The beauty of work lies behind the curtains where every character brings out something from each other, where every piece of wood, paper, and plastic plays a special role in the whole production, and the process from beginning to end is reflected on stage.
The Theater Class (English 23) under sir Patrick John Santiago made an adaptation of the famous Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen on April 1, 2019 (Monday). It was an hour and a half theatrical play, with 110 pairs of eyes watching how Hedda messes up the minds and lives of the people around her and destroying herself in the end.
In every project, in every work, at the peak of every almost perfection, there are always flaws that may or may not be seen by the naked eye. And in the play, I would like to admit that the sound system was not in sync with the lights and the play, as it either goes first or is delayed. With this flaw, we lack in rehearsal with the Sound System Manager. Second is the limited lights. The play would have skyrocketed if only there were enough lights to fit every scene. There are a lot of scenes that needed focus and emphasis which it did not achieve. Third would be the time…timing. Time is of the essence, I often hear my instructor’s voice. And though I know its importance, this is where I failed big time. Apart from the lack of rehearsals, I did not measure the time earlier, like what I did with A Doll’s House before. Every play should be an hour or less than to keep the audience’s attention. Now, Hedda was an hour and a half which is like a film. But anyway, what’s done is done.
But then, when someone reaches the satisfaction one desires, you would not be able to notice the flaws. All you could see and feel is what transpired in the whole play and the audience’s reaction to every scene. How one part of the play connects and communicates with the people and things in the stage, around the stage, and outside the stage…that is one factor that makes it satisfactory. Another one is the choice of the cast to play the part. One mistake would make the whole play go downhill, so this is a critical part that one must take seriously. I believe that each and everyone who took part in the play enjoyed their roles, be it a cast or in the props team.
Plus, I got help from professionals… not that they are masters of theater plays, but they are well-versed in the acting field. I think that my every decision in the whole production was just right. Our professor did not even like it, he loved it! So, whew. Tap on your shoulders, my dear friends who worked well, and put their everything into this play.
Being a Director is a fun and thrilling position one could ever get. If you are ever going to be a director, you should finish the play even before you start it. What I mean is, you should know the characters by heart, as it will be your guide in choosing the people who will act the part. You should have a clear image of how you see the stage and how the actors are going to move about it, this will be a big help for your Props Manager. You should have a clear image of the emotions you want to play in the stage as this will be your guide with the lights and sounds system. You should have a grasp of the story as a whole, what scenes to remove, and what scenes to highlight in every act so your scriptwriter would be able to work around it.
Characters, script, stage design, and et voila~ you have yourself a backbone for a successful play. Well, this sequence does not work for everybody. This is just me, and how things work for me. Some would say you won’t be able to start without a script. Yes, but for me, the most important part that one should do first is choosing the cast as this would be the biggest part of the stage. I am just sharing it for you to try and maybe it might work for you too, or maybe you will be able to find your sequence…your style.
Being a Director means putting up with all kinds of personalities, working with different kinds of people, and sometimes bending your own rules you set for yourself. It means sleeping less at night and more alone times in coffee shops or walking alone with nature or just being with yourself, brainstorming, and planning. It may drag you periodically, sucking your energy and time. It may even make you bleed with ideas and thoughts and worry. It may even be tiresome as it takes a toll on your body one way or another. But then, when you love what you are doing–when you are having fun with all the stress it is giving you, then it would not be that heavy of a burden. Then you would not even feel stressed or bad about it.
If you are not ready to be an enemy of 10 or more heads; if you are not ready to be badmouthed; if you are not prepared for a wave of disappointment and resentment if you cannot sacrifice time and effort, if you cannot think fast on alternatives and replacements and changes, if you cannot make people listen to you even if it’s just one, or four if you cannot make people move mountains and bring out their inner potentials, then do not take the position and stick for a part that you know would work for you.
–Direk J.
