eastern sun
hungry little creature
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2005
- Posts
- 2,703
We're having a lot of fun right now, because I'm directing him in a play. And when I direct, I communicate very clearly what I want to see. He asked me to direct him because he trusts my choices, but it's taken us a few rehearsals just to adapt to the power shift. He's not actively resisting my direction - it just took a little while for him to figure out that I was actually telling him what to do (i.e. me (after the first run-through of a scene): "cross to the table on that line" . . . (after the second run): "could you cross to the table when you say that?" . . . (after the third): "when you say that line, walk over to the table" him: "what?" me: "walk over to the table while you say that line" him: "oh." me (interrupting during the fourth run): "that line, that's when you cross" him: "oh . . . ok." me: "yeah, that's great. Thanks.")
We had to work through one scene about six times before he could hear what I wanted, but when he finally relaxed and just did what I asked him to do, he had us all in stitches. (him: "yeah. . . that was a good idea. . . that works." me: "yeah. I thought it would. that was great.")
It's very funny actually.
He doesn't want me to just watch while he does whatever he pleases. But when my ideas run counter to his, it can be a little challenging.
We're still in the middle of this project, and will be until next spring at the rate we're moving. If I were actually in control of it, we would probably spend more concentrated time on it, and push it through more quickly; but it's better - less compromised - and more finely crafted because of the way we're working.
I did have to tell him to learn his lines, though.
Working with the power balance in rehearsals has been challenging at times, and probably has contributed to the slowness of the pace (with other factors like work and summer vacations getting in the way as well). There was one period where I grabbed the bull by the horns and started pushing very hard for particular outcomes at each rehearsal. The other actors responded pretty quickly, but he was really resistant. He would just glare at me, and go up on his lines. Or move through his blocking by rote. Clearly expressing his discomfort with the process. I had to change the way I was working in order to make progress, but when I lightened up, he relaxed and everything I was looking for as a director was right there in his performance.
One of the reasons we are happiest in the power exchange is because of these personality traits of ours. The pushy quality of my "dominance" meets the passive-aggressiveness of his "submission" and we go nowhere fast. When I let go, and he is direct, we click as partners and interesting things start happening.