Long an actress as well as a director, currently Cindy Marcus is the director and front person for Showdown Stage Company and the Showdown Theater Academy. Pioneer Drama Service is pleased to offer many of the plays and musicals that she has written with her personal and professional partner, Flip Kobler.
I Go Where?
by Cindy Marcus
Blocking a show is like doing a jigsaw puzzle: you have a whole bunch of little shapes that you’re going to shove together to create a really awesome picture. But before you can actually start putting your puzzle together, you’ve got to get organized. First, you pull apart all the pieces and then set them with the color side up so you can see what’s what. Then, if you grew up with my grandma, you have to pull out all the edges so you can build your frame. After that, you put it together.
That’s how we’re going to look at blocking your show. Let’s begin with opening the box and figuring out what shape puzzle we’re putting together.
Layout
Did you know there are several different types of stages, such as proscenium, horseshoe, theatre-in-the-round and black box? Most plays can be adapted for any of them as long as you understand what each stage layout can offer and what your challenges will be.
The proscenium is a traditional theatre — a raised stage at one end of the auditorium which the audience sits in front of.
In the horseshoe or thrust, your audience surrounds the stage on three sides. The stage is usually on the floor with the audience elevated so they can comfortably see the action.
Theatre-in-the-round is where the audience surrounds the stage on four sides.
Black box is just like it sounds, a blank slate with no planted sets or seats.
Creating the picture
So now that you know the shape of the puzzle, your job as director is to create the picture for the audience. What it should look like is up to you, but you have lots of hints. Make sure you are telling the story in a way the playwright intended, helping your actors find the emotional truths for the characters they are playing and placing your actors in attractive “tableaus” (a picturesque grouping of persons and/or objects striking a scene) onstage. You, the director and puzzle builder, are the interpreter of the play. Just like with putting together a puzzle, you have lots of tools or strategies to help you figure out what goes where.
- Traffic Patterns — The first thing to do is figure out the traffic patterns. Go through the entire play just doing entrances and exits of your characters to make sure they run smoothly. You don’t want all your actors coming on from the same place or they’ll get bottlenecked.
- Finding Focus — If you’re happy with your traffic pattern, then it’s time to focus the movement. Like the lens of a camera, you want your audience to see one thing and to see it clearly. Oftentimes there are many people onstage, but only one speaking. It’s your job to make sure that actor is being heard and noticed, so you block with that in mind.
- Creating Levels — If you’re lucky, you have the budget for platforms. But sometimes you don’t and you’ve got to create heights using nothing but your imagination. One way to do this is have your characters stand shortest to tallest or vice versa, or they can stand in semi-circles, V-shaped patterns, on chairs or tables, or they can kneel or sit on the stage. Remember, you’re the interpreter of the play. It’s up to you to keep the intent of the playwright in mind.
- Map it Out — Come in prepared. Know where you want your actors to go and have a vague picture of how you wish them to stand. You can change it. You can rearrange it. You can throw it all away.
- Trust Yourself — Unlike putting together a puzzle, there is no right or wrong when directing. There is only your eye and what looks best to you. Most of the time it’s trial and error; you’ve got to experiment and see what works. And in the end, trust yourself! Stay true to the playwright and your gut instinct, and all the puzzle pieces will come together to create a great picture!
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