Directors tend to be a particular bunch. One of my favorite jokes has been:
Q: How many directors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Well.... does it have to be a light bulb?
Not all director chairs have an Hitchcock-Psycho background to it. |
Now, like most people, directors can have a little trouble getting across a particular point. Everyone goes through the struggle to find words.
The most memorable experience I have with this was back in high school. Senior Year, I was in a school edition production of Les Miserables. There I was, dead on the barricade, the student revolution failing on cue. I can't remember how many students there were, maybe ten? I was among the oldest, with the age spread going from maybe 12 to 18. Kids can be fidgety and we had rehearsed getting shot in slow-motion for the millionth time because, well... kids can be fidgety.
Not our production, but pretty close... |
"DEAD PEOPLE ARE NOT ALIVE!!!"
Naturally, this just made things worse. We all started to laugh, insanely so. And it's still funny about ten years later.
I remember asking the question several months ago on Facebook: What's the most ridiculous thing that you've ever had a director say to you? I still have some of the responses. I try to put them in as much context as I know.
I was in a production of A Christmas Story at Muse Arts Warehouse (albeit too briefly). JinHi, one of my favorite people ever said a mildly silly comment:
"So, the way that this department store is set-up... in... this... living room..."
Another production, this one I wasn't involved in:
"C'mon! This is theatre! Do what you would do in real life!"
This was a famous one at my alma mater, University of West Georgia:
"Bold choice! Cut it..."
This last one I have comes from an acting class that a friend of mine was in:
"Okay, you're both Muslims and there's one piece of bean pie left... GO!"
So, if you have a story about something crazy a director has said during a rehearsal (or ever), leave a comment and do share!
No comments:
Post a Comment