Acting and Directing

Comment

Comment by MsDirector on October 25, 2010 at 11:57am

That's a great idea, David, and one I will definitely keep in mind for my future productions!

Comment by David Skibbins on October 25, 2010 at 9:37am

I am fortunate enough to live in a community where the majority of my audience are retired. I get volunteers to come, sit in the back of the theater during rehearsals, and then give me comments on who they could and could not hear. These make great notes, and inspire new or poorly trained actors to be heard.

Comment by Carol M. Rice on October 24, 2010 at 11:15pm

I have no problem giving someone a chance (I tend to cast with my gut), but I do sometimes pull my hair out when an actor doesn't know how to take direction and won't change his/her delivery once it's entrenched and won't enunciate. It definitely means I won't make the mistake of casting him/her again. On the other hand, I've had much MORE luck with unknowns than I have had bad experiences...which is why I keep taking those chances. But actors need to learn the basics, and much of that is being able to take direction.

Comment by MsDirector on October 24, 2010 at 10:55pm

I've worked with lots of actors - both professional and amateur - whose diction, enunciation and projection were not up to the challenges of stage productions. Sometimes this was because they were young and untrained. Sometimes because their former work has been in tv or film. Sometimes because they simply were never called on it since many of the larger theatres are mic'ed these days. I've enjoyed the challenge of getting them to understand the requirements of a stage performance and helping them learn to make their voices work for themselves and the audience. I'm not a vocal teacher, so I doubt my techniques would pass professional muster, but I've been directing for almost 30 years and have learned alot in that time. Passing on what I've learned is part of what I love about directing. Sometimes fantastic actors are hidden behind bad habits and inadequate training. What fun to discover that talent, nurture it, and end up with a fabulous show for your work!

Comment by Suzanne DuCharme on October 24, 2010 at 10:46pm

This is quite a challenge. I find that, when working with younger actors in particular, they have absolutely no vocal training for the stage. They can't project, enunciate, they speak too quickly, mumble. It's awful! And it comes from television, largely. If I think an actor has good instincts, can make adjustments in an audition setting and is otherwise right for the role, I might cast them with the caveat that they are going to have to do a lot of vocal work to be heard and understood on stage. A lot depends on the size of the house and the acoustics. I HATE to sweeten a straight play, so I tell my actors up front that they must be able to project. If someone has an unfortunate voice (like that "baby" voice that all the young ladies seem to use lately), and if they don't take direction in an audition, can't make adjustments and seem entrenched in doing it their way, then I take a pass.

Comment by Gordon Goede on October 24, 2010 at 4:25pm

believe that the greatest challenge to anyone working in the theatre today is what the invasion of TV has done to the way our audience and the way we hear the work we produce for the stage. As we all know, or should know, stage acting and film acting are very different. As an example, I auditioned an actor a few months ago,and when I asked him where he learned how to audition, he told me he copys the speech the way he hears it coming from his TV. In order to use in on stage, I had to give him a quick course in Oral Interpretation and the did a week of table work with him before getting him up on his feet. Fortunately for the playwright, the audience, the othe actors, and me, it worked this time. And this is not the first time that I have run across potentially talented actors who do not value what they say. I would be interested in hearing any thoughts on this type of situation: has anyone found this to be true, how did you handle it, what was the outcome, what would you do differently in this situation, would you cast someone who did not have appropriate vocal technique for stage work? You know, the usual questions.

Comment by MsDirector on October 20, 2010 at 10:49pm

Great question, Suzanne. May I suggest that, instead of posting it in the comments column, you start a discussion on this topic. Maybe that will draw more people and more discussion. Comments tend to get lost and interrupted by other things on different subjects.

Comment by Suzanne DuCharme on October 20, 2010 at 10:01pm

I agree with Brianna. Are we all too busy working to post? (I hope!) I'm new to this group so I don't know what you usualy talk about. I'm going to throw this out there: What has been your biggest challenge of late, and how did you deal with it?

Comment by Brianna Destiny Stowers on October 4, 2010 at 4:58pm

We seriously need to get this page more active!

Comment by Ed Stevens on June 19, 2010 at 12:04pm

For Sept. production, need a male actor 30s to play Bud, a drifter, charming and charismatic but a little feral. estevens@chasepr.com, www.viewerdiscretionadvisedtheplay.com

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