How to Select a Play to Direct

On behalf of TVLesson.com, my name is Joseph Adler and I’m producing artistic
director of GableStage in Coral Gables, Florida.

In this clip I’m going to talk about how you select of the piece you direct.

Now first of all, that’s very rare especially in the beginning for any director. We don’t
often get a chance to select the piece. Many of us are “hired guns” we get called by
artistic directors and producers and handed material. And in most cases especially at the
beginning of your career, we rarely are able to say no.

So the question becomes how to get it enthusiastic about a play that you’re offered to
direct and it’s surprising how easy that becomes even it’s if it’s a play that you wouldn’t
ordinarily have chosen.

So what if you get the choice? Well, when you're fortunate enough to run your own
theater or to have the opportunity to select the play, there are so many factors that go into
making that decision. I’m lucky because I pick six plays a year. We do plays 12 months a
year here so I get to not just pick the play but to pick the season.

And so I try to pick a play in tandem with the other plays that were preceded and come
after it. I think the first play of the season is important obviously because you’re trying to
build your audience for the entire season.

The last play is crucial because you want to make sure to get them back for the next
season. And all other plays in the middle are dependent upon so many factors but I think
the personal taste of the director play a big role in this.

And you know, even though you may pick place that our period plays that a classics
plays that are new plays, there is some commonality I would think and that’s probably up
to the critics and others to be able to find but I do think skitsofrantic programming is the
biggest mistake that directors or theaters can make.

By that I mean you know, if you pick a season and you’re looking to sell to subscribers
that entire season, when you bounce around from a play that will please this group but
not that group, to a play that will conversely pleased the other group but not you’ve
wined up pleasing no one.

The one who came for the first one hates the second one and there on it goes. And that’s
very detrimental to the process for any regional theater that is trying to build an ongoing
audience.

On behalf of TVLesson.com, I’m Joseph Adler, thank you for watching.