Sometimes Weight is Freedom

I usually don't like to weigh a show down with a cumbersome concept. I read the script over and over. The show will start to demand a certain physical reality to tell the story well. We embellish as much or as little as that show's reality requires.

Doing anything else can have the opposite of the intended effect. Concept plays were invented because the directors were moved to tell the story in a stronger way but, a lot of the time, director's concepts (metaphorically often strong and often very clever) actually compete with the piece for the audience's attention, thereby weakening both. Very rarely, an overlaid external concept breeds strength but, usually (sadly), external concepts forced on a piece are rather like placing a lightly frosted window between the audience and the play. It might be prettier but you can't see as well.

So, I worry. I have encumbered my upcoming production of Taming of the Shrew with the initial artistic decision that it will be played by all women. The rest of the process will have to accommodate that decision - from basic movement and vocal work, to blocking to costumes to....  Consequently, this play will be a little more challenging to get up than other productions. It'll be a little more difficult to get that story told well.

But I'm wondering: could this 'all-female' concept actually offer me some freedom?

For example, I have long been a proponent of blind casting but have been criticized and even ostracized for having the temerity to walk the walk on this issue. And, yet, if our default is always white and male, fairly soon the number of artists who can tell a lot of these stories will dwindle to a very small sampling of the overall population. Crazy. We need to find ways of opening stuff up.

And in this show I can. Why? If I've already blown the lid off of one pot, no one is really going to peek in the other. Honestly, if the person playing a male role is a woman, are people going to further question race? Why would they?

The construct is already sexless. We can make it raceless, too. Sometimes weight is freedom.


Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  She is currently directing Lend Me A Tenor for Scarborough Theatre Guild, directing The Wild Life (a Kidsplay production), and prepping for the all female version of Taming of the Shrew for Jaybird Productions going up in the fall of this year. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/.  


Jacqui Burke
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/

How I like to work. And who I like to work with.

Actors are, by and large, my favourite people. They are funny, talented, energetic, and darn good looking besides. I was just thinking how lucky I am to have another great cast and it got me to thinking about what kinds of actors I like to work with the most.

So, what do I like about my current cast? They play. They don't come in thinking that rehearsal is a kind of performance for the director; they don't want little gold stars. They use rehearsal time to try things out and really play with the piece.

Now, I want to be plain, here. I am a deeply collaborative director. I've done some study on what makes projects work and what inspires folks and, consequently, I've spent the last four or five years figuring out how to work effectively in rehearsal while at the same time eschewing the current 'Victorian Family' model of theatre; so, so: Director as Father (unquestioned authority figure), Stage Manager as Mother (or strict nanny), Actors as Children. I don't buy this model because I feel it's too limiting and insulting for all involved. I like a looser and more creative environment in which there is a lot of co-operation.

For the sake of peace and equilibrium, I remain the ultimate decision-maker. So a bit of a tyrant, that way, but during the process, I really encourage people to own their own work, to bring ideas to the table, to really play.  Unless there are moments I am forced to craft (for example, I am currently doing a farce and at points timing is critical), I don't insist that they to do my blocking. I will have fallback blocking. I will have thought about it and worked it out, but I tend to let them move naturally through the space as we develop the piece. Not only is this ultimately more effective in producing an entertaining show, it's much more fun to rehearse because there's room for the happy accidents - those magical moments we discover together at rehearsal.

So, what do I look for in an actor? A bunch of qualities. But I can tell you that I am so thankful when I get a self-motivated cast who are willing to try anything, make fools of themselves, comment constructively, tell me what they like or don't like, and get off the darn book as soon as possible so we can really see what the play is about. Fun.


Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  She is currently directing Lend Me A Tenor for Scarborough Theatre Guild, directing The Wild Life (a Kidsplay production), and prepping for the all female version of Taming of the Shrew for Jaybird Productions going up in the fall of this year. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/.  


Jacqui Burke
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/

Is it a theatre company or a theatre club....?

So, the artistic veracity of institutions ebbs and flows. For years, a company can be motivated by core values that put artistic quality first and, then slowly over time, can be more and, then, solely motivated by the social experience - more of a club. Either is fine. No judgement here. But, let's say the idea of artistic expression is paramount to you: a theatre club may not be your cup of tea. Or, let's say you're tired of busting your ass for thankless arteests and want to have some fun? Maybe a theatre club might be a better bet.

So, how can you tell? Is it a Company or is it a Club? Well, gosh. They often look and smell the same but really the core values of the two are completely different. Some ways to tell...

It could be a Club when....

1) They spend a lot of money on a nice clubhouse. (Don't confuse this with groups that have been gifted space.)
2) Casting decisions are based on friendship or who has done the most work for the group.
3) Artistic staff are hired based on friendship or who has done the most work for the group.
4) Every show is considered the best show ever. No criticism of the shows is allowed.
5) Artistic Staff tends to stay the same.
6) Significant resources go into parties or other social events.
7) Decisions are made with the comfort of the club members as primary.
8) The amount of resources thrown at a show is dependent on who is most popular.
9) Most of the members are in all of the shows.

It could be a Company when....

1) They have no or minimal resources going to permanent space, using space only when absolutely necessary.
2) In fact, all resource decisions are based in the needs if the show.
3) Casting decisions are based on who performs the role best in auditions.
4) A Company will hire pro directors whenever possible and only occassionally hire a (very) talented amateur.
5) Artistic Staff can be the same (especially if they're good) but there is always new blood coming and going.
6) Shows are internally critiqued and effort is put into getting better.
7) There may be a lot of going to the bar after rehearsals and shows but not a lot of social events, otherwise.
8) Membership grows with the needs of the show and members come and go.  But there is often a dedicated core membership.

So, if you are looking to join a group that is all fun, join a club. If you are looking to win some awards, join a company.  Don't go in and try to change everything; one person cannot change the culture in a group. Just go and find a group that suits you best. The end.

Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  She is currently directing Lend Me A Tenor for Scarborough Theatre Guild, directing The Wild Life (a Kidsplay production), and prepping for the all female version of Taming of the Shrew for Jaybird Productions going up in the fall of this year. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/.  


Jacqui Burke
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/

So, who is this chick, anyway?

How do we know anything about this character we want to play? How do we know what she wants? What she needs? As an actor, you will probably spend a lot of time fleshing this character out.  I suggest you go through a process of determining what happens, asking the question why these things happen, answering the why, and, then, making conclusions from there.

For the what, you need to go to your first and best mine of information: the script itself.

Well, you say, it's a big script! How do I deal with it in terms of my character? Great question. When analyzing a script for character information, I suggest you make lists of points taken straight from the script that answer the following questions:

1. What does the character do?
2. What does she say about herself?
3. What do other characters say about her? How do they treat her?

What does she do?
This is a simple list of each salient plot point that includes your character.

• She gets up in the morning. 
• She talks to her fiancee about their upcoming marriage. 
• She gets to work and finds a pink slip. 
• She goes out and buys a gun. 

And so on. Once you have gone through the whole script, you should know exactly what happens to this person during the show.

What does she say about herself?
This is a simple list of statements that she makes about her own self - things she likes, dislikes, cares about. Key phrases to look for:

• I want/don't want [insert thing here]
• I hate/love [insert thing here]
• I couldn't/could 
• You do/don't think [insert thing here] about me

Many plays reveal very few of these statements. Write them down. They're important clues.

What do other characters say about her? How do they treat her?

• Do other characters describe or comment on your character? Write these statements out in full.
• Do they treat her with respect or disdain or....? Make a list of how folks treat her.

Once you're done you will have a solid amount of basic information from which to start understanding this person:

• She is a maid who is late for very the first time in five years.
• Everyone says she is usually reliable. 
• She says she loves her work.
• She often goes out of her way to make her male boss happy.
• He fires her for being late once.
• She says she is devastated by the loss of her job
• She goes out and buys a gun.
• She returns and kills her employer.

Well, well, well. This is the what. The what that happens, the what that is said. In this list, you will see that there is none of the why. Why was she late for the first time? Why does she go out of her way to make her boss happy? Why does he fire her, really? Why does she kill him?

Answering those questions can lead to unbelievably different conclusions; so, make sure your answers make sense or jibe with all of what she does or says. Further, the back story or any choices you make for this character, any fleshing out you do, must also accommodate these key character points.

Oftentimes, you might come across points that might seem hard to reconcile. In our example, we see that despite this being her first time late ever, she gets fired. The why of this could be very interesting. Clearly, the lateness is being used as an excuse.....

Happy character building!


Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  She is currently directing Lend Me A Tenor for Scarborough Theatre Guild, directing The Wild Life (a Kidsplay production), and prepping for the all female version of Taming of the Shrew for Jaybird Productions going up in the fall of this year. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/.  


Jacqui Burke
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/

Gotta have faith.

I have spoken to a number of actors who tell me they won't let the director know when they've been blocked to perform a move or action that hurts them physically or scares them.  They don't want to rock the boat. They don't want to be labelled as difficult.

As a long time theatre person, I know that getting a bad reputation (deserved or no) can be a killer for an actor. You just stop being cast and nobody tells you why. Just brutal. A nightmare. Same thing goes for just about every position, however. The community can, with no notice nor chance to change one's behaviour, quietly close ranks and stop letting an individual do anything. I've seen this happen to highly effective people, highly talented people. I've seen it happen in professional and community level theatre. Ostracism is rampant. Course, I don't think ostracism is wise but that's a topic for another post.

Long and short, though:  If this happens to you, you're out in the cold. Often with no recourse. Which is why I understand the fear of standing up for yourself. You don't want to get a reputation.

But the very same actors who don't let you know they are hurting, will argue with you for half an hour before accepting a bit of blocking that they don't understand. That's okay. But personal safety? You don't want to be a problem?

When it comes to safety, we should never muck around. And you have to have faith that you're working with adults who care.

Don't be afraid to come forward. Theatre is dangerous. And, if the move or action hurts, imagine how it's going to feel after you do it a hundred times? N'up, let me know right away. That information, truly, helps me in my opinion and, if you're not working for someone like me, if you're working for a bunch of jerks who couldn't give a shit about your safety, let 'em ostracize you. You may live longer.


Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  She is currently prepping and leading her Shakespeare is Boffo! theatre arts camps for active kids, directing directing Lend Me A Tenor for Scarborough Theatre Guild , directing The Wild Life (a Kidsplay production), prepping for Shakespeare is Boffo! 2013, Summer Camps, and prepping for and all female version of Taming of the Shrew for Jaybird Productions going up in the fall of this year. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/.  


Jacqui Burke
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/

Cool Change

So, off in the Melbourne, Australia, cool changes are often abrupt and almost violent things -- wind whipping through the streets, stirring up dust and refuse, so strong you couldn't stand up against it and you'd have to hide inside. But after it passed, the temp would drop, oh, twenty degrees and the air would be clean and pleasant. Really enjoyed the days after a change.

Well, I often find as an artist that the wind gets a little stale and I have to move on. And, by that, I mean that it all gets a little too comfortable and easy to do what you do - an immediate recipe for artistic mediocrity.

Or the converse can happen. People around you start making it too hard to do what you do - by not hiring you or laying down sets of core values that aren't germane to your artistic process. Folks start to believe they know you too well, know what you can do, or know how you'll respond, and that's where they put you. Again, an immediate recipe for artistic meh.

And, then there's the worst: you get yourself a posse. Posses make you look a little more important and impress folks outside your personal sphere but tend to contribute to artistic cronyism - I mean, you gotta pay back that posse somehow, right? Death to any attempt to make great art.

So I make the wind blow, dust off my wings and go elsewhere. Between you and me, I secretly like this part. I know I'm not supposed to because change is supposed to be hard. But it gives me a chance to clear the cobwebs artistically (and emotionally and socially, actually) and tends to leave me clearer and more motivated than before.

Ease rarely encourages an individual to strive. I'd much rather be a little fish in a big pond, than a big fish in a little one. Which is one of the reasons why there is a Jaybird Productions in the first place.

It leaves me a bit of a lone wolf but that's fine. Cool change is refreshing. Consider it often.


Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  She is currently directing Lend Me A Tenor for Scarborough Theatre Guild and prepping for her Shakespeare is Boffo! summer camps and prepping for an all female version of Taming of the Shrew for Jaybird Productions going up in the fall of this year. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/.  


Jacqui Burke
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/

A change is as good as a...

 Look. I`ve got an ego like everybody else. I would argue, though I`m not admitting a thing, that I have a huge ego. Most theatre people do. I know what I like and that`s what I do. I`m smart and I tend to excel at things if I work hard. So lucky.

But I think my ego might have tripped me up in the area of auditions.

I used to think I was pretty good at re-directing audtitionees. Time and time again I would give a redirect and the actor would shine, the monologue would really click, and we would see a side of the actor that really helped us make a decision in her favour.

Used to think I was so clever.

But it`s dawned on me that I ain`t so smart as I thunk because of what I now believe was really happening. The actor didn`t all of a sudden `get better` because of what I said. My interpretation wasn`t specifically better -- at times I would ask the actor to work against the text to give some feel of what I was looking for. No, it`s just that the particular turn on the monologue was fresh.

Our greatest challenge as theatre artists is to deliver work that is fresh and immediate. And, the actor has that job in spades when she walks into an audition - usually because she has rehearsed her monologue a certain way over and over and over again in the hope that her recall is cold. But, sadly, it is probably that very act of repitition that kills the immediacy that brings a performance alive.

So as an actor, what do you do? You have to learn the thing, right? Riiiiight.

But here's an idea. Why not be me? Why not be your own director? Before you walk into the audition, why not put your own spin on the piece - ideally something that shows me a side of your acting that helps me to see you in the role - but definitely something you haven't rehearsed over and over and over again? Something that forces you on your toes, makes you hop, and breathes new life into the piece. For example, if you are going to play a character who is angry, why not spin the monologue to anger? Or if the character you want to play is prissy, why not present the monologue thus regardless of the original intent of the piece?

I am sure this would be a bit terrifying the first few times you do it but I bet you would present with a more immediate, alive version of your monologue that will make a huge difference in what I think of your talent.

I have enough ego that I would like to think it's me that makes you better but, really, actors: it's you. It's your committment, your energy, your talent, your honesty, and your courage. Anyone who tells you different is selling you something.

Jacqui Burke is a freelance director, writer, and theatrical teacher living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  She is currently prepping and leading her Shakespeare is Boffo! theatre arts camps for active kids, directing directing Lend Me A Tenor for Scarborough Theatre Guild and prepping for and all female version of Taming of the Shrew for Jaybird Productions going up in the fall of this year. She is, also, serializing The Pretender, her first novel, online at http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/.  


Jacqui Burke
talk/text: 647-292-0210
twitter: @jaybird01
skype: Jacquiburkecell, jacqui.burke
www.wordsnimages.com
www.jaybirdproductions.ca
www.shakespeareisboffo.ca
http://jacquiburke.blogspot.ca
http://thepretender-amarcienoelnovel.blogspot.ca/
http://jaybirdproductions.blogspot.ca/