The Courier: It's Not Too Late

Last week I was advised to change my set so there was more space between the pieces. Angling the furniture slightly was also recommended to create better sightlines.

I felt incredibly overwhelmed by these suggestions because I thought it was too late to make such extensive changes. These changes would impact my blocking, lighting, and force the actors to make adjustments they weren't expecting to. Because of feeling so overwhelmed, I worked with Liz after class and she helped me adjust my set and walk through lighting changes I'd need to make. She also stressed the fact that actors adapt to changes like these very quickly so I shouldn't worry about that.

I ended up moving the desk/chair far stage left and angling it toward audience left. This might not sound like a dramatic change but it felt incredibly different for me. Angling furniture has always been an especially difficult thing for me to do because I find it very aesthetically displeasing. This is the first time I've been able to angle a set piece and not feel distracted by it so I have felt very excited about the change.

These changes have also helped the play blossom. The actors did adapt quickly and are thriving in the amount of space they have available to them. The space between the pieces further assists in highlighting my concept of the disjointed structure of memories because it forces the audiences' eyes to constantly shift to different points of the stage, and consequently, shift between different points in time. Overall, this change is a simple one yet a real breakthrough for me as a director, and also improves the piece as a whole through the elements mentioned above.

Making changes to your play in the later stages of the process can be difficult, nerve racking, and confusing, however, these changes are often necessary for making the piece the best that it can be. After seeing the company run-thrus the last two nights, I'm so grateful I listened to my advisor and pushed myself to a place of discomfort because the payoff has been incredible. Seeing my actors thrive in the entire space the Lab Theater provides while also better highlighting my concepts and vision I am striving to bring to life, has been wonderful to experience.

This experience and the corresponding feelings it brought wouldn't have happened if I didn't stop telling myself, "it's too late."

Stay tuned for more,

- Lindsey Esch