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Part 5: Productions – In Productions
The Rehearsal Proccess
By Dale Griffiths Stamos
May 2012
"I am writing this column from a rehearsal room during my current production: LOVE STRUCK . . ." —STAMOS
This month's column begins the second section of Part 5: Productions. The first section dealt with getting productions, this section deals with being in production.
Good timing, as I am writing this column from a rehearsal room during my current production: LOVE STRUCK, an evening of one-act plays that is set to open May 11 at the Beverly Hills Playhouse.
So, let me speak about the rehearsal process. First of all, that process goes the best, of course, if you are working with a director that you trust and a cast that is well chosen. You will have varying degrees of control over these issues of course. If your play is being done by a theatre at some distance from your home and you are not able to attend casting and rehearsals, then the production will be what it is, either good or bad, or somewhere in between, without any input on your part. I have traveled to see some of my shows once they have opened, and, honestly, it can be a bit of crap shoot. I have seen absolutely wonderful productions of my work, but I have also seen some that, in my opinion, didn't work.
"Another DG requirement is that a theatre cannot change anything in your script (with the exception of stage directions) without conferring with you first." —STAMOS
But, if a play is being done in your home town, there are levels of involvement you can have in the casting and rehearsal process. First of all, in all cases, if you have signed a Dramatists Guild contract with a theatre (which I recommend - and of course, first make sure to join the guild), then you have casting approval. Another DG requirement is that a theatre cannot change anything in your script (with the exception of stage directions) without conferring with you first. Now, some theatres will want you at rehearsals, being part of the process, and some will not. Some theatres will allow you to work with a director that you have chosen, some will assign a director (though again, per DG rules - you will have approval). For my upcoming full length production of One White Crow, for example, I put the director in as part of the contract - but that was fairly simple as the theatre had worked many times with this director before. Often a theatre will choose a play because a director already at their theatre is interested in it.
"The ideal situation (one I am in now) is where you are part of the casting process . . ." —STAMOS
The ideal situation (one I am in now) is where you are part of the casting process and part of the rehearsals. If you have a director and cast you work well with, this can be a fabulous experience! Rehearsals can be a great opportunity to make the play even stronger, because once you hear the words in actors' mouths, you realize what can be cut, where clarifications are needed, where an actor can play something rather than saying it; and with the director's insight and exploration, you can make new discoveries about your work, and find ways to enhance and clarify your intentions.
In that way rehearsals become a collaborative experience between director, actors and writer. (Though I will say my director puts a deadline on me for rewrites as, past a certain point it's not fair to keep changing lines on actors!) It is important to allow yourself to be open to comments during this process, but also, know your creative boundaries. Remember, you as writer, are the ultimate arbiter of what needs to be in your script. But keep your ego out of it! Listen! Observe! Then, take out your pen and cut what doesn't work, change what needs to be changed, and hold firm to what you know needs to be there. You will have a better The play, and your audience will thank you for it.
About the Author
Dale Griffiths Stamos is an award-winning playwright whose work has been produced and published in the United States and abroad. She is on the faculty of the Santa Barbara Writers Conference, and has been a guest workshop instructor at Cal Arts. Her newest full length play, One White Crow, had its world premiere this year at Arena Players Repertory Theatre, Long Island, New York. An evening of her one acts entitled Thicker Than Water, starring Barbara Bain, was produced in May at Promenade Playhouse in Santa Monica, CA. For more information on Dale’s work, go to her website at: www.dalegriffithsstamos.com. For information on Dale’s private consulting (all genres), go to: www.manuscriptconsultant.com.
