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Some math for actors: It take for me an hour to rehearse one page of the text (min). You can pack those 80 hours in one week, you can streach it over three months. Adn this is if do not waste time and have no disasters. If a director does not have professional actors, most of this time will be traing, not real rehearsals. If actors do not do their home work, this is an introduction to acting course (practicum).... It take a playwright a year to write those 80 pages, so think how much homework do you have to do to get through a scene in one rehearsal! Now, count the minutes you are on stage.... Count the seconds you are the center of the action.... That is the actual time you can't waste. If you didn't get it tonight on public, it's gone. Do you remember what I said? Please, take your script (do not tell me that you do n't have it with you), get the pencils -- and take notes! What's the point of giving notes, if you do not write it down? If missed something, see our stage menager and the bible! We are not to do twice what must be done only once! If you do not understand the directions, ask -- before or after the rehearsals, not during! If you think that we didn't have enough one on one time, make an appointment. If you lost it, if you do not know what you are doing (I see it), do not wait, when I have to call you. We are partners, I am not a professor, when we work on the show. I have to say it; I need some time too; sometimes I work on your role (show), sometimes on you (teaching and couching), sometimes what I want doesn't come right -- and I have to spend time on fixing it (show is OUR business, your and mine).
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Would I suprise you by saying that many actors (including professionals) do not know how to rehearse?Even those who do their homework (analysis, research, drafts of the role)....
What is missing?
The offer. They wait. They want to be directed!
I say -- wait a minute! I am not about to block anything right away, my friend. Let's work TOGETHER. Let's see you and your partners. Let me see how you understand the text on your feet....
Rehearsals are not "puting" things together, but DISCOVERING them!
Be active! Try things, ask, think!
A director needs to know what you have, because he does his exploration of you-as-material! I need to what you do not have.
Please, do not lose the pace:
I. Table Period (understanding of the text)
II. Character Development (Super-objective, objectives, motivations, obsticals, etc.)
III. Scenes and Role Creation (I put it together, but this is not blocking yet).
IV. Blocking (including prop)
V. Run-Throughs
V. Dress
VI. Preview
VII. Shows
After-Show period. When the real director comes, the public, and works with you.
Oh, yes! The attitude! The director is there to ASSIST YOU!
To help... and therefore I need to know what you are looking for.
I need to see your ideas BEFORE I am to thow at you my suggestions.
And you KEEP what we found, please. Unless, you ready to offer something better.
Work on what we got. It was only a draft, I wont to see it better tomorrow.
Actor is a violine and a violinist!
Always both!
You, the lucky ones, the actors, your rehearsal process never ends! Each night of performance is another rehearsal with another director -- your public!
I, director, can't do it. I have to stop.
The momemnt you stop this process of contstant rehearsals, you are dead. As actor, at least.