The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-08-06
WORK OF THE STAGE DIRECTOR
az iND THE VI tGE HtNt GER
THO DIFTEEENT PERSONS.
Ne srirrI. the East. Dlreets the scene
tuIlsiInE. secs rhat the Properties.
issIun,es. I.IKhtS Are Correct and co
srdlnate> the Nsrk Of the Artsr-

attended writes John Emerson IN the
Gr'sH BOok .libHW. YOU viii probably
find j,lst above the cast Of characters and
"a comparatively small type q hne some
thing like this Staged under the dirrc-
ton Of MIR So-and-S SO Sometimes you
will find this line IN still smaller type after
the cast of characters and the synopsis
| of SCENES
Tn. name at this man who staged
the pieCe - usually not that of the mana ger
who presents II and who appears more
| conspicuo,Isly at the top Of the pro-
gramme Now aud then one Of the mama
I gers may announce a production a. staged
under his own personal direction.
This man who sta ei' the piece - the
2 stage director and must not be confused
with the stage manager In general
terms the stage director u the man who
makes the production from the manu-
script, the stage manager. Who may
aspir" eventually to becom. stage
director but II not one at present. IL the
executive IN charge behind the sc-nes
1T - his work to see that the perform
ances are given as originally prescribed
! by the director In other words. the
stage director generally leaves COM
pany after the first few performances
The stage manager remains with the
company as long as the production IL
played
The stage director - not the play
reader His labor begins when a manu-
script - handed TO HIM and he il told to
produce II First he studies II to get
the theme and general sense 81 the
construction. Next II IL j. not properly
constructed IN the main essentials. he
Confers with the author to the trans
position 81 scenes, development II episodes
and such matters Finally. he works out
the stage settings and SCENES
After these preliminary steps the stage
director goes over the manuscript again
for the main situations and with particular
reference to arranging the furniture or
the corresponding exterior. seats. walls.
fences rorks and otl or accessories 10 NJ
the action Of the plav
The stage director must now GO all
over the manuscript once again and
from a less mechanical point Of view
In a tentative manner D.. must make out
the general positions and movements OF
the people. Some men. representative
~ the older school Of stage management.
arrange the action IN advance to the finest
detail. and then ohlige the players to CON
form 10 these precorc eivsi movements
Some men using this theory. which 10
now rated a. old fashionei, Rave little
paper disks marked with the names Of
the characters and move them about on a
plan If the sCsre ore man was Acous-
TONED 10 Use little images Of men and
wOmel ia place Of the more common
place disks. and some men rraw cryptic
desi Ens. indicating the movements 81 tho
actors ny lines and srrows on the blank
pages % the manuscript opposite the dia-
logue pages
Personally believe that IL IL best to
block out a. little Of the action A. possible
At first, merely noting the c'neral move
merits and leaving tn. details tn he
worked out by the a~tor- the whole eject
being Rrran gei and coordinatei ~ the
director This IL the modern way. trust
ing to a large extent Ia the instinct 81 the
performer as To what he feels like doing;
and taking this A. - basis for connecting
and correlating the movements OF others
Perhaps the most troublesome task
- the engaging Of a really suitable cast
for given play leading narts are
usually the easiest to cast for the reason
that thew are almost invariably filed 10y
people ~ well-known abilities For the.
minor roles % - often necessary to Use
people little known. and sometimes sew
sral viii have - be tried IN rehearzals !
before the right one ~ discovered
The stage director should take care /
not to s~ek too much for the physical
types that s..am 20 NJ his ideas Of what
III. characters should look like l, -
not 30 much the question Of the right
type as ~ the person who can hest sug-
gesi the temperament Of the role
II there - time. the fret rehearsal
~ not strictly rehearsal at all. hut H.
gwen up entirely to the reading Of the
actors may have an idea % the whole
score of the work The typewrittsn
parts. booklets containing Just the cues
and speeches and directions for each
after this reading rehearsal II the
player has the part in his hand he will
instinctivsly devote his mind 20 u rather
than 20 the story as q whole
The second rehearsal thus becomes
the first actual rehearsal for the company
The players hav" now received their
parts and carry them in their hands.
reading their lines as the previously out
lined tentatIV" action ~ brought into
play Substitute furniture - placed on
III" stag" TO give an idea Of the scene as
arranged beforehand
Yet another duty for the stage director
- the specifying of the lighting effects.
which have become Of ever increasing
importance Of recent wears He makes
list of all tn" hghts 20 be used IN the play
with CUES for the changing of their color 4
or intensity, and This ~ given 20 the stage
electrician. who ~ responsible for making
all preparations ia his department
The light plot. like the property
plot contains a list Of all the apparatus
needed for the different acts OF the play
Before the dress rehearsal Il ~ customary
To have a special light rehearsal with
all the scenery hut without the company
so that the director may be assured that
these effects have been properly arranged
and may make final corrections
with regard to costumes the Leading
woman always has the choice 81 the
ColoTs she will wear in the different acts
and the gowns Of the other PLAYERS must
harmonic with her gowns. with each
other and with the color scheme and
decorations Of the scene This matter Of
costuming also comes within the province
81 the stage director though IN many
cases he may consult a costumer
The dress rehearsal sometimes there
a re- two or thrasa of them Cofnea whan 7