Obviously, find out how you work best and do that: paraphrasing, playing animals, improv (short for “improvement,” not “improvidence”).
It’s not your job to be everyone’s friend all the time. Jump on lateness (an actor must phone through if humanly possible when he is going to be late), chattering noticeably as others are working, reading newspapers where the rehearsing actors can see.
Remember that in the early days, when you are all getting to know each other and the play, everything takes at least twice as long as you think it will.
It demoralizes the entire cast. By all means get them there early so that you don’t risk losing the impetus of the rehearsal, and if they have to wait for half an hour, that’s life. But if you are really behind, offer them the chance to go away and come back later. And apologize.
Humorous self-deprecation can be very weakening within a company. Once again: Don’t try to be everyone’s friend all the time.
It’s all right for you to charge forward; you’re the captain, but the troops get tired quicker. They don’t have the same ego rewards you do to keep themselves as alert and motivated.
Theatre manners dictate that cast and crew clearly and politely acknowledge an instruction or request from stage management. Enforce this sensible standard in your production.
Never allow any member of the company to be grand or rude to the stage managers. That sort of behaviour should have been stamped on but wasn’t at drama school.
The staff and crew are part of the creative process, not divorced from it. They can offer wonderful ideas, but are often too scared to say what they think. Solicit their opinion on the material with which they are involved and knowledgeable. (See 21 . Don’t expect to have all the answers.) Set rules early for how people should offer creative contributions: privately, directly to you.
You will learn something every time you look at it.
Watch as much as possible. When you’re running an act, and even more the whole play, don’t sit taking notes all the time. A good method is to watch the first half without taking any notes at all. During the break, go through the text; you’ll find that you can recall how and what they all did and make your notes then. Ditto for part two.
When you are doing early runs, try watching one without making any notes at all. Just steep yourself in the play and the performance and watch as far as possible like a member of the audience. Let your notes be broader for that session.
There’s one important exception here. During a single run-through late in the rehearsal process, don’t watch the play at all. Just listen.
When you encounter an obstacle in rehearsal it is often helpful just to leave it alone. For many problems, solutions are best uncovered in a separate, later step. Many other difficulties, left unmolested, simply solve themselves.
Review what you have already done.
Consider thanking each person individually for his or her commitment and contribution.
Rehearsals should be sweaty, tough, and... enjoyable. So should you.
... ask them specifics afterwards:
What weren’t you able to hear?
What weren’t you able to understand?
What didn’t hold your interest?
How did you feel about it twenty-four hours later?