The Director's Handbook
Here you will find tips, tricks and tools to help you navigate the REHEARSAL PROCESS with your group. As the director, you are in charge of the artistic vision of the group. Before you move forward decide- what is your directing STYLE?
More concretely you are also in charge of the follow...
1. The Rehearsal Schedule and The Rehearsal Process
2. Teaching the actors the music and supporting their learning.
3. Blocking any non-musical parts of the song.
4. Helping your actors CREATE characters.
5. Helping your actors COMMUNICATE your characters onstage.
6. Working with Caitlin for support.
7. Guide your actors through self assessment and deliver your own assessment to them. RUBRICS
More concretely you are also in charge of the follow...
1. The Rehearsal Schedule and The Rehearsal Process
2. Teaching the actors the music and supporting their learning.
3. Blocking any non-musical parts of the song.
4. Helping your actors CREATE characters.
5. Helping your actors COMMUNICATE your characters onstage.
6. Working with Caitlin for support.
7. Guide your actors through self assessment and deliver your own assessment to them. RUBRICS
Making a REhearsal Schedule
A Rehearsal Schedule is basically a road map to performance.
The first thing you have to understand is the REHEARSAL PROCESS.
Once you get that, try creating your first week of rehearsal. Be sure to include any share days or whole class lessons that Caitlin tells you about.
Here are some examples!
The first thing you have to understand is the REHEARSAL PROCESS.
Once you get that, try creating your first week of rehearsal. Be sure to include any share days or whole class lessons that Caitlin tells you about.
Here are some examples!
Teaching your Actors to Sing without the Fear of Singing
SO! You hate to sing...or at least the thought of it scares you. BUT YOU ARE THE DIRECTOR AND HAVE TO TEACH THE GROUP TO SING AND YOU HAVE TO GET THEM TO SING AS WELL!!!
This page is dedicated to showing you some tips and tricks that will help you overcome that fear.
FIRST, it might be true that you aren't an amazing singer- but that' doesn't mean you CAN'T SING.
WATCH THIS and THIS and THIS.
It just takes a little courage and a lot of practice.
Warm-UpActivity 1: Warm-Ups
We do them every day, but here are some more specific ones that you can practice and use at home! |
Singing with HeartActivity 2: Heart!
Singing in this class is less about sounding beautiful and MORE about communicating a feeling. How do you get in touch with your character and how they feel vocally? We did this song in class when we learned how to learn songs- now try it for feeling. Can you communicate heartbreak? Love? Longing? |
Go for itIt's time for your solo...in each group I'd like you to have each member sing a verse of your song solo. Record it, listen back, be gentle and loving. What can you improve on? How can you communicate better? Do you need to listen again? Warm-Up more? Have more courage?
Please share the videos with the director.. |
Character Creation and Acting Resources
METHOD ONE:
RELAXATION, CONCENTRATION, TRUTH
Relaxation:
This step requires you as the director to "break the ice" and make the actors energized and trustful.
Activities:
Pass the sound and motion
Kitty want a corner
Stop/Walk/Jump/Clap
Concentration:
This step requires that you make the actors start to look at their characters as real people with a full life. Not just people in this small moment.
Activities:
Character Survey (a la tumblr/facebook) http://www.writingclasses.com/InformationPages/index.php/PageID/106
Improvise in Character (Coffee Talk)
Role on the Wall: http://dramaresource.com/strategies/role-on-the-wall
Hot Seating:http://dramaresource.com/strategies/hot-seating
Truth:
This is the hardest step- once your actors are sure they know who there characters are it is up to them to have the bravery to show this onstage. Hopefully if they are relaxed and focused enough and they feel SAFE this will happen. This is where you as the director can give suggestions. However you DO NOT give line readings!
METHOD 2: (Should be used alongside method 1!)
OBJECTIVE: What a character WANTS
MOTIVATION: Why a they want it!
TACTICS: How they get what they want (or try to get what they want) VERBS!!
Examples: To beg, to steal, to seduce, to entertain, to butter up
Print out a copy of your lyrics and give one to each member of your cast.
Ask each cast member to write down their objective and motivation for their character. Then have them pick of a verse of the song and add tactics in. It could look like this.
Character: Sandy
Objective: To impress my ex-boyfriend Danny with my new found confidence.
Motivation: To make him see what he's missing!
I better shape up, 'cause you need a man
I need a man, who can keep me satisfied (To mock)
I better shape up, if I'm gonna prove
You better prove, that my fate is justified (To challenge)
Are you sure?
Yes I'm sure down deep inside (To confess)
Method 3: Substitution and Imagination
"As if" is a way of talking to actors without giving line readings. Saying to an actor, "Say the line as if you just won a million dollars" is a great way of getting actors to add emotion into their voices!
To practice this, ask the actors to speak their song lyrics and add in "as ifs." You can also ask the actors to add in their own "as ifs" that are more personal. This is called substitution.
If you need an actor to perform as if their character has been betrayed you can ask them to think of a time when this happened to them
CAUTION: DO NOT ASK AN ACTOR TO THINK OF SOMETHING DEEPLY UPSETTING OR TRAUMATIC.
At it's core, acting is playing pretend. Real life substitutions can help us understand a character, but they should NEVER be our only focus onstage. Your imagination is strong enough. You don't have to dig up your darkest times to feel things onstage.
METHOD ONE:
RELAXATION, CONCENTRATION, TRUTH
Relaxation:
This step requires you as the director to "break the ice" and make the actors energized and trustful.
Activities:
Pass the sound and motion
Kitty want a corner
Stop/Walk/Jump/Clap
Concentration:
This step requires that you make the actors start to look at their characters as real people with a full life. Not just people in this small moment.
Activities:
Character Survey (a la tumblr/facebook) http://www.writingclasses.com/InformationPages/index.php/PageID/106
Improvise in Character (Coffee Talk)
Role on the Wall: http://dramaresource.com/strategies/role-on-the-wall
Hot Seating:http://dramaresource.com/strategies/hot-seating
Truth:
This is the hardest step- once your actors are sure they know who there characters are it is up to them to have the bravery to show this onstage. Hopefully if they are relaxed and focused enough and they feel SAFE this will happen. This is where you as the director can give suggestions. However you DO NOT give line readings!
METHOD 2: (Should be used alongside method 1!)
OBJECTIVE: What a character WANTS
MOTIVATION: Why a they want it!
TACTICS: How they get what they want (or try to get what they want) VERBS!!
Examples: To beg, to steal, to seduce, to entertain, to butter up
Print out a copy of your lyrics and give one to each member of your cast.
Ask each cast member to write down their objective and motivation for their character. Then have them pick of a verse of the song and add tactics in. It could look like this.
Character: Sandy
Objective: To impress my ex-boyfriend Danny with my new found confidence.
Motivation: To make him see what he's missing!
I better shape up, 'cause you need a man
I need a man, who can keep me satisfied (To mock)
I better shape up, if I'm gonna prove
You better prove, that my fate is justified (To challenge)
Are you sure?
Yes I'm sure down deep inside (To confess)
Method 3: Substitution and Imagination
"As if" is a way of talking to actors without giving line readings. Saying to an actor, "Say the line as if you just won a million dollars" is a great way of getting actors to add emotion into their voices!
To practice this, ask the actors to speak their song lyrics and add in "as ifs." You can also ask the actors to add in their own "as ifs" that are more personal. This is called substitution.
If you need an actor to perform as if their character has been betrayed you can ask them to think of a time when this happened to them
CAUTION: DO NOT ASK AN ACTOR TO THINK OF SOMETHING DEEPLY UPSETTING OR TRAUMATIC.
At it's core, acting is playing pretend. Real life substitutions can help us understand a character, but they should NEVER be our only focus onstage. Your imagination is strong enough. You don't have to dig up your darkest times to feel things onstage.
Assessing your group during rehearsals and PErformance
RUBRICS
What does assessment really mean?
In this classroom, it is a way of giving targeted feedback to your actors and yourself so that you can move your group towards a successful final product. This requires HONESTY and EXPERTISE. Before you can assess you must feel like you, yourself are an expert. This doesn't mean you are perfect but it does require that you have a certain level of skill so you can skillfully guide the performers.
What does assessment really mean?
In this classroom, it is a way of giving targeted feedback to your actors and yourself so that you can move your group towards a successful final product. This requires HONESTY and EXPERTISE. Before you can assess you must feel like you, yourself are an expert. This doesn't mean you are perfect but it does require that you have a certain level of skill so you can skillfully guide the performers.