"All the world's a stage.." (As You Like It)

.....I have been attending the Theatre Arts Workshop every Thursday, and once a month the group produces a "Showcase" in the ballroom involving a few monologues and a few short skits--as well as refreshments. A lot of residents show up for the refreshments or simply because they have nothing else to do. The remainder are there, I assume, to be entertained. These days I have no desire to perform, so I agreed to direct one of the skits. It involves a 60 year old man who has recently retired from his job of 30 years and who is itching to travel, "to live" as he puts it. His wife is not too thrilled about leaving Minnesota with the grandchildren, her son and daughter-in-law, her charities, and her exercise classes. Then there is the travel agent, Ann, who works for the "Ramblin' Motor Homes". The three people are not too sharp at acting as yet, but they do have potential with some help. That's where the Baron comes in as director. One of the problems of directing amateurs here is that everyone seems to have a suggestion. That's what seniors do. When they ask if they can make a suggestion, I say, "No!" and this stuns them and puts them into shock. Then at rehearsals, when their husbands, wives, or relatives are there and one of them interrupts and says, "Baron, may I make a suggestion?" I at once say "No!" Once the director accepts hearing one suggestion then everyone else expects him to accept their suggestions. Pretty soon, Chaos comes marching in.

....I try to explain to the would-be-suggesters that a director is analogous to an artist. The stage is his canvas, and the actors are his colors. He moves them around according to his vision of the play, and if he listens to and accepts a suggestion, then it's akin to the artist handing his brush to someone to paint their suggestion upon his canvas. Then it's not the artist's work any longer. No one would dare offer a suggestion to Rembrandt or Alfred Hitchcock or Clint Eastwood. Or, consider the director as a writer whose stage is his book and whose performers are his "words". If he allows a suggester to come up to him and type a few sentences into his "book", then it's not his work anymore. No one would dare offer a suggestion to Ernest Hemingway. If the director asks a performer to do something his way, and it turns out badly, then he's responsible and is prepared for the blame. But it is his function to reveal his own vision of how it is to be played. However, there is nothing wrong with an actor saying, "Mr. director sir, can we try this line in a different way?" And the director most likely would say, "OK. Let's see how it plays." In this case. it's clear that the actor has not asked if he could make a suggestion, but accomplishes his desire in an acceptable and professional way


.....Insofar as my "English lesson" yesterday, is concerned, there are a couple of comments that are most welcome and encouraging there. My concern is that language study in schools ought not to be prescriptive, but as my "lesson" indicated it is best taught descriptively having students study the oral structures of the language they are trying to learn--not how language is written. Writing is merely a poor representation of the sounds of a language. And, thankfully, this is all I'm going to say about it. This blog is not a whole classroom. And do I hear a big cheer go up? Oh, I do believe I mentioned that my son, Joel, has published a book which in a few weeks will be offered for sale on the internet. It's called "Phases of the Moon."

Now, the family has three books published: "Memoirs of a Tailgunner," "Patriot Dreams," and "Phases of the Moon." Baron thinks that's very unusual. Don't forget the publication of five volumes of "Pater Noster in Condoland," as well as two books of poetry, "Addenda," in color, and "Shadows in the Sunset."

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