Directing in Musical Theatre: An Essential Guide

Contents

• Table of Contents
• Foreword by Eric Schaeffer
• Introduction
• How To Use This Book
• Phase One: Conception
• Timetable One: Preparation
• Chapter One: Preparing for Collaboration
• Unit 1.1 Reading and listening to the Musical
• Unit 1.1.1 Gathering Impressions
• Questionnaire: First Impressions
• Unit 1.2 Creating a Research Portfolio
• Unit 1.3 History and Society Viewed Selectively
• Unit 1.4 Tradition
• Unit 1.5 Dissecting the Script and Score
• Unit 1.5.1 Units of Action
• Questionnaire: Unit Analysis
• Unit 1.6 Character Analysis
• Unit 1.6.1 Facts
• Questionnaire: Character Given Circumstances
• Unit 1.6.2 Character Journey
• Unit 1.6.3 Charting Change
• Unit 1.6.4 Attitudes
• Questionnaire: Character Attitudes
• Unit 1.6.5 Ambitions
• Questionnaire: Character Ambitions
• Unit 1.7 Directing and Style
• Unit 1.7.1 What Is Style?
• Unit 1.7.2 Establishing Style in Your Production
• Unit 1.7.3 Unity of Style
• Unit 1.7.4 History and Genre
• Unit 1.7.5 Worldview
• Questionnaire: Defining Worldview
• Unit 1.7.5 Articulating Style
• Questionnaire: Elements of Style
• Unit 1.8 Visiting the Performance Space
• Unit 1.9 Getting It Down On Paper - Creating a Concept Statement
• Unit 1.9.1 This Is The Story Of ...
• Unit 1.9.2 Themes and Ideas
• Unit 1.9.3 Images and Visual Style
• Unit 1.9.4 State Your Passion
• Chapter Two: Imagining The Chorus
• Unit 2.1 What is a chorus?
• Unit 2.2 Populating the world of your musical
• Unit 2.3 The power of the group
• Unit 2.4 Applying Pressure
• Unit 2.5 Chorus as Storyteller
• Unit 2.6 Chorus as Spectacle
• Unit 2.7 Chorus as Characters
• Unit 2.8 Engaging Chorus Actors
• Phase Two: Collaboration
• Timetable: Phase Two
• Chapter Three: Creative Collaboration
• Unit 3.1 The Passionate Center
• Unit 3.2 What is a Choreographer?
• Unit 3.3 Theatre Dance vs. Concert Dance
• Unit 3.4 Musical Collaboration
• Chapter Four: Directing the Design
• Unit 4.1 Design Process: Scenery
• Unit 4.1.1 Scenic Design Preparation
• Questionnaire: Scenic Design
• Unit 4.1.2 What to Expect in the Scenic Design Process
• Scenic Design Process for Big River
• Unit 4.2 Design Process: Costumes
• Unit 4.2.1 Character Analysis for Costume Design
• Unit 4.2.2 Practical Requirements
• Unit 4.2.3 Cast by Scene Breakdown
• Unit 4.2.4 What to Expect in the Costume Design Process
• Gregg Barnes' Costume Design Process for The Drowsy Chaperone
• Unit 4.3 Design Process: Lighting
• Unit 4.3.1 What to Expect in the Lighting Design Process
• Natasha Katz' Lighting Design Process for Follies
• Unit 4.4 Budgets and Creative Limits
• Checklist: Effective Design
• Phase Three: Rehearsal
• Timetable Three: Auditions to Final Studio Run-Through
• Chapter Five: Auditions
• Unit 5.1 Casting Breakdowns
• Unit 5.2 Principal Role Auditions
• Unit 5.3 Chorus Calls
• Unit 5.4 Addressing Multiple Casting Needs
• Unit 5.5 Non-Traditional Casting
• Unit 5.6 Negotiations and Waiting
• Chapter Six: Staging and Coaching
• Unit 6.1 Staging Stories
• Unit 6.1.1 Levels of Staging
• Unit 6.1.2 Staging Questions
• Questionnaire: Staging Action
• Unit 6.1.3 Believable Spontaneity and Inevitability
• Unit 6.1.4 Types of Musical Numbers
• Unit 6.1.5 Prompts to Staging Opportunities
• Unit 6.1.6 Staging Structure
• Unit 6.1.7 Storytelling Through Staging
• Unit 6.1.8 All Staging is Action
• Unit 6.1.9 Storytelling - Beat-by-beat
• Unit 6.1.10 Group Staging Notation
• 'I Wanna Be A Producer' from The Producers
• Unit 6.1.11 Choreographic Staging
• Unit 6.2 Staging Tools
• Unit 6.2.1 Movement and Images
• Unit 6.2.2 Principles of Effective Blocking
• Unit 6.2.3 Compositional Qualities
• Unit 6.3 Blocking Scenes and Songs
• Unit 6.3.1 Blocking Script Set Up
• Next to Normal scene/song blocking script
• Unit 6.3.2 Ideas Into Action
• Unit 6.3.3 Blocking Notation
• Unit 6.3.4 Giving Blocking to Actors
• Unit 6.4 Coaching Your Cast
• Unit 6.4.1 Actor/Singers
• Unit 6.4.2 10 Keys to Coaching the Singing Actor
• Unit 6.4.3 Dancers are actors, too
• Unit 6.5 Entertainment Values and 'Selling It' To The Audience
• Phase Four: Production
• Timetable: Phase Four
• Chapter Seven: Moving Into The Theatre
• Unit 7.1 Getting acquainted with the space
• Unit 7.2 Spacing Rehearsals and Adjustments
• Unit 7.3 Safety First
• Unit 7.4 Adding Scenery and Props
• Unit 7.5 Adding Lighting
• Unit 7.6 Adding Orchestra
• Unit 7.7 Sound Design and Reinforcement
• Unit 7.8 The Stage Manager Takes Charge - Technical Rehearsal
• Unit 7.9 Adding Costumes
• Unit 7.10 Crew
• Unit 7.11 Special Rehearsals
• Unit 7.12 Putting It All Back Together
• Unit 7.13 Finding The Heart of the show again
• Unit 7.14 Prioritizing and Problem Solving
• Unit 7.15 "Please" and "Thank You"
• Phase Five: Performance
• Timetable: Previews to Closing
• Chapter Eight: Shaping the Production
• Unit 8.1 Curtain Calls
• Unit 8.2 Previews
• Unit 8.3 Advice and Opinions
• Unit 8.4 Opening Night
• Unit 8.5 Notes and Rehearsal After Opening
• Unit 8.6 Post Mortem
• Chapter Nine: Etcetera - And All The Rest
• Unit 9.1 Directing New Works
• Unit 9.2 Directing Revues
• Unit 9.3 Habits of Successful Directors
• Appendices
• Appendix A: Sample Documents
• Weekly Rehearsal Schedule - Seussical
• Daily Rehearsal Schedule - Carousel
• Blocking/Staging Checklist - Seussical
• Cast-by-scene Breakdowns - Nine
• Scene and Song Rehearsal Unit Breakdown - Kiss Me, Kate
• Concept Statement - Into The Woods
• Scene/Song Unit Analysis - Fiddler On The Roof
• Character Analysis (short) - The Light In The Piazza
• Staging Roadmap (Beat Breakdown) - 'The Night Waltz' from A Little Night Music
• Appendix B: Complete Production Timetable
• Appendix C: Blank Questionnaires
• First Impressions
• Unit Analysis
• Character Given Circumstances
• Character Attitudes
• Character Ambitions
• Defining Worldview
• Elements of Style
• Scenic Design
• Staging Action
• Checklist: Effective Design
• Appendix D: A Brief Glossary of Useful Stage Terms