Carlotta first read - staying out of the way

Pictured left: Gintare measures Galen while playwright Will looks on and sound designer Tom studies his script.
Stay out of the way. Directors, myself included, often state this at the first rehearsal as the smart thing to do, less we screw up the play, but I'm not sure how often we really mean it. I direct cause I love to direct right? But this time when I said it, I knew I really need to mean it.
Will's words really need to fly off the page without too much encumbrance. And tonight they really flew. The actors were perfectly in line with them. And now, as with most plays, we spend the rehearsal period trying to get back to that "perfect" first read. Working towards capturing each uninhibited, spontaneous moment over and over again. Stay out of the way, Filmer.