There are hundreds of ways to direct theatre. It is an art form everybody has a different view of. Katie Mitchell describes it as ‘micromanagement’ stating that ‘Directing means you have to be on top of at least 10 amazingly complex tools – the use of sound, of light, of design, of costume… whatever’ (2016). It is this sense of micromanagement which I have felt throughout my first few weeks as director of Sherbet Lemon theatre. As a group we decided very early on that we would follow a model similar to the Lincoln Drill Hall,where each and every person knows exactly whats going on in all areas of the performance and production. Of course, initially this came with a small amount of teething problems but now that everyone has settled into their roles the whole process is running smoothly.
In my mind a director is a facilitator for creativity who allows performers the freedom to create characters of their own within the world of the show. Although we are not doing a naturalistic piece my role as director has largely revolved around giving the cast the space and time to create. I often set research tasks, asking cast members to bring in as much research on a certain topic as possible so we can go through it as a group and pick out what sparks creative interest within us. I then often divide the room into two with Lauren our choreographer taking one side for a rather more physical rehearsal whilst I work on the speech.
By far the greatest challenge I face as a director is making sure that everyone’s opinion is listened to.In the world of Sherbet Lemon theatre, compromise is key although ultimately the buck stops with me. As an extremely large company it is important to me that everyone’s opinions are listened to and that company members feel that their ideas have been valued. I ensure this by making sure that each suggestion is at least discussed. I feel that we’re already making good headway with the performance and I’m increasingly excited to see the final product!
E.H.
Works Cited.
Trueman, M. (2016). Katie Mitchell: ‘I was uncomfortable coming back to work in the UK’. The Stage. [online] Available at: https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/interviews/2016/katie-mitchell-i-was-uncomfortable-coming-back-to-work-in-the-uk/ [Accessed 1 Mar. 2018].