Laurie Swigart
A DIRECTOR'S PRODUCTION GUIDELINES
taken from the WHSFA manual
FUNDAMENTAL PRODUCTION DECISIONS
*Genre -- comedy, tragedy, musical, children's show, fantasy, etc.
*Time/Locale
*Style -- melodrama, comedia, etc.
*Period -- historical, contemporary, etc.
*Desired audience response
*Interpretation of playwright's intent
PRODUCTION ASPECTS (SENSORY IMPACT)
*Costumes
*Make-up
*Set
*Props
*Lighting
*Sound
ACTING
*Character analysis
*Concentration
*Believability
*Timing
*Sustaining character
*Motivation (why do the characters do and say what they do and say?)
*Physical aspects
-Creative business -- special individual movements, postures, gestures which define characters
-Movement
-Ensemble playing -- working as a cooperative group of actors
-Action/reaction
-Staying "in" the scene
*Vocal
-Relationship of voice to character
-Pronunciation
-Articulation
-Volume, projection
-Dialects and accents
-Rate
DIRECTING
*Blocking, stage pictures
*Tempo, pacing, rhythm
*Balance -- visually and in acting ensemble
*Making the show unique -- "your own"
*Rising action, climax, falling action
Recent Posts
See AllAt my institution (a small, two-person university program), I distribute a production schedule for the entire season. For each show, I...
by Dr. Len Radin, ETA State Director of Massachusetts Costumer Your technical job is to costume the show and take care of returning...
When I teach directing to my advanced students, I start w/a simplified presentation of Alexander Dean basic elements of directing--...
Comments