Last month, while in tech rehearsals for a student production of The Tempest at The Stella Adler Studio, I found myself explaining to the cast that many of our production’s innovative ideas originated directly from their insightful contributions. One actor’s question, asking if this collaborative approach was my standard practice, prompted a moment of reflection. My affirmative answer stemmed from the fact that collaboration has become so ingrained in my directorial process that its distinctiveness had faded from my own awareness.
This incident echoed a similar conversation with the cast of Rocco, Chelsea, Adriana, Sean, Claudia, Gianna, Alex, a devised show produced by The Private Theatre at HERE last Spring. I reminded them that every facet of that production was born from collaboration. The core concept, the narratives interwoven throughout the performance, the theatrical techniques employed to articulate these stories – all emerged through a synergistic effort among everyone involved in the show’s development.
Months prior, a retreat involving a dramaturg, two actors, an artistic director, a director, and a designer centered on the potential reimagining of a Shakespearean play. These dialogues sparked a profound revision, resulting in the removal of three significant characters and a fresh interpretation of numerous others. The weekend culminated in an exhilarating reading of our newly adapted script, a collective excitement fueled, I believe, by the dynamism of organized and focused collaboration. It’s not an exaggeration to say the weekend was pure creative ecstasy for everyone present.
Collaboration isn’t just a method; it’s fundamental to The Private Theatre’s mission and increasingly vital to my personal directorial philosophy. Recently, The Private Theatre was presented with an exciting proposition: developing a new Chekov project. Our initial discussions led to a groundbreaking decision: to initiate a dialogue between designers, actors, a dramaturg, a director, and a translator before a single draft of the play is even composed. This approach, where even the writing phase becomes a collaborative endeavor, is truly radical and exciting.
This collaborative trend resonates deeply with my early directorial experiences. My inaugural play with LAByrinth in 1999, a devised piece titled Dreaming in Tongues, stands as a testament to this belief. In that production, the actors themselves crafted their individual stories, selected their languages from a diverse palette of thirteen, and collectively constructed a world through gesture and movement. Much like with the Rocco, Chelsea cast, I emphasized to the Dreaming in Tongues ensemble that they were the architects of everything the audience was about to witness. That shared realization was profoundly moving, especially for me as a young director finding my way.
We have also undertaken two workshops for A Doll House, masterfully scripted by Royston Coppenger, who is also slated to work on the Chekov project previously mentioned. The most recent workshop, held at The Marble House Project in Dorset, Vermont, stands out as one of the most enriching collaborative experiences of my career. This production is set to be The Private Theatre’s next major undertaking. I am deeply confident that A Doll House will be significantly enhanced by our refined collaborative practices. Furthermore, I am equally certain that our future productions will continue to push the boundaries of deeper and more effective collaboration.
This emphasis on collaboration extends beyond artistic creation and into the very structure and operation of The Private Theatre. Our ongoing internal discussions about structure, procedures, and operational methods are also deeply rooted in our collaborative ethos, albeit directed towards a different set of objectives. I am hopeful that the core values that define us and our operational methods will guide us successfully into the future. While acknowledging that nothing can be taken for granted, I hold immense faith in my partners within this company. Our shared affection and dedication to collaboration, I believe, will undoubtedly steer us towards the next phase of our journey, a chapter that, no doubt, one of us will chronicle in the years to come.
