Stage Directions

Design drawings. Sometimes they come in late. There are times when not all the information is on the drawing. A designer has actually said ‘I wish you would have told me that you were going to build it the way I drew it.’ Then there are times you’re sitting in the production meeting and you find out a whole lot about the drawing you were given just the day before. Usually this doesn’t stress me but for Henry V the drawing for the throne had an exploded view as most drawings do. This wasn’t just for details sake, it was because at the beginning of the play, during the first monologue, the nine-member cast has to take one part each and build Henry’s throne onstage. So, challenge one—the cast has to put a chair together and it has to be in nine pieces. Challenge two—during the production meeting I find out that the chair has to be pushed over carpet and so will need casters. Challenge number three—the director also wants an actor to stand on the throne and be pushed around the stage, on the carpet. So again, I see all our challenges; I see our limited budget; and I have to complete this in two weeks.