Introduction

It is a wonderful time in the development of theory in the acting field. At no other time has there been such freedom of expression and experimental encouragement. Recently, in the past 75 years, there has been a renaissance of creativity. Political tolerance of the arts provides a level of security unavailable before. The rise of modern theatre was born, however, in a period of political turmoil. During the Russian revolution, another revolution was started: a revolution of theatre. Konstantine Stanislavski is credited as the father of modern theatre. He developed the first documented system of acting known as “the method.” Method acting has revolutionized all aspects of theatre including costume, set design and directing. Directing was also established by Stanislavski but only as a byproduct of his illustrious acting technique (See Figure 1). He positioned himself as a director and guide to implement an acting method (Stanislavski). Years passed before the formal title of director appeared on the playbill. Of the thousands of years theatre has existed only within the past century has the director been considered a necessary part of theatre production.
In modern theatre, the director is exalted. They are considered the authority for any creative decision. However, the director can do nothing without the actors. Directors are completely dependent upon others to express their message. This connection creates artistic progression but not without friction. Some experts do not believe directors are necessary in theatre, and it is true. Actors can provide an entertaining and meaningful performance without a director. Theatre has been thriving for millennia without one. The director does not make the production, they improve it.

The director’s absolute control was fostered by development of motion pictures. Intense technical requirements needed an authority guiding hand. This authority transferred to theatre, which gave directors ability to influence a production. An overall vision generated new styles of theatre focused on theme and a way to collect a production into a cognitive whole. This technique gave insight into human emotion and storytelling.

Media such as film and television have changed our perception of human emotion (See Figure 2). The performer’s face can be enlarged to over twenty feet tall exposing the smallest details. This advancement in technology has captivated the world. The audience can now connect with the performer on an intimate level without sacrificing venue size or risking unpredictable nightly performances.

Although the advantages of utilizing media over live performance are many, the ability to connect with someone in person can never be reproduced on film. This realization has forced theatre to find new ways of connecting with its audience. In order to survive, theatre will become more real and connected than ever before. The director becomes essential to this transformation. The overall aesthetic, or artistic vision, must be united. Only an external source has the viewpoint to form the production as a cohesive whole.

Acting as a Moldable Aesthetic: Form

The Director’s responsibility is to cultivate emotional substance and form it to fit the overall vision. Form and substance are closely related. They interact during the rehearsal process almost seamlessly through direction. However, the separation of the two allows for closer analysis of how exactly a director is effective, giving usefulness to the otherwise vague terms. Substance is emotional weight while form is the presented structure. Both form and substance are combined to create an expression. An expression is a message communicated to the audience. Expressions are built using aesthetic extensions, a new term meaning a period of time in which meaning is expressed. When meaning is communicated, the experience occurs in three segments: introductory, expression, and impact.

The first stage is the introductory phase. This stage allows the performer to prepare the audience for emotional impact. The key to an effective introduction is to lure the audience in without creating pretenses. Good flirts are masters in this concept. Flirts tease and taunt until the other cannot resist. The good flirt is always aware of the others’ wants and inhibitions. The actor must have a constant awareness of the audience. Sensitivity to the audiences’ reactions and their emotional state can heighten the actor’s expression. With an understanding of the audience, actors can introduce an expression effectively. The other element to introduction is emotional vulnerability, which, simply stated is sensitivity. It is the director’s responsibility to procure the actor’s sensitivity to the moment. Even though the actor is not trying to express their sensitivity, the audience will empathetically relate. The actor and audience are open to each other’s message.

Second, the actor responds to the situation in the expression phase. This can occur anywhere, not only on dialogue. The response can be through any medium. It can be verbal, movement, sound, lack of movement ect. During rehearsal, the actor presents their reactions for the director to guide. Choices must be based on the character and the overall direction of the work. If the responses are not appropriate, the director explores an alternative. The alternative is not forced upon the actor; an agreement is made. Direction does not imply acting in place of other artists, but offering guidance and meaning to abstract interactions.

Third, the impact phase gives the audience time to accept the response and validate it. Impact is emotional time when the audience can process what just happened or be surprised by unexpected timing. Validation is a confirmation of the emotion expressed. It seals the aesthetic expression. Validation is not with respect to the audience, but for the emotion itself. An effective validation concludes the extension and allows the audience to move on. The validation can be within the character themselves, the music, or set. The actor can use another aesthetic extension altogether, a pause, or response to validate the expression. The options are almost limitless. The importance, however, is the presence of this phase and its effectiveness.

These phases, individually, are actor generated and controlled with some influence from the director. The form, from a director’s prospective, is when and how these aesthetic extensions come together to express theme. It remains the actor’s responsibility to cultivate their character enough to give the director material to work with. Using this viewpoint eliminates the mystery behind effective expression, therefore giving an understanding of how to improve.

Making it Count: Substance

The most intimidating and misunderstood steps in directing involve the cast. Caused by lack of substantial aesthetic expression, actors are left onstage generating mechanical and forced motions without deeper significance. Direction prevents this by offering energy and emotion that cultivates the actors’ aesthetic expression and adds it to the overall vision. Essential to artistic expression are general and individual aesthetics.

Even deeper into an applicable definition, Bell Hooks describes aesthetics as “more than a philosophy or theory of art and beauty; it is a way of inhabiting space, a particular location, a way of looking and becoming (104).” The most potent term in this definition is becoming. It is required of the actor to become the expression and the director provides the form or focus to engage the audience. When an aesthetic experience occurs and is effective, it becomes substantial. On a more intimate level, the actors’ substance is amplified through a series of experiences the story. These experiences must be substantial to reach the audience. Developed and substantial (substance) aesthetics create a world of options explored through the rehearsal experience. Without this substance, the director has nothing to work with and often tries to force his vision upon the cast. This results in meaningless, empty performances that have form but no substance to back them. Without substance, each action is reduced to petty and insignificant. Substance is necessary to convey theme effectively (Farmer).
Substance is derived from many sources. In current technique, acting substance is frequently drawn from the actor’s own experiences (Stanislavski 42). Emotion derived from experience proves effective and powerful but the actor’s choices must fit the overall aesthetic. The director cannot ignore these individual choices or the general aesthetic or unifying vision will suffer in quality. Direction consists of focusing substance and cultivating it. The director’s responsibility is to focus and cultivate the substance as a collective work. A Director’s ideas and perceptions should be at the forefront of discussion, but not overpowering. There is a fine line between direction and dictatorship
Creation is critical to developing substance. The collaborative nature of theatre fosters creativity by combining many viewpoints to convey theme. Collaboration exists naturally between actors, because they are required to interact with each other in a structured way. The collaboration between actor and director is unstructured and requires skill. Alienation of the director as a cultivator of substance is lost. As the director sits in the auditorium, the actors proceed with the rehearsal. The connection between director and actor is limited in modern technique. The fourth wall masks the director from aesthetic substance that has not been cultivated. This separation is commonplace, and the role of the director is played as a mechanic rather than an inspiration. Blocking that does not fit the general vision is necessary but not the only responsibility. The director must place himself inside the acting realm and add to the collective substance the same way actors do. Personal experiences and emotion must be given to a production by sharing. The audience never directly sees these expressions, but they are evident through the effectiveness of the performance. Emotionally, the director has equal responsibility to give himself to his role as the perfect audience and player (Bogart 74). A director who simply directs with his finger is only a mechanic, and a director who guides with the soul is truly an architect. A mechanic repairs; an architect creates. Successful creators can capture vision and express theme specifically. A director requires adaptation to that vision, but is not closed to creative input. A delicate balance exists between influence and imposition.
In general application, this method effects the production positively, but, if applied on an individual level, the production becomes aesthetically complete. The distance between director and actor must shorten as their visions combine. If a painting is analyzed closely, the individual pieces of artistry appear. Each stroke of the brush is carefully placed, and gives its contribution to the painting. An experienced artist will chose a specific brush, paint, and surface. Carefully mixing the colors and applying varying pressures, the proper instruments handled the proper way can create incredible art. Directors have the same opportunity but seldom use it. They pick actors by tradition but do not procure their potential. Individual attention to the actor is a powerful tool that bolsters substance. Refining and empowering the individual strengthens the whole. Work with the individual is overlooked and considered tedious. Individual aesthetic development is implemented by giving insight and guidance.

The beginning rehearsals should focus on breathing life into the vision. Although this vision gives significant suggestion to the production, it should be flexible and able to grow with the input and experience of rehearsals. First readings are commonly dealt with, at the college level, with disinterest. The cast meets and simply reads the play from start to finish to get a feel for what happens. This step should be the actors’ prerogative far before the first rehearsal. With rehearsal time in demand and deadlines becoming shorter and shorter, the first rehearsal is more properly spent exploring emotional substance. General application of aesthetic substance can begin immediately by exploring the reactions of the cast and developing a consensus on key elements of the production. Interviews and time spent separately with each cast member outside of general rehearsal creates a connection between the general aesthetic substance and the individual aesthetic substance. By doing this, the rehearsal time is spent efficiently without individual character work congesting the progress.
Utilizing individual and general aesthetics to create substance requires more work from the director but allows the production to be complete. The rehearsal occurrences are used more effectively calling for fewer rehearsals. Also, the production experience is more inclusive, incorporating more ideas. “It is through [the actors’] performing bodies that questions are asked and upon their bodies that possible answers are written (Pineau 43-52).” The presentation of clear, defined, substantial expression writes these answers. This cultivation of creativity is what defines great theatre. We must not pass these opportunities by and connect with the cast on every level instead of sitting back watching for the next mistake.

The Vision

Form is the structure necessary to communicate meaning. Substance breathes life into the theme giving it weight and power. The implementation of substance and form is essential to the survival of theatre. Without recognizing their significance, theatre cannot compete with modern media. The director can develop the overall aesthetic to penetrate the hearts of the audience and create a cohesive experience. Without the director, the actor is left on their own to combine aesthetics. Although somewhat effective, acting alone cannot achieve the independent viewpoint and vision of the director. Acting and directing are among the most controversial relationships in business. The progression of theatre depends on how well these arts can work together. An architect of form and substance influences a production in an extraordinary way. The cast members are united towards a common goal and vision. The message is expressed with clarity and power. The production will draw an audience who has great anticipation of the emotional connection others experienced. This is why directors are an important part of a successful production and how they can achieve greatness.

Works Cited

Bogart, Anne. A Director Prepares. New York: Routledge, 2001.
Farmer, Katherine. Script and Text Analysis. Provo: Utah Valley State College, 2005.
Hooks, Bell. Yearning: race gender and cultural politics. Boston: South End, 1990.
Houghton Mifflin Company . The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Fourth. New York: Author, 2003.
Pineau, Elyse Lamm. "Recasting Rehearsal: Making a Case for Production as Research." Journal of the Illinois Speech and Theatre Association (1995): 43-52.
Stanislavski, Konstantin. An Actor Prepares. New York: Theatre Arts Books, 1948.