The Director
Get in DEAP: Deliberate, Energetic, Artistic, Purposeful.
In Practice
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To achieve the visceral quality that is integral to my pursuit of theatre, I follow a simple acronym: DEAP. As in, "Get in DEAP."
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Deliberate
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All choices must be intentional. It is not enough to do something out of convenience, but because it highlights the production in some way. In many ways, a lack of deliberate choice is a symptom of weak specificity, which must come from a clear vision by the director.
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Energetic |
Enjoyment sparks the contagion that is theatre. Watching a performance in which everyone is passionate about the work they're doing is what takes a technically sound production, and makes it brilliant. This energy, this joy to create art, stems from the top of the pyramid: the director. The director must know the teachings of Marie Kondo, and "spark joy."
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Artistic |
It's not enough to do theatre only because it's fun. Something short, something for "just right now" can be left to TV and film, which are inherently more adept at immediate gratification. Instead, theatre must also be expressive. Storytelling is innately hyperbolic, and it thrives in indulgency. The director must nurture this indulgence in all artists, harkening back to deliberate choices to aid in not being "too" indulgent.
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Purposeful
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What is left once a production is deliberate, energetic, and artistic? Those triage into a technically sound production, but it is a steadfast purpose that allows a production to transcend from fun and alluring to impactful. The director is charged with giving the audience something to talk about when they leave: a postmortem to continue the conversation beyond the walls of the theater space. The stronger the purpose, the desired impact, the easier it will be to make deliberate choices, to be passionate about them, and to embrace expression.
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Favorite Production Thus Far
The Merchant of Venice presented several challenges. For the venue, it needs to be only an hour, casting had to be done with only resumes and no auditions, design elements had to be minimal, the budget low, and only two weeks to get it on its feet and ready to open. While this was intimidating, it gave me so much pride. In two weeks, over a dozen actors developed lightning chemistry, were specific with language, the woman I cast as Shylock had a real moment of connection with the character, and little stumbles like a broken trolley were turned into fun sight gags for the audience.
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