Thespian Rant: Parentheses=Part of the Text

Ok, so here's a question.

Why are stage directions more and more often treated like "suggestions"?

Because they're not.

Stage directions are part of the text.

Let me say that again.

Stage. 

Directions. 

Are. 

Part. 

Of. 

The. 

Text.

I'm not pointing fingers, or blaming or any of that. But this is a problem. If the script was published and you changed it in any way, you could be facing a lawsuit.

A.

Law-

Suit.

But if it isn't published apparently it's ok to cut things that don't work for you?

Really?

Don't get me wrong I've done it too a couple of times. My thought process was "well, it's in parentheses so it doesn't matter."

 I've even said "if it doesn't work throw it out".

And I regretted it.

Every.

Single.

Time.

I get it. There are times when parentheses can be ignored(notice I said "can" not "should").

J.M. Barrie introduces each of his characters within the parentheses--we're talking down to the cut of clothing sometimes--and those can be ridiculous to read. But Barrie used those parentheses as character descriptions; and he did it because he knew the company he was working with and they knew him and this was one of the ways he could communicate his thought process to them.

I know Shakespeare didn't write many stage directions ("they fight"; "he dies"; etc.) But just because Shakespeare can be freely adapted doesn't mean that applies to all plays.

Contemporary playwrights--of which I am one--have different approaches to stage directions. I know that. But when stage directions are used, it is a necessary form of communication(see above).

You guys, playwrights respect the role of a director.

We do.

We do, we do, we do.

We know what a Director's Concept is.

We know that the vision in our heads is never going to be exactly what will be seen onstage.

We trust the director to take out babies and make them blossom(I'm mixing metaphors but I don't care).

However.

In nine cases out of ten, the playwright and the director of a work are in two different places--sometimes two different countries--and can't communicate as often as they like.

A playwright understands that the director will have his or her or their own vision for the show.

 We get that.

But we also are aware that up to a certain point we know our work better than anyone (because, duh, we wrote it).

We know the plot; we know the characters; until rehearsals start, we are the highest authority on the script.

Which is why I believe stage directions exist.

That is how I communicate with the production team.

 I'm not the type of playwright that writes down every single entrance and exit; but I do like to be able to let the director and production team see what is in my head and hope against hope that they will respect me enough to utilize it(see "highest authority" above).

I know that there are some directions that will need to be adjusted, depending on venue.

I know that.

I do. 

But I have seen what happens when stage directions are completely ignored.

I Stage Managed a show several years ago--a published script, by the way--where the director took all the stage directions--including entrances and exits--and threw them out the window. Being a fairly green SM I failed to communicate this to the rest of the production team(lesson learned).

Flash forward to Paper Tech: due to my greenness and the director ignoring what was in the parentheses because "they [are all] suggestions", the Lighting Designer and his team had to re-hang half the lights. During Tech Week.

Let me say that again.

The 

Lighting 

Designer

And 

His 

Team

Had 

To 

Re-Hang

Half

The Lights 

During Tech Week.

I'm surprised they didn't kill anybody. I would have.

Did part of the fault lie with me, the SM, for not communicating the changes to the rest of the production team?

Yes.

But could it have been avoided in the first place if the director had not cut out the stage directions?

Again, yes.


Here's my point: stage directions are there for a reason.

It's how we communicate;

it's how we paint pictures for Readers and Literary Managers(who have to read the entire script);

it's how we provide a jump-off point for any production team our work comes in contact with.

Respect the playwright.

Don't  ignore the stage directions.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. 😛