As promised, here is the second blog in the Shrek Director Blog Series. For this blog, I wanted to take a slightly different approach and deviate from talking directly about Shrek; instead, I am going to delve into the mind of a director.
Throughout my very short time in theatre (just under 11 years), I have held almost every role imaginable. I have acted in big parts, small parts, musical parts, and comedic parts, and in improv. I have produced shows and handled finances. I have designed lights and run the light board. I have designed sound and run a sound board. I have arranged music and worked with vocalists on songs. I have designed some choreography and have been dance captain. And, I have directed musicals, dramas, comedies, and dinner theatres. My experience in these areas has led me to understand four fundamental truths about directing, and I will share those with you here.
TRUTH #1 – YOU MUST HAVE A VISION.
Directors are hired primarily for this reason…they have a vision that they want to see come to life. When you watch a movie, or an episode of your favorite television show, or a Broadway musical, most often you are influenced by the setting, the background, the set design, and everything else that sets the stage for your entertainment. Having the right vision can make (or break) a show. Think about how many different versions of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet are out there. Franco Zeffirelli directed the first one version I remember seeing (released in 1968), and it was fairly traditional. There was a more modern version starring Leonardo DiCaprio released in 1996. West Side Story is also a version of Romeo and Juliet, but a much more musical version. In each case, the director had a vision and executed it.
In Shrek, vision is particularly important. Many people have not seen the musical, so they will be expecting the Dreamworks version from the movie, with dazzling sets, extraordinary costumes, and HD quality graphics. As an example, the dragon could take many forms…a fire breathing monster akin to Smaug from the Hobbit, a dragon that you only see in shadow as it flies around the theatre, or a friendly goofy creature similar to what you might see in Pete’s Dragon. These are all visions that could be implemented, and it is the director’s role to match his/her vision with what the audience might be expecting and with what is possible using the budget.
TRUTH #2 – YOU MUST SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE BEST POSSIBLE PEOPLE
Steve Jobs is famously quoted as saying, “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” Within the context of your vision, it is the director’s job to find the right people to do all of the different roles in a production. In a musical, this starts with finding the right people to teach and lead music, and to teach and lead choreography. Once you find those individuals, you set them free to do what they do best; you have to trust that they will do the best they can so that you can focus on creating and setting the vision. Finding the rest of your crew is just as important for the same reason. Look for individuals who have experience, or who are hungry to learn, or want to do the best they can…these people tend to provide the best results.
In Shrek, my very first hire was a Music Director; music is such an important part of a musical, and Lisa Wukitsch is an excellent music director and teacher. I have extreme confidence that she will do her absolute best to make the music sound awesome. For me, I also needed someone who would handle any notes and help keep me organized. We found Emile-Margaret Spangler through social media, and we brought her in immediately to Stage Manage our show; she is one of the most organized Stage Managers I have worked with, and she is already making our show better because of her presence. In both of these examples, I knew my strengths and weaknesses, and we brought in talented people to complement my skillset. Together, we are much stronger, and can provide better service to our cast, our crew, and our audiences.
TRUTH #3 – YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO MAKE MISTAKES
This truth is tough for many of us; we are taught from a young age to be as perfect as we can, and that mistakes are frowned upon. I worked with a man who was in school, and lost a few points on a test. He still earned an A, but those points bothered him, and he argued with the professor stating that he believed they were, in fact, correct. This is the society that we live in…we strive for perfection. In my opinion, we will all make mistakes, and instead of shunning them, we should admit that we made them and learn from them. In every show I have directed, I have made one major error, and in every show I have directed, we learned from it and made the show better because of it.
Last year, I directed “Urinetown” for Fox Country Players, and I made a huge casting error. One particular part ended up not fitting the person I had cast, and it would have been an issue. I could have dug my feet in and held my ground. Instead, we talked through it as a production team, and we switched some parts around…and the new casting decision made the show even better. I give this example as a way to show what can be done when you embrace your decisions…be bold and don’t be afraid to make a daring choice if it fits your vision, but be open to make changes if they are better. In Shrek, I had a vision for Fiona’s tower. However, after a production meeting, I was swayed to make a drastic change because it fit better with the set, it fit better with the scene, and it would be easier to show the vision. My team (which is a great team…see Truth #2) provided a better solution!
TRUTH #4 – YOU MUST TRY TO MAKE IT FUN
This truth is a little more difficult to enforce, and while it might apply to other directorial scenarios, in this case I am referring to the community theatre scene. In community theatre, we are doing theatre because we enjoy it; we don’t get paid, we don’t get famous, and we are spending valuable time away from family. Because of that, the experience should be enjoyable. As a director, I love hearing about the experience the cast and crew had during the show. Did they meet new friends? Did they challenge themselves to become better? Did they have a good time on stage and backstage? Was the overall experience joyful? Would they work with Fox Country Players again, and would they work with me again? When people have fun, they want to tell others about it, and that spreads the word about live theatre in the community.
So, there it is, Four Truths about being a director. Come on out and see Shrek this October and find me working somewhere behind the scenes, doing my best to make the experience valuable and enjoyable!