Respect Matters
Over the last few blogs, I've talked about storytelling, commitment and why every role contributes to the story being told. This time, I want to talk about something that sits at the heart of every great company I've ever worked with.
Respect.
Not because it's a nice thing to have, but, because without it, everything else becomes harder. One of the things I love most about theatre is that it brings together people with completely different strengths. Some people are incredible singers. Some are brilliant dancers. Some instinctively understand character. Some are fantastic at harmonies. Some can learn choreography in minutes. Some are the people everybody turns to when they need help running lines. No one person is good at everything. That's exactly why we need each other!
The strongest companies & casts I've worked with have never been the ones where everybody was competing. They've been the ones where people were supporting each other. If somebody is struggling with choreography, somebody helps. If somebody is unsure of a harmony, somebody helps. If somebody needs to run lines, somebody helps. If somebody has had a difficult day, somebody checks in. Those things might seem small. But they're often the things that make a rehearsal room feel safe, supportive and creative; because, theatre isn't about proving you're better than the person next to you. It's about creating something together.
I think one of the biggest misunderstandings in theatre is the difference between confidence and arrogance. I love confidence. I want performers to believe in themselves. I want them to walk into an audition room knowing they've worked hard and prepared well. I want them to trust their abilities and be proud of the work they've put in. But confidence and arrogance are not the same thing. To me, confidence is believing in your own ability. Arrogance is looking down on somebody else's- and I have very little patience for that.
One of the things I've learned as a director is that casting is rarely as simple as people think it is. It's a puzzle. A company is a puzzle. A production is a puzzle. Sometimes the person who gets a lead role isn't necessarily the strongest singer in the room. Sometimes they're simply the right person for that particular role. Sometimes another performer has a very specific skill that the production needs elsewhere. Sometimes it's about chemistry.Sometimes it's about balance. Sometimes it's about telling the story as effectively as possible. The point is, being cast in a particular role doesn't make somebody better than anybody else. It means they were right for that role, in that production, at that moment. That's all.
One thing I pay attention to, both in auditions and rehearsals, is how people treat others. Not just the people they think are important. Everyone. How they treat fellow performers. How they treat creative teams. How they treat backstage teams. How they treat venue staff. How they treat the person signing them in at the door. Because respect isn't something you switch on when it suits you. It's something you demonstrate consistently.
I say that auditions start the moment you walk through the door. And I mean that. Not because I'm looking for perfection. But because I'm looking for people who understand that theatre is a collaborative art form. The people I remember most aren't always the most talented. They're the people who work hard. The people who support others. The people who celebrate somebody else's success. The people who make a rehearsal room feel better because they're in it. The people who respect the process and the people around them. Those are the people I want to work with again. Those are the people who build strong companies. And those are the people who make great theatre possible.
