Written and Edited by Lindsay Price Directing the High ...

BLOCKING FOR CONTEST Jodi Grant and Lissa Lane-Johnson
Sheldon High School
www.theatrefolk.com/spotlights/directing-the-high-school-play-part-one
Written and Edited by Lindsay Price August, 2008

Directing the High School Play: Part One
Analyzing The Script

The script is chosen! What next? All forms of play from the breeziest comedy to the absurd modern to the traditional classic
benefit from some level of analysis. It can help even if you feel you're strictly a rehearsal director. Because, in the high school
play, the director has to be the 'one in the know.' That's really what I mean by analysis – becoming the one who 'knows' the
script inside out and backwards. In the professional world there are dramaturges to do research, there are motivated actors who
study their characters, there are stage managers to list the props.

More often than not, all of those jobs have to be taken care of by the high school director. And even if you're in a position to
have students take care of things, or it's part of their class work, you'll still have to push them, be the adviser, still be the 'one in
the know.' You have to know what it is the students are trying to achieve. If some of the work has taken place before rehearsals
begin, so much the better.

For me, script analysis is always a great place to start. If I don't have a clear vision for the production, studying the script opens
a lot of creative doors. When I analyze a script I'm looking for anything that's going to enhance the experience for all involved.
Something that is going to help create a theatrical world.

So What Am I Looking For?

Character Details: What are the character details in the script? What questions should students be able to answer about their
characters? What does each character want? Do they get it? What changes happen to the characters? What do they sound like?
What's their background? Are the character details plentiful or thin?

Story Details: What are the main plot points? Is the story logical or absurd? Are there plot holes? Are there moments in the
play mentioned but not dramatized?

The Structure: What does the structure say about the play? For example: repeating dialogue, out of the ordinary choice of
words, change in tenses. Is the structure trying to make a point? Reflect a certain genre or time period or location? Are there
words that might be mispronounced, or misunderstood?

Images: What pictures come to mind when you read the play? What visuals can you create? Plays are more than just the words,
they are about the images you can plant in the minds of the audience, the physical action of the characters. Is there a dominant
color or texture?

The Biggies: What is the big problem trying to be solved? What is the biggest action of the story? What is the biggest action of
each character? What is the climax? The highest point? The lowest point?

The Vision

Directors need to have a vision for the play. That means ALL directors: professional, community, high school, etc. Why is it
important to have a vision? Because then the play has a unifying factor. It gives the play a drive, a look, a tone. Having a vision
can bring clarity to a not so clear play. It helps students focus on the bigger picture. It adds to the overall experience. A vision
gives a director purpose; it's the creative element the director brings to the table. And quite frankly, it's fun.

Visions do not have to be complicated and esoteric. The simpler the vision the easier it will be to convey to the cast, crew and
designers. There's nothing wrong with a vision of fun and frivolity. Just make it clear and then be consistent with what you're
trying to achieve.

Pre-Blocking

When I direct, I always go through each scene to come up with some instinctual blocking. How do I see the play unfolding in
my head? It forces me to think out the play, to see if I can solve some issues before rehearsals even start.

Now, an x on a page is by no means a substitute for living breathing moving bodies! Things will change as actors are thrown
into the mix. Don't be afraid of change – it's why everyone in the theatre uses pencils and never pens. But at least when you go
into each rehearsal you will have a starting point.

What is blocking? The step by step movement of the actors. Some directors believe in blocking every move each actor makes,
while others believe in general patterns. A sense of movement within which the actor has freedom to make their own decisions.

I believe in both when you're working with students. Sometimes when you ask student actors (this can happen with
professionals too!) to improv some blocking for a scene, they end up standing still. If that's the case, you'd better have back up
blocking! That's why it's never a bad idea to pre-block, or at the very least think about the patterns, the levels, the pictures you'd
like to create. It all circles back to your vision of the play.

Try to find the Triangles in your blocking. What you want is to create levels: two characters sitting, one standing behind. Risers
so that there's variety in heights. It gives an audience a tight picture to focus on.

Try to avoid Straight Lines. They just don't look right on stage. It's hard for an audience to find a place to focus.

Breaking the Rules: Of course you should break blocking rules! But if you do, make sure it's part of your vision, and not just
because you can. Make sure it's conscious and purposeful and not because you can't come up with something else. Everything is
possible when it's done with purpose.

Written and Edited by Lindsay Price September, 2008

https://www.theatrefolk.com/spotlights/directing-the-high-school-play-part-two-the-rehearsal-process

Directing The High School Play: Part Two - The
Rehearsal Process

Directing Styles

"Directing is tyranny masquerading as democracy."
— Greg Doran, Chief Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company
There are a variety of styles when it comes to taking the helm of a production. Which type of director are you? Which suits your
students best?

'Do As I Say' – The Dictator

This type of director has a very specific (and occasionally narrow) view of how the process will unfold; they're not looking for
input. Rehearsals are well-defined, blocking is well thought-out, the vision is tightly managed. The actor in the dictator-directed
show does not get a lot of opportunity to offer suggestions or changes.

Does this help or hurt students?

Sometimes students need specific and narrow direction. And when you're working on a full length play and you're running out
of time, your lead is sick and your ensemble can't remember the blocking - specific and narrow direction is a necessity. In this
context, "dictator" doesn't necessarily mean mean or cruel! I have seen dictator directors succeed in a high school scenarios.
Having said that, I'm never fond of the 'no input at any time from anyone' scenario.

'Let's Make It Up Together!' - The Improviser

This type of director comes to rehearsal with little to no blocking, few notes, but a lot of ideas. They are keen on collaborating
with the cast. They improvise scenes between characters, have actors improvise blocking, and use plenty of exercises.
Everything evolves and changes over the course of rehearsal. The input and involvement of the actor is key and necessary to the
success of the Improviser Director.

Does this help or hurt students?

Depends on the students. If your group has a lot of practice at improv, it might work as a wonderful transition into something
more structured. It can be a thrilling experience for actor and director, as everyone works together in the creative process. As an
actor I've been in amazing shows using this process… and also some that were less than amazing: everyone needs to be on the
same page and willing to do the same amount of work. You can run into trouble when you have an imbalanced cast. As a
director, my experience has been that throwing students into an improv situation can be hit and miss. Great if they're
independent, but not so great if they're not.

Issues also occur when the Improv Director can't corral the creativity and move toward a completed product. Messy process
doesn't help anyone, and rehearsal can run in circles. In a high school, the Improv Director always needs a 'Plan B.'

'Let's be creative, but I'm the boss.' - The Visionary

This type of director enjoys the creative process, wants to hear from actors but ultimately is the one in control of the production.
The best type of Visionary is able to effectively communicate their vision and bring everyone on board, so they don't have to 'be
boss.' Everyone moves toward the director's vision on their own steam. They bring their own ideas to serve the big picture.

Does this help or hurt students?

Creativity within a structure can be amazing. Problems usually occur when the director is inconsistent. You can't ask for input
from actors, then shut them off and refuse to implement their ideas. It's a fast way to lose the actors' trust. Problems can also
happen when the director is wishy-washy in their communication of the vision. An actor can't create effectively within your
vision if they don't fully understand it.

What's "The Best" type?

So which is the best? Which is the worst? Depends on your students. A little bit of each type of director, depending on the play,
depending on the situation may bring out the best in everyone.

Movement Based

It's very important to use exercises outside the world of the play to allow actors ease and comfort with movement.

Red Light Green Light
Emphasize the speed of movement and then the stillness of the freeze.
Character Gesture
Actors create a significant gesture that describes their character. What is the one movement, the one gesture that says who they
are?
Movement Circle
Cast stands in a circle. One person moves into the middle and begins to walk. A second person enters the circle behind the first,
imitating their walk. The first steps out, seeing how their walk looks on another person. Then the second actor exaggerates one
aspect of the walk, creating a character.
Tableau
Create a picture that visualizes the main theme of the play

Moving Tableau
Create a picture that visualizes the main theme of the play, and then encourage the actors to move in character. How do they
move? Where? Have the group create a tableau for the beginning of the play and then transform into a tableau for the end of the
play. How does the picture change? How do the characters change within the picture?
Movement Dialogue
In pairs, have actors try to carry on a conversation in gesture and movement only. Are they able to? Let the group watch each
conversation and try to figure out what is being said.
Movement Walk
Start each rehearsal by playing a piece of music and have the actors create movement directly inspired by the music. Same but
different: Environment walk, have the actors move within a specific environment: change the weather, change the location,
change the air, be absurd! Same but different: Change the tempo the group moves in, change the level – have them move in a
high space, then a low space. Change the amount of space they try to take up as they move.

Caution…

Unmotivated Blocking

There's nothing worse than watching a play where you can see the actor thinking, "I'm moving this way because I was told to. I
don't know why I'm moving this way but here I go!" Blocking that seems to come from nowhere, and has no grounding in the
action or the characters, takes the audience out of the world of the play. We must avoid that at all cost – we want to plunge the
audience into the world and never let them go!

A production of A Delicate Balance that I saw had the actors spending most of the time hugging the walls as they spoke and, I
will never forget, one of the most climatic monologues in the play was delivered behind a plant and to the wall. Why, why,
why?

The One Note

This is second only to the long blackout. The same tone, the same intensity for the entire play. Some directors think that
intensity makes an audience sit on the edge of their seats. And it does, for about a minute. After that it makes them want to plug
their ears. Audiences need variety, just as plays need variety. Audiences need to laugh during a drama and have stillness in a
comedy. There are so many shades of humor, sadness and anger. To play them all at full volume and full speed is boring and
will, in fact, turn an audience off. Compare a play with a roller coaster. There's got to be ups and downs. If you really want to
make an audience gasp with heart-wrenching sadness, make them laugh the moment before. Play the opposites, explore shades,
find variety.

The worst case of One Note was an AIDS play I saw thirteen years ago. I can't remember my grocery list from yesterday but I
still remember that play. My ears still ring from the sound of screaming from beginning to end.

Bland Characters, Bland Emotions, Actors Goofing Around

These are all signs that the director hasn't thought about the play, hasn't actually directed the cast and doesn't actually care what
they do. Building respect for the work, for the audience, for the experience is decidedly valuable. If the director doesn't care
about the experience and the cast doesn't care about the experience why would the audience?

The worst case of foolishness on stage is the play that made me decide I wanted to write for youth. The cast (and director)
treated it and the theatre with such disrespect, it still makes me angry. The audience laughed because the actors were goofing
around and it wasn't theatre. The director was fully responsible for that.