AQA A-Level Drama Play Guide: The Glass Menagerie 8 What does a director do? Creative choices Directors are at the helm of a production, making decisions about the intentions of the playwright and the production, the casting and how the play will be staged. The director will arrive at a concept for the play, which will take into account its genre and style. They will lead rehearsals, in which they give the actors notes and guide the play’s blocking. The director will collaborate with the designers and actors to establish the atmosphere of the play and create moments of impact, for example provoking laughter, tension or excitement in the audience. Staging One key role of the director is to consider positioning and spatial relationships on stage. This includes how near or far actors are from each other and the audience. Important moments, such as entrances and exits, will need to be determined, as well as signi cant dramatic moments, such as when a character makes a plot-developing decision or receives an important piece of news. Directors will develop their own aesthetic as to what is visually appealing to them. One major choice is whether or not the fourth wall is observed (as it is for most naturalistic drama), or if it will be broken by having, for example, characters speak directly to the audience. The director will also consider how the actors use the set, when they sit or stand, whether they access different levels on stage and how and where they enter and exit. The staging con guration will also affect the actors’ movements and how the audience experiences the play, including how close to the action and intimate it feels to them. The director will also work with the designers to create particular moods and transitions. Theatre maker insight Howard Sherman, executive director of the American Theatre Wing ‘The play begins with the words of the playwright. The production begins with the director.’ Theatre maker insight Harold Clurman in Directors on Directing ‘The function of the stage director is to translate a play text into stage terms: to make the play as written, clear, interesting, enjoyable, by means of living actors, sounds, colours, movement.’ Theatre maker insight Chelsea Walker, director ‘It’s our job to guide the whole audience experience – if it’s an old play, why do it now? What’s an audience’s bridge into it? What do I want to say about the world with this play? What’s at the very heart of this play? It’s also our job to create the entire world of the play and to bring everyone onto the same page.’ Theatre maker insight Joseph Hancock in the Old Vic ‘Introduction to Directing’ workshop ‘Directing is about telling a story… It’s about giving something to the audience and you want them to think something back. Every director is going to make an audience think a different thing.’ Tip For more ideas about directing, visit the Old Vic Schools Club ‘Introduction to Directing’ workshop (oldvictheatre. com/join-in/education-hub/workshops/ introduction-to-directing). Key terms Intention: What is hoped to be achieved by the play and its production, such as a particular message, mood or exploration. Concept: A vision or main idea for a production. Elements such as performances, staging, lighting and costumes should all work towards this united concept. Rehearsal: A session in which a play is learned, explored, practised and made ready for an audience. Notes: Guidance from the director on how to develop or improve a performance, often given during rehearsals or after a run of a scene or play. Blocking: The movements of the actors; when and where they move and in what proximity (how near or far) to each other and the audience. Atmosphere: The tone or mood of a scene, such as eerie, celebratory or tense. Fourth wall: An imaginary wall between the audience and the actors on stage, allowing for the impression that the characters are fully immersed in their own world and unaware of the audience. Aesthetic: Artistic taste. For example, a minimalist or realistic aesthetic. Look here For an in-depth look at blocking, see pages 84–86, and for staging, see pages 80–82. Copyright: Sample material
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