First Production Meeting

Had our first production meeting, with Helen, Jaclyn, and Sarah (director of productions), plus reps from set, lights, sound and text. I gave them copies of the rough schedule, and I showed them Balance (or part of it; the Walterdale's computer was too slow, and it loaded all herky-jerky).

I also gave them handouts with what I called "Directing Principles," so they could start to get a sense of how I work and where I want to go with the show. First, I listed four "core ideas" for this production of Lear:

1. Balance and Imbalance
2. Vortex/Whirlpool
3. Nothing/Sightlessness
4. The Animal Within

Then I listed my general directing principles, ie. the principles I try to abide by no matter what show I'm working on (or even what position I occupy). They're also principles I try to encourage in the actors I work with:

1. Respect (ie. the text, the space, your fellow artists, your audience)
2. Resolve (ie. commit to your work and to your character; make your choices matter)
3. Relish (ie. sink your teeth in. Get excited about the text and the process. Have fun)

Then three rules that I think apply to all Shakespeare work:

1. The simplest solution is usually the best
2. Every movement must mean
3. Go big or go home

Then, this fancy little diagram showing the four interrelated components of Shakespeare's text. The arrows move clockwise, but really you can start at any point in move in any direction, so long as you spend time on each one.
Finally, I put down a summary of the system I've been hashing out on this blog. I called it "SUSS-WALK-BLOCK", as in:

1. Stand and Deliver the lines in a circle
2. Understand what the lines mean and choose your intentions
3. Status (figure out who the boss is)
4. Step through the scene (to reflect the status of the boss and work out the balance of the scene)
5. WALK through lines individually (while the Director blocks the boss)
6. BLOCK the scene collaboratively, using status and balance

They probably thought I was nuts. But they seemed excited overall, and contributed some interesting first thoughts. Our next meeting is in about three weeks, at which point we'll firm up deadlines and departmental budgets, and start to build the show's concept as a team.