top of page
  • Writer's pictureLaurie Swigart

A DIRECTOR'S PRODUCTION GUIDELINES

taken from the WHSFA manual


FUNDAMENTAL PRODUCTION DECISIONS

*Genre -- comedy, tragedy, musical, children's show, fantasy, etc.

*Time/Locale

*Style -- melodrama, comedia, etc.

*Period -- historical, contemporary, etc.

*Desired audience response

*Interpretation of playwright's intent


PRODUCTION ASPECTS (SENSORY IMPACT)

*Costumes

*Make-up

*Set

*Props

*Lighting

*Sound


ACTING

*Character analysis

*Concentration

*Believability

*Timing

*Sustaining character

*Motivation (why do the characters do and say what they do and say?)

*Physical aspects

-Creative business -- special individual movements, postures, gestures which define characters

-Movement

-Ensemble playing -- working as a cooperative group of actors

-Action/reaction

-Staying "in" the scene

*Vocal

-Relationship of voice to character

-Pronunciation

-Articulation

-Volume, projection

-Dialects and accents

-Rate


DIRECTING

*Blocking, stage pictures

*Tempo, pacing, rhythm

*Balance -- visually and in acting ensemble

*Making the show unique -- "your own"

*Rising action, climax, falling action

8 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

At my institution (a small, two-person university program), I distribute a production schedule for the entire season. For each show, I give the following dates: 1st Design Meeting Preliminary Designs

by Dr. Len Radin, ETA State Director of Massachusetts Costumer Your technical job is to costume the show and take care of returning borrowed and rented costumes as well as laundering and putting away

When I teach directing to my advanced students, I start w/a simplified presentation of Alexander Dean basic elements of directing-- Composition, Picturization, Pantomimic Dramatization (business), Mov

bottom of page