Onstage > Stage Management: Plays & Musicals

PEOPLE: New Director

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MatthewShiner:
I start off with the basics; how to communicate with them, how they want the room set up, their concept for the show, casting choices and/or disappointments, and then get down to nit picky stuff like when to call brakes, how they want to deal with schedule.  Usually by the time I have answers to thinks like that, I do get a pretty good idea of how they like to work.  I also end the dialogue by asking if there is anything else, and wait for them to start letting me know things about everything.

I also, on my own time, try to track down people who have worked with them before and learn things that way.

avkid:
be prepared to be talked down to for a while,unfortunately this happens sometimes!

casper:
What do you do when a director won't give up the show.  We have gone through opening weekend.  I called a pickup rehearsal this Wednesday night for our Thursday night show.  The director is coming in to change blocking.  Is this normal?  He has not only been to every performance (which some directors do), but is still giving notes to me, tech and actors.  I have never experienced this.  It is hard to call a show with the director talking in your ear the whole time!

any comments??

VSM:
You are not alone.
I have experienced just exactly that a few times now.

The first was a World Premeire musical and the director was also the composer and co-playwright so we were in constant rehearsals and note sessions. He asked for my advice and opinion constantly though and that made the process a lot more fun.

The second was just recently and the director had such a specific image in his mind and was having such a good time coming back into the world of theatre directing that we had constant note sessions as well. Sometimes even during the actual running of the show! And when things would go wrong, as they invariabley do, having a director screaming at you while you are problem-solving and calling the show at the same time can be quite the experience !!!

SM_Art:
I remember a show where the SM threw the director off the stage!  Literally, had him removed from the stage, because the director wouldn't let the SM do his job.  I don't recommend that... but I've been tempted!

Art

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