Stage Directing

So you finally went and saw a Broadway show with your wife and, believe it or not, you fell in love with the stage. You may think that stage directing is an easy task, when in all reality it is one of the toughest jobs in the entertainment industry. Stage directing takes skill, vision, patience and teamwork. Think you're up for it? Let's find out.

One of the very first things you must know about stage directing is that it is not like any other directing job. Movie and television directors get to have cameramen and editors to help make the final product look good. As a stage director, you do not have that luxury. The stage is a "one and done" experience. This means that your actors and crew only have one chance a night to make a perfect product. Some stage directors have six months to get ready for a play/ballet/musical/etc. Others, such as school drama teachers may only get a month, if they're lucky. This means that you must work quickly and not dwell on tiny issues. A stage director must be able to see the big picture. Tiny issues would be wonderful problems to solve on the silver screen, but not here. This time limit also means that you must have a capable crew who can quickly and easily change from scene to scene. If you are directing a school play, take time out of your day to give one-on-one pointers to the crew kids. The time limit also means that your actors must be capable of their parts. When casting, look at previous works by the actor. If an actor has ever done Shakespeare, then it may not be a wise idea to cast him as Romeo. Sure, he played Danny Zucko in Grease, but Danny and Romeo are two different characters. Place that actor in a small role, so that he can try out his new dialect in a role that won't affect the way the audience perceives the play. Mercutio perhaps? Remember that stage directing does not come with a blockbuster budget. Some plays may not get money at all. You may even need to use sets and costumes from a production of Hamlet to make Oklahoma! But the creative minded director will make it work. Heck, change things up. Tell the audience beforehand that this will be a production of Oklahoma set in the Middle Ages. It will give your play a leg up that other stage directors do not have. It will give some people a good reason to come see a play, which don't ordinarily go to plays. This was just a simple introduction to stage directing that everybody needs to know that tries to make it in the business. Remember, most people start of small with a few school plays, then an off Broadway production or two before they get a huge hit. So don't be to upset if you don't become a huge success right away. Nobody is. Break a leg!