What it’s like to be a director for a week and a half you ask? Well, I can tell you it’s not an easy task, you know, bossing everyone around. Directors actually don’t really boss too many people except their actors.
The first week upon thinking about my play that I am currently directing, I wasn’t thinking much about the small details. I first focused on finding students or anyone for that mater who wanted to actually try out for my play and be in it. After I was able to find everyone for my play, which wasn’t until the last few days before production, I was able to start thinking about how the play was going to start out and how it looked on stage. Once my ideas started coming to my mind, it all went downhill from there. I started stressing immensely because I wanted everything to go how I had it down in the book. We started a few practices together and it all seemed to be coming together just great. The sound and lights was the next thing on my plate that I needed to sit down and figure out. I had to re-read my script about 10 times before I was able to actually understand how I wanted the lights. The nice part about that was how easy it actually was. I gave a list of the light cues and sound cues to students in my class and then I told them how I wanted it. We sat down in class and figured out exactly how they should look where and when. It was the easiest part of what my job, which was to make sure my play went okay. After the lights and sound, I needed to figure out my props, make sure we had them all in line for the play, and then give the list, plus the props themselves to my stage manager and I was set.
Last minute ideas and rehearsals is becoming stressful because I recently had a gentleman have to back out last minute due to him being sick, which is completely understandable, but I was so sad to see him go because he was an amazing actor and fit the part just right. Luckily, a student in my class was able to help me out and read some lines for me for that part.
My day has consisted of class time, which was partly a rehearsal for tonight and then I did a crazy amount of running around town to make sure I had everything I needed for my play. I live out of town so it’s very hard to make sure I have everything. The trick I did was to throw everything I could possibly need into a duffle bag and I carried that sucker with me for two day straight; that way I didn’t need to make any runs out of town.
I am also acting in a friends play (same night, same class). My parts in the play I am acting are very small and easy to remember, but this is the first play I have ever been in and I am extremely nervous. I haven’t been able to sleep much the past two days, and I am sweating like crazy. I have confidence that I will do okay and if not, my best bet is to wing it and just have fun!
Tonight, which is Friday, is the actual day of my play. Hopefully it will run smoothly and I will be able to keep my cool. This class has been loads of fun and extremely stressful all at the same time. I wish this class were a little longer even! It was worth it to go through all the trouble because from what the class was told, people loved the plays! I am excited, yet terrified for tonight. Wish me luck!
