This is so interesting to listen to. Something similar to what you are describing happened to our troupe when we were staging a play a couple of years ago....for a bit of context, I'm from the Czech Republic but joined an English-speaking university theatre group that is very popular with international students. So we have a very diverse group of cast and crew from different cultures and countries. However, our director is usually American. Sometimes, what would happen, was (as we've come to later realize) a misunderstanding based on a slightly different role of actors/directos/etc. in each culture and some acting concepts that don't exist universally. Example: A director was giving blocking notes to an actor who kept suggesting trying different things as a reaction. The director took it as disrespect while the actor didn't understand why the director was getting angry. Only later on I realized that, for instance, you cannot translate the word "blocking" into Czech, because it simply doesn't exist as a concept. You would have to describe it/explain it. In Czech theatre, "blocking", if you could call it that, is more of an actor's business and the director rarely interevenes with it. Thus, similar misunderstandings can happen. I've always found it quite fascinating to realize theatre/acting works differently around the world and not every (seemingly trivial) concept, such as blocking, is universal... Thinking of this stuff can make international projects a lot more pleasant for everybody. :D
I would say there are certain directors in the US who also work similarly...ie having the actors block the scene how they feel naturally. And others who allow much more freedom for the cast to explore options while staging the show. It's best for directors working with people from other cultures (and even not) to establish up front how they like to work and what is expected of the actors so that everyone is on the same page.
I made such mistakes 🙈 but after one lesson that I got from my partner,I understood that I was wrong and stopped doing such things. We had a rehearsal, and I asked my partner to be more sad and to be more organic , so she stopped me and answered that she didn't ask for "unsolicited advice. "... it was a great lesson for me forever )
Exactly. You sometimes have to learn this from others. Some people don’t mind a little unsolicited advice but it often comes off as bossy. Others can’t stand to have others interfere in their process so it’s always best to hold your tongue and try to focus on your role and how you can get the desired result without changing the performance of the other actors. Thanks for sharing your story.
Thanks for this. I wish I had known about it sooner. Yeah, that's me, helpful to a fault, and not only in acting either. You definitely have some good points, and I understand why you labeled that as a silent rule, because I've literally never heard it before.
Yeah it’s one of those rules of etiquette that you usually learn about the hard way. You can always be helpful. You just have to know how to be most effective with your help without stepping on any toes.
Yeah sometimes it feels like you’re being ignored when you don’t get notes. But that usually means that whatever you’re doing is working and doesn’t need adjustments. I always try to give a little positive note here and there when I like something so that notes aren’t always things that need fixing.
I like the "I've got a problem can you help?" tip.
It's a diplomatic approach to giving a note.
Reading "Directing Actors" by Judith Weston now. Amazing insights and learning so much.
Oh sounds like a great book. I’ll have to check it out.
This is so interesting to listen to. Something similar to what you are describing happened to our troupe when we were staging a play a couple of years ago....for a bit of context, I'm from the Czech Republic but joined an English-speaking university theatre group that is very popular with international students. So we have a very diverse group of cast and crew from different cultures and countries. However, our director is usually American. Sometimes, what would happen, was (as we've come to later realize) a misunderstanding based on a slightly different role of actors/directos/etc. in each culture and some acting concepts that don't exist universally.
Example: A director was giving blocking notes to an actor who kept suggesting trying different things as a reaction. The director took it as disrespect while the actor didn't understand why the director was getting angry. Only later on I realized that, for instance, you cannot translate the word "blocking" into Czech, because it simply doesn't exist as a concept. You would have to describe it/explain it. In Czech theatre, "blocking", if you could call it that, is more of an actor's business and the director rarely interevenes with it. Thus, similar misunderstandings can happen. I've always found it quite fascinating to realize theatre/acting works differently around the world and not every (seemingly trivial) concept, such as blocking, is universal...
Thinking of this stuff can make international projects a lot more pleasant for everybody. :D
I would say there are certain directors in the US who also work similarly...ie having the actors block the scene how they feel naturally. And others who allow much more freedom for the cast to explore options while staging the show. It's best for directors working with people from other cultures (and even not) to establish up front how they like to work and what is expected of the actors so that everyone is on the same page.
I made such mistakes 🙈 but after one lesson that I got from my partner,I understood that I was wrong and stopped doing such things. We had a rehearsal, and I asked my partner to be more sad and to be more organic , so she stopped me and answered that she didn't ask for "unsolicited advice. "... it was a great lesson for me forever )
Exactly. You sometimes have to learn this from others. Some people don’t mind a little unsolicited advice but it often comes off as bossy. Others can’t stand to have others interfere in their process so it’s always best to hold your tongue and try to focus on your role and how you can get the desired result without changing the performance of the other actors. Thanks for sharing your story.
Thanks for this. I wish I had known about it sooner. Yeah, that's me, helpful to a fault, and not only in acting either. You definitely have some good points, and I understand why you labeled that as a silent rule, because I've literally never heard it before.
Yeah it’s one of those rules of etiquette that you usually learn about the hard way. You can always be helpful. You just have to know how to be most effective with your help without stepping on any toes.
Good timing for this one. Thank you!!
Glad the timing was right.
I love notes. But when I don't get notes. Then I am like nothihg? Lol
Yeah sometimes it feels like you’re being ignored when you don’t get notes. But that usually means that whatever you’re doing is working and doesn’t need adjustments. I always try to give a little positive note here and there when I like something so that notes aren’t always things that need fixing.
I in my last production I gave an actor some words of encouragement as he was having trouble remembering the lines. Was this giving him notes
No that’s considered friendly support.
First one 😀
You win!
@@AugmentedActor 😀😀😀
Second one 😘
Silver medal for you.