rae Adams
Blog Entry #1-“The Director/Playwright
Survival Guide”
I was recently fired off of a show by a first
time playwright who stated two days before tech
that he thought he could “do a better job”. It
was the first time I had ever been fired off of
a show, and it felt very strange to end things
so abruptly.
Whether he actually could do a better job or
not, was not my concern at all. I was mostly
concerned about the trauma that it would inflict
upon the actors as they entered into the final
stretch. When I mentioned this to him, he did
not seem to care much about the actors
wellbeing, but simply for his own. I should have
known. My instincts told me that he was a panic
driven person, but I didn’t listen to myself. It
was clear to me from the beginning of the
project that because he had never been produced
before and was very nervous about his play being
perceived as mediocre. The stakes were high for
him, and he made sure that everyone around him
felt it. For instance, he took a FIVE week
sabbatical from his day job during the rehearsal
period of the play. FIVE WEEKS! Yikes. (That
should have been my first clue). What was he
going to do in those FIVE weeks while I was
rehearsing the actors? I mean, isn’t he pretty
much done with the play by the time the show
goes into production? Sure, a script tweak here,
a tweak there, but FIVE weeks? It was a
nightmare. He came to every rehearsal looking
for things to do, when there was nothing for him
to do. He even offered to work on the sound at
some point. This is a clear example of a
playwright who really wants to direct!
I found comfort in my other industry friends who
told me stories of how they were fired from much
better jobs than the one I had. For instance, my
friend Vincent recounted when he was fired from
a huge Broadway show by a huge Broadway producer
who told him that he “had no talent”. A few
weeks later my friend was nominated for a Tony
Award for his work on the show.
Much like Salieri in Amadeus, could the fear of
mediocrity scare artists into panic mode which
then leads to destructive behavior? True,
artists make rash decisions all the time-I have
heard stories about maverick playwrights such as
Sam Sheppard who allegedly pulled a production
of True West due to the bold casting choice of
two women instead of two men; or Lee Blessing
allegedly pulling a production of Chesapeake
(which I directed the West Coast Premiere of)
due to the mediocre reviews it received at NY
Stage and Film where it premiered. Does the
playwright have the power and the right to do
such things? Yes. Can the power be misused or
abused? Absolutely.
So what determines the professional (or
unprofessional) behavior of an artist? I think
it has a lot to do with their early training
combined with their experience and a little bit
of upbringing thrown in. My early theatre
training began at the Mark Taper Forum where my
very first assignment as an intern was on the
writing workshop of Pulitzer Prize winning
Angels In America, Part II-Perestroika by Tony
Kushner. The gospel according to the Taper staff
was to honor and respect the playwright above
all others. Tony Kushner was a bit of an unknown
writer at the time, but the respect for him in
the room was enormous. He sat in on every
rehearsal, and in some cases had been developing
the play with the same actors, such as Ellen
McLaughlin and Stephen Spinella, for years.
Despite the two award winning and critically
acclaimed directors in the room, Tony Taccone
and Oscar Eustis, the writer truly had final say
and it was clear that the workshop was for his
benefit. This early training built the
foundation for which I have developed new work
for over fifteen years.
Angels was one of the first new plays that I
watched a playwright develop in a rehearsal room
with the help of an artistic team of actors,
directors, producers and dramaturges. Since
then, I have worked on several new plays and
have watched some of the best Regional Theatre
artists interact with each other. Playwrights
such as Tony Kushner, Peter Parnell, Alice Tuan,
Han Ong, Jon Bastian, Tim Toyama and John
DiFusco among others. Although my experience
working with playwrights has spanned over
seventeen years, the playwright/director
relationship still alludes me. Has anyone read
the book How to Get Along With An Over Dramatic,
Controlling, A Personality Director? Or how
about What To Do When A Playwright Really Wants
To Direct? No such luck. Rule books on these
type of things just don’t exist. I am afraid
that we must rely on our experience to be our
only guide.
What is the protocol when it comes to the
playwright/director relationship? Although there
has never been an official rule book written,
here are some thoughts that might make the
production experience a lot more enjoyable for
both:
Step #1-Choose a director/playwright that you
trust and respect
Before you choose a director/playwright to
work with, be sure it is someone who has
supported you in the past or has an investment
in your future. If that is not possible then try
to see their work, read their reviews, or ask
around about them before you make the
commitment. It is essential that you are
absolutely confident in each other’s work and
are eager to work together.
For example, most of the new plays that I direct
are plays that I have developed with writers in
my workshops. The relationship from dramaturge
to director is a natural one, since I know the
play so well and care for it’s wellbeing and
execution. The writers are secure with both my
knowledge of the script and my emotional
connection to their piece. This kind of
relationship makes sense, since both the
playwright and I have the same goals in mind for
the production.
Step #2-Get on the same page
I believe that it is the director’s job to
fulfill the playwright’s vision so be brave,
honest and fair with each other regarding your
intentions from the beginning. Sit down over a
cup of coffee and talk about the play-what you
like and don’t like, how and when it moves you,
and any conceptual elements that you feel you
want to enhance or experiment with. This initial
conversation is crucial to determining whether
or not you are both on the same page which is
mandatory in order for the production process to
work.
For example, when I went into production for
Blaine Teamer’s Pandora’s Trunk at LATC, my
concept was to personify the main character’s
alter ego. The playwright’s original intention
was to have it be a one woman show, a tour de
force for some lucky local actress. When he
discovered that I planned on putting another
actress onstage as the character’s alter ego
instead of using a voice over, he was furious.
After a long passionate email exchange we came
to a compromise. I would show him what the show
would look like, and if he still did not like
the work that we were doing, then I would change
it. Thank God he liked it, because it would have
been hell to restage the show! In this case, the
playwright was willing to be open minded and
give my concept a try. However, in the end, he
had final say and was ultimately in control of
the show’s destiny.
Step #3-Trust each other to do their work
Just as a writer has a process in writing their
play, the director has a process in directing
it. Although you might not understand each
other’s process, try to respect it and trust it.
For example, I know from my experience as an
Assistant Director to Tom Hulce on the Pulitzer
Prize winning The Cider House Rules, that it can
often be painful for me to watch the director’s
process. It may seem foreign to me, or
ineffective or sometimes just too passive. For
example, Tom used to give the actors line
readings to which the actors responded “Did you
want me to imitate you or did you want me to
make that my own”. Despite the director’s
approach with the actors, rest assured, a good
director has a plan and it is usually related to
getting the performances they want out of the
actors.
Similarly the playwright also has their own
process which may seem unusual to the director.
I have seen writers like Tony Kusher use
improvisation with the actors to help solve some
problems that he may be having with the text. He
would often write scenes at night and bring them
in the next day to be “tried” out with the
actors. This kind of interaction with the actors
is what seemed to help him most in creating
Angels. Playwright Peter Parnell had a lot of
“behind the scenes” input on The Cider House
Rules, from the two directors, Tom Hulce and
Jane Jones, and from production dramaturge, Kurt
Beattie. Jane and Tom were also the originators
of the piece which was born out of Jane’s
company Book-It Repertory Theatre, which adapts
plays from literature. Due to Jane and Tom’s
background and investment in the piece, they had
very specific ideas of what the text should be
and how it should be executed. Therefore Peter
spent a lot of time with the directors
discussing the text and structure. This type of
interaction and development process is obviously
very different than the one used by Tony Kushner
who was more hands-on with the actors.
Regardless, every playwright has their own way
of working that is very specific to them and
their projects. Accept each other’s process,
don’t judge it or analyze it too much.
Step #4-Allow there to be one voice in the room
It can be confusing to the actors to hear
more than one voice guiding them through the
process, especially if those voices are in
conflict with one another. For example, I worked
on a project last year which starred the writer.
Although he had asked me to direct the project,
he himself is a critically acclaimed, award
winning director who had very specific ideas for
the piece. Considering all of these givens, you
can imagine that he had a lot of ideas and
information to share with the cast. Although it
may seem natural for him to share with the
actors, it from time to time would confuse them
to hear from the playwright instead of the
director. He and I eventually came to the
agreement that all notes would be passed through
me first which substantially eased the actor’s
minds.
Believe me, the last thing you want for your
production is unhappy actors! Keeping one voice
in the room will keep the actors happy, on the
right track, and focused on what they need to be
doing. All of the writer’s ideas and character
thoughts for the actors are best if communicated
through the director. A good director will take
the writer’s notes and try to implement them in
a way that will not be too disruptive to the
cast.
Step #5-Schedule note sessions with each other
It can be very distracting and confusing to
have a writer whisper in my ear while I am
working! On the other hand, it is also
frustrating for a writer not to be heard by the
director. Therefore, I suggest scheduling time
with each other to share ideas and concerns (if
any) any time OTHER THAN DURING A REHEARSAL.
Besides the occasional coffee meeting, a good
time for the playwright to give his or her first
set of notes to the director is after the first
invited stumble thru, which is usually set aside
for the designers. A separate meeting should be
set up between the writer and the director in
order to ensure that the director and the
playwright are on the same page before any
information is released to the designers,
actors, producers, etc to avoid confusion.
The second private note session could be after
the first dress rehearsal. This gives the
director and the cast time to gel the changes
that the playwright might have wanted and allows
them time to work on them in a manner that is
suitable for viewing.
The third private note session could be given
after the final dress rehearsal or first
preview. This proves helpful because by that
time an audience will have attended and based on
their reaction to things, the playwright and the
director will know if certain aspects of the
play work or not.
Step #6-Be Cool
The best playwright/director formula for success
all comes down to mutual respect, communication,
and trust. After all, no one knows the play like
the writer, and by the same token, no one can
find the nuances in a script like a director. In
other words, you need each other, so be cool
with each other and look out for one another.
Above all else, remember that it is only a play.
We are not performing brain surgery or saving
the world from mass destruction. Put your
emotions about each other in check and in
perspective when dealing with each other. As my
high school boyfriend used to say “don’t be lame
dude”.
Step #7-The worth of the work
Now that your show has opened, got great
reviews, and was a hit, other theatres want to
produce it! How do you proceed with your
relationship to each other? What if you don’t
ever want to work with each other again? What if
you only want to work with each other on every
single project from here to eternity?
Well, if the playwright liked the director, then
they are in luck. Most directors that are
members of their union, The Society of Stage
Directors and Choreographers, are mandated to
have a first right of refusal clause in their
original contract. Therefore, if the writer and
producer like the original staging, then the
contract has been put into place to keep that
original director.
But what if you never want to work with the
director again? Rest assured, there are ways to
arrange that as well. There is also a clause in
every SSDC contract to “buy out” the director so
the production can be remounted by someone else.
It is usually a flat rate buy out which
essentially pays the original director off so
that the writer and producers don’t have to work
with them again. Another scenario that the
playwright might encounter is that they like the
original staging but they don’t want to work
with the original director again. In this case,
sometimes a fee can be negotiated so that the
staging can be used but remounted by an
assistant or stage manger who is familiar with
the production.
In any case, the original director receives
written credit for the original staging no
matter how many directors continue on with the
production. The playwright is of course always
attached to the piece, and should have final say
in choosing the director and final casting
approval as well.
The future of American Theatre depends upon
directors and playwrights being able to work
with each other. You never know when the next
Pulitzer Prize winning play will be written and
who is going to write it! As the late producer
Diana Gibson used to say “Playwrights have to
come from somewhere”. So, find a
director/playwright you trust, get on the same
page with them, trust each other to do your
work, and above all, be cool. A sense of humor
goes a long way in the stressful, fast paced,
sometimes wacky world of theatre.
Now I want to hear your crazy experiences with
directors or playwrights-Send your stories to
cheraeadams@sbcglobal.net
- I look forward to hearing from you!
(Che’Rae Adams is a freelance director (www.cheraeadams.com)
and the Producing Artistic Director for the Los
Angeles Writers Center (www.lawriterscenter.com)
She teaches writing workshops at the Lankershim
Arts Center every Tuesday night. For more
information call 323-878-0442.)
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