Get Involved as a Director
Using the space: Pembroke New Cellars
New Cellars is a bit of a rogue one in terms of theatrical spaces! You will grow to love it – or hate it – but in any case it will be an experience. Hopefully this will give you some ideas! :)
It’s not a conventional theatrical space in the sense that there is no ‘stage’ and seats are not permanently set up; so when it’s not being used for theatre it looks more like a room with a lighting rig or like a ballet studio (there’s a mirror and handlebars on one side of the room, and yes, we wrote ‘GOD’ in red lipstick on it in February). So needless to say you can innovate and use the space
without restrictions – which is one of its biggest benefits! Unlike the ADC or Corpus Playroom, where you need to fill out endless paperwork for the simple action of using a prop or bringing liquid onstage, in New Cellars you can do whatever. the fuck. you want. (as long as it’s all cleaned up after and we can’t tell! xoxo)
This means you can use the space fully, and can be inventive in terms of set, staging, and audience setup. Do you want to cover the room in gigantic statues? Do it. Do you want to have a pool of fake blood dripping over a tarp on the floor? Yes. (I did this - also PSA make sure you get it approved by the Pembroke Players TD, our lovely Violet, first). Do you want to have people spraying each other with water guns throughout the show whilst simultaneously eating snacks? This was done - on another wonderful show this year. New Cellars is a space for invention and fun and this is the environment to be creative with barely any institutional limits. (Please note though: legally we are not responsible if you do something stupid, and make absolutely sure that no one gets hurt! xo)
This space is also a great one for unconventional/creative audience setups. One that works well is an in-the-round audience (rather than forward-on). You can tailor the setup of the room to the number of people you’re expecting each night, thereby creating a different atmosphere!
In terms of tech (explained by a non-techie) we are fairly well equipped, with a set of conventionals which can be dimmed as well as LEDs which can be coloured and programmed with lighting software. You can thus create a lot of
different lighting landscapes, and in such an intimate setting it works really well! We also have a great sound system, and if you want to be a bit crazy with it, you can get some
live music in (this also has been done and works fabulously)! The space is thus hugely versatile from a tech perspective and you have lots of options if you want to use the room innovatively.
Running a rehearsal
The way you run rehearsals is completely up to you as a director, but here are some ideas for things you might want to include:
- A warm-up (can be physical, vocal, for breathing, etc.). It can include, for example:
- Stretches
- Vocal warm up with tongue twisters and projection
- Concentration or receptivity games e.g. mirroring, counting to 10 as a group
- Improv
- Reading through and discussing your scene with the actors. Make sure anyone feels safe to raise any concerns about the scene(s) you’re doing or ask questions about bits they may not understand.
- Letting actors know how you’re going to proceed, and if this changes (e.g. if you’re running a scene, are you interrupting the actors to give notes as they go? or are you letting them run the whole thing and then giving notes after? Similarly, are you telling them the blocking before the scene or deciding it as you go?) It’s always easier for the cast if they know your process and what you’re looking for!
- A cool-down at the end. You can also have an exercise to come into character at the start and out at the end
Intimacy and Welfare
- The main thing you’ll want to think about before a rehearsal is whether the scenes you’re planning to rehearse a scene which includes intimacy and/or any potentially difficult or triggering content for actors. It is essential that these topics are handled in a safe and comfortable manner which is mindful of cast welfare.
- Intimacy: you’ll want a trained intimacy coordinator there to rehearse this scene. They might ask everyone who is not involved to leave the room to do an intimacy call, and then have people come back in. Make sure that there are safeguards in place for actors to not have to do the intimacy bit(s) if they decide at any point that they are not comfortable with going ahead.
- Welfare: for rehearsals with difficult themes, a welfare officer should be present. If actors have lines/monologues where they discuss triggering themes, ask if they’d rather the rest of the cast not be present for these. Make sure they feel okay to say stop at any point and have a backup plan if actors don’t feel able to rehearse these scenes. Make sure to take frequent breaks and check in.
Working with Assistant Director(s)
- Assistant directors are there to help with the creative direction of the show. They usually are free to give notes to actors and suggest blocking etc. in the same way as the director, but without having the final say.
- They sometimes also help with assistant tasks such as: checking for missed lines during a run-through, reading in for absent actors, taking rehearsal photos, etc.
- Make sure that your ADs feel involved and listened to throughout the process! They are an invaluable resource to the team, and if you give them the sense that their ideas don’t matter, this might create tension.
- Communicate with them and keep them in the loop about what you’re doing! Transparency is key in a team, and that way you can also seek their feedback on different plans.
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