PEOPLE: Actors who direct....

[casper]

I am in production for Forever Plaid.  I am about to pull my hair out bc instead of one choreographer, we have 5!  Instead of one music director, we have 5!  Instead of one director, we have 5!  The guys who are in this show do nothing but give notes to each other all night.  It drives everyone crazy.  How can I tactfully put an end to this.  We are a couple of weeks away from tech, but we will be miserable if this keeps up.

thanks!

[jspeaker]

My first questions is are these guys all "Plaids" meaning they have done the show numerous times??  I have done Plaid several times (and want to do it many more!!) and it is a very special beast.  Most professional productions all do the original blocking and choreography and Plaids jump right from one production into another with a day or two of rehearsal before tech.  

My last Plaid was just such an experience.  My Frankie was the director and it was just understood that the four of them would help each other out with all of the specifics of the Plaidorgraphy that makes the show so special.

[Kat]

This may be true, but the cast should understand (if this is a professional show) that they are not to give notes to each other. Even if this isn't professional, it is undermining the director and wastes rehearsal time...too many cooks in the kitchen etc..I would speak to the director about addressing the deputy or, if there is no deputy, have him speak to the cast if it is causing disruption to the process. Thats my two cents =-) ~Kat

[SM_Art]

Having worked with a few of the original four, and a few other 'regular' plaids as well, I agree that it is a special beast.  However, input from actors one to another is different from giving each other direction, and there may come a point where you have to gently remind them that too much input wastes time, and there is one director to whom they should listen.  That usually is enough said to a professional.

It reminds me of a story my wife tells of a production in her early Equity days as a dancer.  She noticed there was one dancer among many who wasn't bitching and grousing about every other move the choreographer gave them, and during break she asked him about it.  'Don't you agree we look rather silly out there?' she asked... and he replied 'I'm hired to dance.  There's nothing in my contract that says I have to LIKE what I'm asked to do.'  Needless to say, this gentleman worked all the time....

Art

[centaura]

and he replied 'I'm hired to dance. There's nothing in my contract that says I have to LIKE what I'm asked to do.'

Is this person available to do an attitude workshop with my current cast?  I've got two who are such major primma donas that they think they run the world just because they're onstage the most.  This means that anything that anyone else does onstage is free for them to edit.  I've tried to talk to them about it, but they got all mad because 'they were just talking to each other, as fellow actors discussing the show'.  These 'discussions' have involed the divas screaming at the top of their lungs the things they think others should change in their performances.  This is their first professional [paid non-equity] job, they dropped out of college to take it.  And I can't get them to understand that their behavior is innappropriate!

-Centaura
(frustrated on tour)

[lejenna]

I've got two who are such major primma donas that they think they run the world just because they're onstage the most... And I can't get them to understand that their behavior is innappropriate!

Bash them over the head with your multi-tool.    Just kidding.  I usually mitigate diva-ism by baby-ing the actors, or if this doesn't work then by becoming a uber-dictator and cutting them off before they can make any comments.  Sure they're upset, but the rest of the cast is happy.  And really, is there ever a way to make a diva truly happy?  

P.S.  I think your situation might be a new discussion thread.  

[centaura]

P.S. I think your situation might be a new discussion thread

My situation is ridiculous, even the home office has said that.  And while I have the 'comfort' of knowing that the theatre will never hire these people again, I still have to put up with them.  If you'd be interested in my ventings over my current cast, its all in my journal.

As for baby-ing, I've come from a tradition of 'the sm is there to make the actor's lives easier'.  And I have truly believed it, but I've also been finding recently that casts are taking the things I do for them for granted, and then trying to step all over me for doing them.  Does that make sense?  

For example:  I'll give them directions to someplace they need in a town.  They will get lost or worse case, not find it.  Upon returning to the hotel, they will yell at me for giving them bad directions, though when I quiz them I find out that they just didn't follow my directions.

I want to help them by telling them where things are in a given town, but I'm tired of the disrepect I get.  If I was giving them bad directions, then it would be another matter, but I'm not.  This is just an example.

I've been wondering recently, have I been making their lives TOO easy, that they loose the ability to take care of themselves?

-Centaura

[ERK]

We are stage managers, not parents.  We shouldn't have to be concerned over whether or not these grown actors are becoming too reliant on us.  If they seem unappreciative of your directions, quit giving them and hand out maps and yellow pages instead.  

I also believe in helping actors as much as possible, but if they're going to blame you instead of thank you, it's not because they're can't take care of themselves.  It's because they'd rather make you look bad than admit they were wrong themselves.  I wouldn't worry about their ability to take care of themselves; they're just abusing your kindness.