Directing: When should a director be off book?

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When should a director be off book?

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Directing
Forum Discription: For questions about handling shows, actors, crew, board members, children ...or do we repeat ourselves?
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4963
Printed Date: 10/31/25 at 6:28am
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Topic: When should a director be off book?

Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Subject: When should a director be off book?
Date Posted: 2/06/11 at 9:34am

I have a part in a play that is just a little over 2 weeks from opening night. The director still has her nose in the book during each rehearsal. Yesterday at rehearsal she stopped the play to tell another character and myself that we should be doing what we just finished doing. We looked at each other and told her we had just done that. We did it again and got back into the scene, but it disrupted the rehearsal. The director never did get her nose out of the book all day. One time when I was on stage, I looked out and the producer, director, stage manager and line shooter all had their noses in their books. No one was watching the action on stage.

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Barb Hofmeister,
MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona.

Replies:

Posted By: PaulyWally
Date Posted: 2/06/11 at 2:16pm

I come from the school of thought that a director should RARELY be looking at the book. Lines and prompts are given by a member of stage management.

Now, granted there are directors that put extensive notes and blocking in their scripts... and that's fine if they need to reference it. But a very large part of their responsibility is stage composition. And I just don't see how one can create good stage composition without watching the action over 80% of the time.

Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Date Posted: 2/06/11 at 8:57pm

That is what I thought. I have directed 5 plays here and before we started the first rehearsal, I knew the play well and never needed a book. I think the blocking is throwing her and also think she hadn't thought the play through before we even started rehearsals so she is reading her notes when she should be watching. The last two rehearsals she made notes but was so mad at the end that she didn't share them but instead gave the whole cast (6 people) a group chewing out. To my thinking that is not the way to move people to positive outcomes.

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Barb Hofmeister,
MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona.

Posted By: Majicwrench
Date Posted: 2/06/11 at 11:04pm

As to your question of being "Off Book" I am not sure that applies to a director quite like it does to an actor. And we are all different. I often have my nose in my book as a director. There are times I will put it in my lap and watch the stage,, other times..nose glued into it. Two weeks out....probably not dealing with my book as much. However, I absolutely need a book, moreso than the actors!!! But like I said, all different, certainly no set rules.

Let us know how it turns out!

Posted By: NDTENOR
Date Posted: 2/07/11 at 8:20am

   My general impression is that the amount of time a director spend with his or her nose in the book at rehearsal is inversely proportional to the amount of time they have spent reading over and thinking about the blocking and stage management prior to rehearsal. ( Basically if they have done their "homework" or not.)

   I have had directors who have clearly been reading over and blocking each line of the the script for the first time WHILE THE ACTORS WERE ON STAGE. And let me tell you this is not exactly "fun" from an actors standpoint.

Conversely, I have had directors that sent out e-mails one or two nights before rehearsals with clear and extensive notes on blocking and stage movement . During rehearsals they usually sit back and observe what it all looks like and then make occasional notes about blocking changes and/or actors.

Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Date Posted: 2/07/11 at 10:49am

This is a difficult play with lots of stage movement and she is a new director. One actor still doesn't know his lines and that is making rehearsal difficult. Even for the rest of us who know our lines cold, we get off track when this actor goes out of character all the time to say things like "oh, I thought that this was when I say....." or "I always forget that line---okay let's try that again." And to top it off the line shooter is slow and doesn't know where we are most of the time so when we ask for "line" she stumbles.

But we need our director to be there now and it is as if she has abandoned ship.

Saturday when rehearsal was over she just stormed out of the building and no one has heard from her since. Maybe she will be there Wednesday when we rehearse next or maybe she won't be. I wonder if a director has ever jumped ship before.

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Barb Hofmeister,
MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona.

Posted By: Majicwrench
Date Posted: 2/07/11 at 1:37pm

Sounds like a tough time for all. Wishing you the best...

And that is too bad about the prompter, that is a thankless job, where you HAVE to keep you nose glued to the script every second.

Posted By: KEB54
Date Posted: 2/08/11 at 1:40am

I wish you the best as well. I hope it works out.

I can only tell you how it works for me. I have the Stage Manager and Assistant Director there at all rehearsals seated at the director's table. I will have the director script in hand during the blocking rehearsals. After that the assistant has it. The SM has his own script.

After the initial blocking, the AD makes all notations and generally acts as the the prompter (though occasionally we will bring in a person specifically for prompting). The AD also acts as my secretary, writing down my verbal notes so I don't have to look away from the stage.

Of course you have to have your system developed way before rehearsals start, your staff recruited, and their duties clear. Obviously the director needs to have done much work before auditions start. For me it is generally two months. I need to know the play; have a concept; get a scene designer; meet with him or her; get and approve a scene design, all before I start to block and blocking is on paper well before auditions.

I try to meet with the production staff often before rehearsals start (costumes, props, scene design, constructions, lights, sound). After rehearsals start I still try to meetwith them at least once a week. I depend on them to do a lot independently and to consult with one another, but still, they need direction and work to achieve the director's vision ... which may change slightly throughout the course of rehearsals.

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KEB

Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Date Posted: 2/08/11 at 9:17am

KEB54 You sound like my kind of director. That is what I do. We will see if our director is even talking to us on Wednesday. She has been angry and silent for two days. I hope whatever is bothering her has calmed down. I will let everyone know.

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Barb Hofmeister,
MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona.