I'm currently directing The Crucible which, as most people know, is a fairly intense play in which the actors will be required to immerse themselves in the situation to give truly brilliant performances.

So, my question is: How far do you push your actors? How do you do it? And how soon into rehearsals?

I speak only from an actor's point of view and you will probably get different responses from the directors among us but for what it's worth:

1. Push your actors as hard as you feel they need pushing. This may seem a little obvious but we are, by nature, a lzy lot and are generally capable of more than we might ourselves think. Also, the actors will want to give a brilliant performance and should not be afraid of the effort and hard work.

2. How you do it is something you can only really determine yourself. How well do you know the actors in your cast? Do you have any previous experience of working with them?
How well do they react to pressure? The answers to these questions will help you to work out your approach which may well be different for each cast member.

3. Push from the 1st rehearsal. Encourage the actors to learn their lines as soon as possible. It is very difficult to emote with your head in a book.

As I said, this is just my opinion but it is my experience that a director who knows what they want and is prepared to work hard with their cast gains their respect and it shows in the end result.

Oh how I wish there were more directors like you. I never feel satisfied with a play at the end of the run unless it has pushed me not only to do something I have never done before but also to achieve something of which I would never have thought myself capable.

Some directors are blessed with the natural ability to bring out the best in their cast, while others have to work harder at it.

What works for me is to get as far beyond the script itself as possible. As a rule we spend at least one rehearsal (depends on the size of the cast), just talking about the characters and their relationships, their lifestyle and their feelings. By way of preparation, each actor develops a mental picture of his character's life - family, house, furniture, car, clothes, hobbies etc - and shares his or her ideas with the rest of the cast who are free to disagree or offer suggestions.

The second vital element is to do some improvisation around the characters and situations. This may be an off-the-cuff staging of a scene immediately prior to the start of the play or continuing a scene past the point where the script stops, or even a conversation between two characters who don't interact in the play.

Of course it all depends on who's in the cast and how experienced and/or confident they are. But one of the most beneficial aspects of this approach is that it encourages your actors to trust each other and to trust you.

So go ahead and push them as far as you dare - you'll soon come to see where their limits are and that will be a lot further than you or they think!

I say push as far you feel you need to. Some people need more "encouragement" than others.
Do you make your actors make a note of blocking and anything you change or ask them to try? Or do you have an assistant to help with that? I must be really sad cos I make my own notes and then I also make notes in scenes where I am not on but it helps later on if you are reading in for someone or they have forgotten the blocking.
I know it's something that some groups think is really important. Make notes, make sure it goes in and that when an actor is learning his or her lines they see the moves too and it should all go into their head. I know also that some people don't make notes and they have knack of just being able to do it. So it might help to think about who you are working with, if they have acted before and if you are working with people who are in their first acting roles. They might actually like youto give them some help as it will make them feel more confident and part of the team.

I very much second what Hilary has said. Have the players know their history, this will add to a greater knowledge of the character and therefore a more rounded and detailed performance.

I have used an exercise along the lines of what the characters were doing yesterday, last month, last year, 10 years ago. Whatever helps. When we did 'Stags & Hens' we did an improvisation of all the characters at school in the same class. They had to have the same characteristics as their elder manifestations but were 15/16 years old. this helped for that play as most of the characters were roughly the same age, you could do an improvisation on another theme for 'The Crucible'.

Above all, it's not just about what's written on the page, it's also involves what you take from that and how you sculpt it to a finished item.

Good luck.

(Shock horror: serious posting from Ryano! )

I've been an actor quite a while now and most recently a Director. I agree with all the comments so far. I see the Director's main role as to get the best out of his actors and that usually requires a great deal of pushing.

I find I always have to push about learning lines and blocking. Until the books are down the actor cannot get inside the head of his character and start performing. So I nag like mad early on to get lines learnt. I usually set milestones by which things have to be learned.

You have to know your actors and they have to trust you. My experience is different cast memebers need treating in different ways. Some need pushing in front of the group (peer pressure), some require a quiet word to bring out the best. Its a balance of coaching, nagging, encouraging, trying new things, building confidence and trust. At the end of the day everyone does this amdram thing becuase they want to have fun and give of their best. As Director you have to do whatever is necessary to ensure this happens.

The Crucible is great- so powerful. We did it several years ago and it does require total commitment. Enjoy yourselves.

There's a great interactive National Geographic site on the Salem witch trials, which is really good and would give your actors a chance to look at the period and think about their roles.
Phoebe
If you need the link mail me. I'd have to send it to you from the school where I teach, as it's saved on my Favourites there not at home.
Phoebe

You always need to push your actors in the amateur theatre. They can always do more than they think, be better than they are, and turn out better and better performances.

You don't have to be mean to do that (I know of some directors who are), but can use praise and encouragement to get the best out of them.

It's also useful for a group to have different directors so that they can all be stretched further - we all have our weak points and it would be a shame to continually exploit those.

I totally agree, I'm sick and tired of people in our society saying well we can't do that, we haven't got the talent or we can't do accents - actually they can - it's comfort zone time - outside directors shake things up and throw up some surprises in the casting - very refreshing.

How far should you push the cast - as far as you can, but be sympathetic and realise when you're flogging a dead horse (easier said than done) Half the fun of directing is helping someone to grow into a part they felt beyond them.

It is particularly rewarding when directing children and you get someone who's never been on a stage and the end up stealing the show! (I have to go now - my nurse says so.....Bye.........)

of course, sometimes i could just push them out of a window!


Example: "I cant' wear that costume, my boyfriend would hate me in it" (someone who was supposed to be an alien!)