Finding Directors
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Theater Administration
Forum Name: Running Your Theater
Forum Discription: General questions about how to make it work
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2755
Printed Date: 5/19/24 at 1:45am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Finding Directors
Posted By: gracie
Subject: Finding Directors
Date Posted: 10/16/07 at 9:45pm
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How do you go about setting up your theatre season?
Do you choose the show, then find a director?
Do you have directors pounding down your door begging to stage the next great musical?
Or, are you like us struggling to find enough directors interested in putting on shows you deem appropriate for your audience base?
And, have you ever been unable to find a director and had to darken your theatre for a month?
We happened to get lucky (along with a lot of pushing from our board president) this past year and had a trouble free successful season. That usually isn't the case. ------------- www.vermillionplayers.com - www.vermillionplayers.com |
Replies:
Posted By: Nanette
Date Posted: 10/17/07 at 8:58am
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At our theatre, I direct. No one else has the experience ... or the willingness ... to take on the task. Two others on the board would do well at the task, but are both too busy with other projects.
At a nearby theatre, they select their season (usually 2-3 shows) and ask for volunteers to direct. Sometimes they have co-directors (with their current show, it's MULTIPLE directors ... I don't know how that's going to work!). They normally run 2 shows that have an adult cast, and then try a show in the summer or winter that includes children (limited in number). ------------- In a world of margarine, be butter! |
Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 10/17/07 at 9:28am
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We have done it a couple of ways in the past... One way was to allow directors to "submit" plays that they wanted to direct.. This was usually in the neighborhood of 10 directors being solicited and each submitting 5 plays. This gave our playreading group some 50 plays to read and select from. Problem being that most of the directors only had one or two that they REALLY felt strong about and to get the other three it seemed like they had just scanned the French cataloge for snippets that sounded interesting... (many were not) From those plays a well rounded season was hopefully selected (not always the case either) Getting quality directors finally came to paying a stipend (currently 300 for a straight show and 400 for a musical) If you haven't gone there yet, Dont. If you can at all help it, keep the camels nose out of the tent! We now pay Music directors, pianists, orchestras, producers, choreographers and the list just keeps growing. (to be fair, I believe we started paying musicians first as they have always been hard to come by.) Currently, everyone (patrons, members, directors etc) are able to submit plays for review and our playreading committee selects what the colective sees as a well rounded season. Though some thought is given during the "process" who might be available, good at, or has submitted/championed a piece, our director stable, (currently about 6 or 7 perms and another 4 or 5 periferals) is solicited as to interest/availablitlity... USUALLY it works out.. Do we wish we had more choices, you bet. New blood can be a good thing.. But it works out.. ------------- Marty W "Till next we trod the boards.." |
Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Date Posted: 10/17/07 at 12:51pm
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We are a community theater in an active senior community of 1,650 homes. We have quite a few actors and no one wants to direct. We only do one or two plays a year and currently I am the only director. I keep saying "next year I won't direct" but get talked into it. I am chairperson of the play reading committee, help my husband who is ticket chairperson by designing and printing the tickets and I also do all the publicity and write the complete 8 page program and see that it gets printed. Most of the actors only want to act and are not willing to do any of the grunt work. Enough is enough. Our play reading committee, came up with three good one act plays for our first play next year and it is my hope that new directors will decide they can try on a small play. Our second play will be a full-length play. If no one comes forward to direct, the whole thing may come tumbling down. P.S. We couldn't even entice someone to be assistant director. ------------- Barb Hofmeister, MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona. |
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 10/17/07 at 8:36pm
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This probably won't help you much Gracie, as we have less than 3
million people in the whole State [Which is supposed to be the largest State
in the world. (1/3rd of the 1 Million square KM's of the Aussie land mass)] I don't know any of the 300 or so incorporated theatre groups here, who pay any directors or production staff, mainly because the Model Incorporate rules preclude any member of a non profit group recieving payments. Most of these groups have 3 to 5 productions/year, Directors in a lot of cases are from within the group or from other groups. Nearly everyone belongs to more than one group, especialy with the actors, who are like gypsy's & nomadic, moving between groups chasing parts. The same with Directors, who use the the local Independant Theatre Association [Aunty] 'Theatre Australia' web site & network around the traps to individual groups. We find it better to cultivate our own Directors, as we can always find diamonds in the back yard. With the groups that have thier own theatre to play in, more & more except productions from other groups so they don't have the venue black. Either as a complete Bump In show or just the production team, using local in house members for the show, which is becoming the norm these days. In the Bush towns they draw upon the influx of young teachers from the local schools a lot to boost thier production teams. Which in my experiance is a hit or miss situation. As most of them are only there to complete their 2 year manditory regional school stint, before they can be accepted in a City posts. A lot are a total pain mainly because they are inexperianced holding a degree in english, which they believe makes them all knowing in theatre & drama.- Big fish in a little pond syndrome. But they are enthusiastic enough & bring in new ideas, thus can't be faulted for that, the fact they have no idea is not important - they give it a go? This is probably why groups in Bush towns, have a policy of new directors must do a One Act play before being allowed to direct a full blown production. Which back fires when full fledged & experianced directors who choose to retire to these towns, give it away as a joke & the group looses them altogether. Also it tends to protect those in the groups purple circle, who have been doing it for far too long, they are growing & cultivating cobwebs. But with only about 1 million to populated the state beyond the Perth metro area - that's life! ------------- 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: VPA1
Date Posted: 11/07/07 at 8:10pm
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I think I've got Gaafa beat...I'm here in Alaska, so our per capita is considerably smaller. Anyway, we are experimenting with an evening of four, one acts as part of our regular season. One executive director to manage everything who is experienced, and four newbies to dip their toes into the directorial pool. We have difficulties getting new folks to direct, so we are hoping that if they can get their toes wet with something small, they'll have the experience and the courage to try something bigger the next season.
Larry in Alaska |
Posted By: vickifrank
Date Posted: 11/07/07 at 9:06pm
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I've worked with several theaters in a tri-state area, and all chose directors differently. And a few changed how they did this over the years. Most paid directors even when they didn't pay other staff. A few paid technical staff, but not actors.
It seems to be easier to find directors if the director gets to choose the show. That way the director and the show are what gets approved. The problem in this approach is that some times you simply have to say 'no'. Feeling get hurt. Especially when the prospective director gets turned down because although they've done several other roles people still don't think they can handle directing.
Also many small community theaters will look into the communities next to them to find promising directors. So if my county gets a guest director from the county next door, I get some variety in who directs...and that director gets to work with a different team. This works particularly well when a director gets to direct a musical when in his home theater they can't stage a full musical.
Gracie, has your group considered asking a grad student from a nearby college to direct? Or if a college is not near, perhaps you could still ask a graduate student in theater who is home over the summer to direct a summer show. This way the student benefits with a credential--and perhaps can even count it for credit in a course.
I know someone on the coast who recruited a professional working in theater in the management area to direct an amateur show. This professional liked the opportunity because it allowed him to do something he loved, but never got to do. But he was of course very knowledgeable. So one approach is to ask people who are in creative fields as pros to take a try at directing. I recruited a radio personality once to try his hand at something new--in that case acting, when I had too few males for parts--he was enthusiastic because it allowed him freedom to take risks he couldn't take on the air.
I've also known a local actor whose main paying gig is doing tv commercial work in two or three nearby big cities. He often directed shows in my community and others, to allow him to do non-film work--and get an insight into the director's mind.
I like Gaafa's comments about asking a prospective director to do a one act before they move to a larger production.
Gracie, is your community a small community?
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Posted By: pdavis69
Date Posted: 11/08/07 at 1:15pm
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Getting directors to direct is a big problem with us. We have resorted to having people direct more than one play in a season as a result of lack of directors. We have coherced actors into trying their hand at directing just to cover the whole season. We also have directors who do a fantastic job but are not interested in doing mainstream shows (just FYI this will start a whole new thread somewhere) and are only interested in the cutting edge and absurd. This leaves our regular season lacking in their talent however gives us amazing non traditional season shows. The bad thing is the regular season shows are the ones that pay the bills. My personal directing experience came as a result of "Please try it just this one for the good of the theatre." I'd like to see more directors but they seem to be rather scarce. ------------- Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse |
Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 11/09/07 at 4:53am
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I can see the problem when the group has the need to keep thier own
house out of the dark. Unlike those who use hired venues. But it seems to me to be an American thingy to pay Directors & what have you, as it does not seem the case in the UK or here as a rule. I doubt the standard of shows is any better or even worse, across the board. So it may be there is a bigger pool of pro's looking to coin a few bob, then is likely to be here. Thus these bods created thier own niche market in community theatre there? This is also the same with hiring sets & lighting to do shows. I know a lot of pohmy groups depend on complete show specific set & light hiring, rather than doing thier own thing. Which may be also the case there as well. Of course the availability of heaps of hiring companies helps. Which ain't the case here, as the few only seems to exist thru hiring odd pieces of set, props & lighting gear. So our markets seem quite different in a lot of respects. Also it maybe we are too lay back & tend to use our own in house resources - In a she'll be right mate attitude! Resorting to the old beg, borrow & half'inch of the convict ancestors, rather than pay out to hire in. Although inter group resource swapping has always worked well. Mainly because we are such a small theatre scene & some what remote to the main stream in the Eastern States. Also I found when I was working over there for a while, there was a large ballet barre between the bods in Pro & Ameatres, which has never been the case here. I like Vickifranks idea of touting the local media Directors or even TV Add Directors, to fill your pool. [they might enjoy the chance to clean out & clhorinate?]  ------------- [western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!} |
Posted By: gracie
Date Posted: 11/09/07 at 12:32pm
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Our theatre is in a community of 12,000 about 90 miles South of Chicago. We try to stage 3 shows per summer. Our directors, producers (who are required to be a board member), choreographer, musicians, pianists, rehearsal pianists are all paid positions.
Lately, other than this year, we have had the same 2 or 3 directors. One guy has been directing our children's production for the past twentysome years. Another guy (a board member) has directed at least 1 show for at least the last 6 years. God Bless them.
We have another board memeber who has directed in the past, but no longer seems interested, even when it comes down to the wire and we need a show. Hence, the board member who has been doing at least 1 show per year, directs a 2nd show to bail us out of a jam.
Last year, I thought I would try my hand at directing (never having even been on a stage) to help fill the season. Something with a small cast, one set. Easy, right? Well, it worked out differently.
I chose to direct The Guys, a show that pays tribute to some of the Sept 11th victims. So September was the perfect time to stage it. We ended up having a 4 show season, instead of a 3 show season, my show being the 'extra one' so to speak, as it was in an off season month.
I have to say after that experience I'll never direct again until I am retired, which is a long time from now. There simply aren't enough hours in the day to work a full time job and direct a show and do a good job. Plus the logistics of living 30 miles from the theatre and working 50 miles from home added to the difficulty.
For the past few years we had been trying to get the hometown HS drama/english teacher to direct for us again, as he hadn't since '99. But he had been working on his masters degree and didn't' have the time. He finally finished and did West Side Story for us this year, which was a huge success.
We had some new blood in our executive board this year and I have been talking with our Pres about reaching out to area colleges, other theatres, high schools to solicit directors. I think our main problem has been we wait for someone to approach us, instead of advertising the fact we are looking for directors. The little blurb we put in our local paper every year about taking show proposals from directors just isn't enough.
We have a much larger area we can draw from. I sat down a couple of weeks ago and came up with about 100 places within about an hour of us we can send out directors packets to. We have 5 junior colleges, 4 major universities, numerous high schools, and several other area theatres we can try. That's not counting any other colleges who may have students attending from our area.
We have never had a script perusal committee. It has always been a director comes to us with a completed proposal form. Show title, costs, a blurb about the show, expected draw, etc... The entire board votes yes or no to allow the director to direct the show.
I'm really hoping sending out packets to solicit directors is successful. If not, next year we may have to attend some area shows and hand deliver them. I'm expecting some of the old guard board members might not like this idea, but I don't know.
The only thought I have to weed out anyone who is a totally inexperienced director is to request a theatre work experience history or references from professors. ------------- www.vermillionplayers.com - www.vermillionplayers.com |
Posted By: Linda S
Date Posted: 11/09/07 at 2:02pm
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The problem is that when you are looking for new directors, sometimes you just have to take a chance. You look at what they have to offer and make your best choice. Either it will work out or it won't. If it doesn't, then you make the best of it and don't hire them again. There is really no way of knowing if they are going to be a good director for your group or not . We once hired a director who works often with another area theater. He was referred to us when we were looking for new blood. We thought he would be a great addition. The experience was an absolutely disaster. We will never use him again. He didn't fit in our mix at all. Sometimes we do have a good laugh when we think about what an unmitigated mess the whole thing was. I don't know how we ever got that show off the ground. When we go to hire new directors, we remind ourselves that we need to take the chance because nothing could be as bad as that. On the other hand we have hired some amazing directors through word of mouth.
Some theaters have new directors do a one act or work with a mentor director. I guess it works fine. I was approached by a theater to direct for them. They wanted me to go through their new director program, which was extensive and time consuming including mentor meetings and critique sessions by other inhouse directors. Mind you have been directing for 30 years. I don't object in theory to their process, but I declined their offer. I have more then enough to keep me busy without going through all the extra work. I have reached a point where either someone wants to hire me or they don't. I quess what I am saying is be careful about how you approach seasoned directors. Sometimes you just have to take a chance.
Good luck with your search.
Linda
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Posted By: gracie
Date Posted: 11/09/07 at 2:27pm
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Wow. I am amazed at the lengths some groups will go to. All of that hoop jumping for a seasoned director is a bit much. I could see them requesting all of that for a greenhorn, but not someone who has been directing for years. I guess my comment about weeding out bad apples is more to help us choose which director we would prefer, should we get multiple applications. I mean, who would you rather work with...someone who is a second or third year student, or someone who has been directing for 10 years? Sure, even experienced directors can be a pain in the rear, but IMHO, it would help to know someone's background.
Maybe the thing would be to get applications with histories and/or references. Go thru them and see who we would like to have a chat with. Something informal, two or three board members to basically interview candidates. That way we could get a feel for their directing tactics, so to speak. What kind of timeline they work on, etc.
The HS teach who did WSS for us this year was really kind of pain to work with. Great guy, nicest guy in the world. But he is accustomed to having the HS auditorium for 2 weeks to build, paint and have on stage rehearsals. Something none of us were used to. There were some days 2 weeks before the production he didn't even hold rehearsals. At all. I don't think the cast had a full cast ehearsal until a week before opening.
Really stressed the producers out. None of us thought he was going to pull the show off. But we had a full house almost everynight. And our theatre holds around 400.
Some of our board say they don't want to work with him again. But you know what...he did a great job and I don't see why we wouldn't have him back.
BTW, we did take a chance a few years ago and had an actor who wanted to direct Man of LaMancha. So we let him. After all, he was a drama major in college. Big disaster. Really big mistake. Half of the actors he cast couldn't sing a note to save their life. We should have listened to our board member who was his HS English teacher twenty years ago. He tried to tell us it was a bad idea.
Then...A couple of years ago, one of our board members wanted to do a revue of 80's music. Again, a lot of the people she cast couldn't sing worth a damn. I know several of our patrons were questioning our judgement after that fiasco. In our town of 12,000 word of mouth really means a lot.
So, from our perspective, we need to be a little more cautious in choosing directors. ------------- www.vermillionplayers.com - www.vermillionplayers.com |
Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 11/09/07 at 7:50pm
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Well.. You did ask the question.... ------------- Marty W "Till next we trod the boards.." |
Posted By: gracie
Date Posted: 11/09/07 at 8:31pm
Huh? Did I say something wrong in my last post? ------------- www.vermillionplayers.com - www.vermillionplayers.com |
Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 11/12/07 at 9:06am
No, by no means "wrong"... just you seemed amazed at what some of us go through..... Everywhere theater community is different. Some places its hard, some places its harder... only the lucky have it easier...
------------- Marty W "Till next we trod the boards.." |
Posted By: gracie
Date Posted: 11/12/07 at 10:33am
Marty...This is the one I am amazed about. Someone who has been directing for that long having to go thru all of that.
I suppose my experiences are limited to only having been involved in my own local community theatre. I am in the dark when it comes to others. I have only been to two other community theatres that are in driving distance from us.
We have in the past traveled to other theatres (community, college, and professional) to see a show we are considering for ourselves. We have never used this method to scope out a director. But I can see where we could do so. Much easier than mentor meetings and critique sessions...at least if you find someone who has been directing for years.
If you go and see a show they are directing...like the job they did...sit down and have a somewhat formal meeting, if they are interested in directing for you. JMHO...But, to each their own.
Why all the hoop jumping for a long time director? Just curious. ------------- www.vermillionplayers.com - www.vermillionplayers.com |
Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 11/12/07 at 11:46am
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Oh, your right... I would'nt go through all that either... But the one thing this board has taught me is that in the world of community theaters, one size dosen't fit all... Often what folks tell me dosen't make sense, but I figure now that it's because I don't really understand thier particular circumstance....
I knew when you asked the original question that the answers would run the gambit... Thats why I said "well you asked..."
Interesting thread as always..
------------- Marty W "Till next we trod the boards.." |
Posted By: vickifrank
Date Posted: 11/12/07 at 3:45pm
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To weed out directors from a college...I'd make sure they were grad students--and had the professor's recommendation. You can also be sure they've directed something before by a resume.
But you have a further screening to do. For a community theater the show has to be 'tame' enough. So you also want to set out clear guidelines about what is acceptable in your venue--just to make sure you aren't surprised and the director is aware in advance. And of course if the director in your theater has other responsiblities, you'd need to state those ( Example: Lock up after rehearsals).
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Posted By: gracie
Date Posted: 11/12/07 at 11:29pm
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Glad to hear all of the suggestions and experiences from others here. For that reason, I love this board and am so glad I found it.
Vicki...At our monthly meeting tonight someone mentioned the same thing. There is a Junior College near us with a Drama Dept. But, they do very avant-guarde stuff. Something that just doesn't fit our style. I would classify us as a traditional theatre.
Unexpectedly, one of our board members did call 4 places in our area he thought might have some interest in working in our theatre. Left messages with all of them. Surprisingly, only Illinois State University called him back. The lady he spoke with was very excited about sharing the information with the students. And she thought the students would be very excited about the opportunity to work outside the college. The fact we pay a small directors stipend was definately a plus.
Not only would we love to have directors, but help in other areas as well (tho they don't pay). Over the past month since our last meeting, I drafted a letter expressing our search for directors for the next season (and any other help we could get). The board was very positive about the response received from ISU and the letter which was prepared.
And yes, I would have to agree. We do need to do some further screening. Would love to have a grad student, with recommendation and resume. Hopefully, we will have a positive outcome (cross your fingers).
There is actually an entire packet of information which we have to be sent with the letter:
Show Proposal Application
Directors Responsibilities
Producers Responsibilities
Listing of Past Ten Years' Productions (so they have an idea of the types of shows we do)
Stage Diagram with Measurements
Guidelines for Use of the Theatre
Costume Guidelines
Set and Storage Guidelines
These are all items we already have, but do need some fine-tuning to be more understandable by those outside our theatre base.
Again, thanks everyone for your responses. Please keep the ideas/critiques coming! ------------- www.vermillionplayers.com - www.vermillionplayers.com |
Posted By: gaftpres
Date Posted: 11/15/07 at 12:31pm
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As a new person to this forum, I am glad to see that our community theatre is in the same predicament as others. We are fortunate to have 5 directors that are board members or past board members to direct our 4 shows each year. Although, it gets tiresome since our board members also have production jobs involved with these shows. Our requirements for a director that is inexperienced is; they must assistant direct 3 performances prior to directing. If they come to us with past directorial experience, we ask that they assist, run lights, sound , stage manage or help in one aspect of a play prior to directing to familarize themselves with our theatre. This has worked well in the past and has helped us groom those inexperienced to direct on their own. Our only paid positions are: The Summer Musical director, Orchesta director, Choral director, Choreography director and Set Designer. Everyone else involved are volunteers. ------------- Old volunteers never die, they just get recycled! |