The First Day Address
I have a first rehearsal tomorrow for Neighborhood 3 at Strawdog Theatre. Right now, I’m in the middle of
crafting my first day address.
I am of the opinion that the first day address is a crucial
point in a director’s process. This is for two major reasons (although I have more secondary reasons):
1. This talk will get your cast, company, and
anyone else in the room all at the same launching point for
rehearsals to commence. It also re-establishes and solidifies the work that you’ve
done with designers to get to this point. It is the opportunity to declare to everyone what your
production of this play will be about, what it will look like, feel like, and
why they should be excited about it. (And you hopefully expel their fears about the production, if they have any.)
2. The crafting of this talk forces the director to
articulate what the play is about, what the world of the play is, and why not
only to the group but to themselves, and in that articulation, the director
prepares themselves for rehearsal.
Anyone who spends time with me talking about theater knows I’m
all about articulation being the primary process and tool of the director.
Also anyone who spends time with me knows that I find
articulation to be one of the most difficult tasks of life in all areas. And I
consider it my life’s quest to be better at it articulating my thoughts, feelings,
and instincts to myself and others.
And that’s why I’ve taken a break from this painful (and
exciting) task of putting my first day address together for tomorrow.
Ironically, I’m doing this right after I had a major breakthrough about how to
articulate this aspect of the play that I hadn’t before. Because then my brain
stopped.
I could say so much more and be so much more articulate about the first day address. But I’d better get back to work. In the meantime, here are some
links on the topic:
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