(no subject)

[lillibet]

All in the Timing opened last night to a full house--always a very satisfying and energizing experience. I hope we get good crowds today. I'm bummed that I can't be there, but I'm looking forward to my first paying gig as a wedding coordinator and hoping that goes smoothly and the couple is satisfied with having hired me.

Since I'm not one of the primary movers and shakers on the summer show (although I've certainly done a whole lot of running around for it) I've had the time to start thinking about our fall production. I'll be directing T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral. I've been reading and re-reading the script and performed my ritual of typing in the script, to really force myself to look at every single line.

I've also started trying to get a leg up on various production details. I've got a producer, a technical director, a rehearsal assistant/stage manager, a chorus captain, and a costumer. I've found many of the costumes I want to use. I've got a couple of possible lighting designers. Since we're using the church sanctuary as our set, that's all sorted. I still need a publicity director in a big way and I will need to find a house manager. And actors, of course, although I'm already working on recruiting people for that. I'm hoping to have a fairly enormous cast--there are 13 roles besides the chorus, which I can do with as few as three women, but if I can get 15 or more, that would be great.

At this point in the process I always go through a bout of insecurity. I mean, what makes me think I'm qualified to direct? One of the ways that I deal with this is by reading books on directing. This time I'm reading William Ball's A Sense of Direction and really enjoying it. In the section I'm reading now he runs down a checklist of what he thinks each director needs to have figured out about a play before directing it. What is the "general beauty" of the piece? The predominant element? The metaphor? I'm finding that I know the answers to all of these questions--not just that I can figure it out, but that at some level I already knew--but it is being asked that makes me bring that understanding to the surface, where I think it will be very useful in communicating with my cast.

Comments

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Murder is going to be a tour de force, my dear. And you're going to be an incredible director because you're dedicated, insightful, and know how to draw the very best out of actors.

I've already been flexing my Chorus Cap'n brawn to gather auditionees, as in "You WILL audition for my chorus, missy..." (sheesh, look at me calling it "my" chorus). The script is very intense, and I'm still absorbing it, googling pics from other productions, etc. It's going to be fantastic.

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

Excellent. It's so nice to have someone else strong-arming for me :) Let me know if you find any good photos!

[jmspencer.livejournal.com]

I may have a publicity director for you.

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

Cool! Please feel free to put them in touch with me. I really want to get started early--the sanctuary has a much larger audience capacity than the hall and it would be great it we could fill it.

[jmspencer.livejournal.com]

I'll give him a call tomorrow. He'll probably be coming to the show next weekend.

[navrins]

That one I'll come see. (Which will be interesting, seeing as I'm playing the same Henry some thirty years later in The Lion in Winter now). I'd probably even audition, except I'm going to be directing Iolanthe this fall.