Comments on: Ask Questions

By: Bill Aitken

Bill Aitken — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 12:20:42 +0000

Well that got cut off.

What I was going to finish saying is that that i make sure they and crew know that the only one who stops rehearsal is me. Ive been in two many shows where in the middle of a scene an actor stops it becuase someone did something different or a prop or set piece was out of place . If is something is done differently or in a different place the actor should adjust and adapt to it. You never know what you may discover in a rehearsal by doing that.

By: Bill Aitken

Bill Aitken — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 22:06:54 +0000

I make it clear at the very beginning to the actors that’s how I work. The other thing I like to do is make sure that they and te crew know that the only person who sto

By: david james

david james — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 20:04:14 +0000

I must say Ty, this particular column is one that hits home for me the most out of all others I have read of yours. One of the biggest drawbacks of community theater is the lack of time to spend table talking and digging deep into the authors subtext. Now I wish to say the talent I have worked with is fully capable of deeper discovery. It is just time restrictive because of jobs and other priorities. I have been very fortunate to have worked with a few community theaters which block out 6 to 8 weeks before rehearsal to do such exploration. To the point, too many questions during a 3 maybe 4 hour rehearsal time can really hold up production readiness. What Bill says about just trying something with out asking only works if the director and other actors are aware of the allowance to do so. I think that any director that wishes to get the most out of his cast and crew owes them the understanding of how he wishes to conduct his rehearsals. A good director is only as good as his ability to cast, meaning you were cast because of something he saw in you and he wishes to see more of it. If you are an actor like myself who flourishes most when allowed to ask questions,and there is not any official rehearsal time to do so, do not be afraid to let your director know of your acting process. I have found to my very pleasant surprise how professional and committed our community theater folk are. The directors I have worked with are tickled to work with an actor who wishes to explore his character with questions. There just needs to be an understanding and balance so the production as a whole moves forward and smooth as possible. Again Ty, thank you for your insight and expertise. Mr. Aitken you are right on the money, no actor or director likes surprises that are dangerous or shocking. Even when on stage, common sense does not take a back seat to an actors choice.
David James

By: Bill Aitken

Bill Aitken — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 17:30:00 +0000

I agree and disagree. If you dont understand what you are doing on stage or why you are doing it by all means ask a question. But a lot of the questions actors have they should be able to answer themselves. I tell actors all the time dont ask me if you can try something, just do it. If I dont like it I will tell you. That gives that actor and the other actors on stage a chance to discover their honest actions and reaction to a scene. The only limits I put on that is where it involves stage violence and intimacy. Those have to be talked about before hand.