I am really tired of all the DRAMA surrounding putting up DRAMA.  

There is an Urban Theatrical Myth that playwright Eugene Ionesco was often blocked from attending the rehearsals of his own play because he was so in the face of the director and the actors.

How many times have you been involved in a production where 2 members of the creative team battle over the silliest of things? Been there, right? Oh, Ugh, Blah!  Such a waste of time.  But one of the reasons all of this occurs is because no one has set up a chain of command and specific guidelines for rehearsal and performance at the start.

Does the Director get the final say, no exceptions, or is the Playwright the one who calls the shots, or is it the Producer?  This issue needs to be addressed. If an actor is playing DIVA does he get fired immediately?  If a director is nasty or disrespectful to his creative team, does he get fired? Will there be times for creative team members to talk about their issues in a non-combative forum?  All these issues and more should be addressed before you go into rehearsal if you are producing a play. Everybody needs to be given written guidelines which are discussed as a group at the first reading so that your team knows what to expect in the rehearsal and performance process.  If the rules are laid out, individuals know when they are breaking them. If they are not informed, all hell can break loose.

So as you go into production on your play, set clear guidelines on what is expected.  If you are an actor, ask for clear guidelines and rules so that all can be on the same page.  It really works.

So take some steps to END THE DRAMA, and create some awesome fun theatre!

Why do you think they call it a PLAY?

With best regards,

Ken Wolf

Artistic Director

Manhattan Repertory Theatre