My Directing Style

As a director, I traditionally don't give tips so much as ask questions. Actors rightfully
want to feel in control, and I find respond better to helpful questions that motivate
introspection and rigorous character analysis. I sometimes push them hard, but always
maintain a healthy level of respect and trust. Actors want to feel like they're doing the
work, and I think a good director creates that kind of environment. Only when my
questions lead to dead ends do I offer tips I think might help them.

Here are some questions I ask:

 What is your character's ultimate objective?

 What does your character want in this scene?
 What does your character want from this other person?
 Where does the beat begin? Where does the beat end?
 What is the action in this beat?
 What are the specific tactics you are using to achieve your objective?
 What obstacle is your scene partner posing to prevent you from reaching your
objective?
 What type of words are you using to achieve your objective? (Are they
desperate? Descriptive? Emotional? Sensory? Violent? Graphic? Etc.)
 What are the trigger words for your emotion?
 What is the tone or temperature of the scene? (Serious? Playful? Light?
Heavy? Dark? Etc.)
 What does your scene partner want in this scene? Of you?
 What is the physical action of the beat?
 What are the words the other character says that trigger emotion in your
character?
 What can you do differently to RAISE the stakes in the scene?
 What is the more active choice you can make?
 What is your character's secret?
 What is the BEST thing the other character could say to you right now?
 What is the WORST thing the other character could say to you right now?
 What is your personal connection to the words?
 Have you ever had a time when you...[fill in the blank]?

Here are some tips I have given:

 Raise the stakes and make the bigger and riskier choice
 Listen to your scene partner
 Breathe
 Stand feet shoulder width apart and allow your body to become relaxed and
neutral
 Justify your choice with the text. Prove it with the words of the playwright
 Don't play the emotion. Don't force yourself to cry or to scream. PLAY THE
ACTION. PLAY THE OBJECTIVE. When an actor plays what they WANT, they
get what they NEED. Emotion ALWAYS follows ACTION. It will come, but only
naturally
 Change tactics. What you're doing is NOT working. Change tactics fully and
frequently
 Ask your scene partner what they need
 Go off the script, and say the text in your own words. Paraphrase
 Repeat what you just said again. Again. Again. Again. Do it until you get what
you want
 Try different blocking. Move where it feels natural to move. Let your text
motivate your movement
 Find the word in the text that triggers you intellectually...emotionally
 Use the full range of your voice
 Modify the volume of your voice
 Find a prop that speaks to you, and incorporate it into your action