Director's Journal, Don Kuehlhorn--- Charley's Aunt.

December 6, 1999
The Die is cast. I have auditions beginning in a few minutes and, like directors before me, I hope someone shows up. I have 9 characters to cast, some of them very specific in age and gender.  I have heard that several scripts have been loaned out. It is a pleasure to know that someone has taken the time to read the script before auditioning.

December 8, 1999
Too many plays being presented that use people! I could not cast the show completely with those that auditioned. I had needs for some young folks and four older individuals. I didn't get enough to cast the young ones and too many for the older roles. Even then I didn't get all the older roles cast because I didn't get the proper gender mix. I think, in part, few auditioned because of the current run of "Annie", the current rehearsal of "Inherit the Wind" and the pending "Jesus Christ Superstar" auditions that took the actor pool done to zero. What to do?  I cast who I could and will look for people to fill the holes. I have 8 weeks. Plenty of time!!!

December 13, 1999
First rehearsal of "Charley's Aunt". The cast is not complete but I only have one role left and have decided to do it  myself if I can't fill it. I still have plenty of time. The rehearsal process, initially, will consist of finding the acting level of the principals. I remember that the gentlemen I cast have limited acting experience. First to teach then to act.

December 21, 1999
We have a complete cast and will begin rehearsals with a focus now. We are beginning the rehearsal process by working the three gents alone, letting everyone else read their book and be ready after the first of the year.
I have impressed upon the cast the necessity to get off book as quickly as possible. One of the cast members tried so hard that I had to tell him to slow down a bit. He doesn't understand why he can't memorize this script in a week end! Reminds me of me a bit!
I haven't settled on a set design yet. I thought about all painted sets in pastels included drawing the furniture on flats and making something surrealistic. After rereading the script i might go for real furniture and very minimal set pieces. I don't want to change too much during intermissions.

January 4, 2000
I didn't miss a beat when I wrote the date. I am Y2K compliant!  I have not had rehearsal for the past week because of illness in the cast. I wanted to rehearse the three gents during the holidays but one took sick and all that is out the window. Normally, a drama takes 6 weeks of rehearsal anyway and that is precisely what we have. I begin again with the entire cast tonight(i hope, snow is in the air). If the full cast shows up, we will all meet for the first time, very exciting.
I plan to cut the play in scenes and block the scenes seperately. We have performers who live far away and i don't want them driving in for two lines. It will be enough when we get to running full shows. One more little difficulty is the auditiions for a mainstage show are on tonight and tomorrow night. They audition upsatirs but the traffic for bathrooms and such will be a distraction. show Business!!!

January 6, 2000
I had the rehearsal the last two nights. We haven't heard from some cast members and don't know what to do. I have phone calls into them and await with anxiety what will happen. I, originally, was to play one of the parts we couldn't cast. We found someone for that part. I can't play the parts of the members not present (wrong age and/or gender).
What rehearsal we did have went well. The people responded and brought some acting stuff along with them. It is always exciting  to start rehearsals and see the actors have prepared for them. Looking to tonight for one missing actor and hearing from another.

January 10, 2000
New rehearsal tonight. I have replaced one actor and moved another actor to a different role. I may replace another actor tonight! The actors missed rehearsals and never called or contacted us in anyway. I have done my best to let everyone have the benefit of the doubt but some one not showing for rehearsal impacts the rest of the cast. I will walk away from this show when we have our technical rehearsal. The director has nothing more to do , in my vision of directing a show. The actors have to go on and perform for 7 performances. If an actor doesn't fell like rehearsing or considering the work of the others in the cast then I can't work with them., OPh well, tonight we start again. I look forward to the challenge.

January 11, 2000
Last Monday Allie McBeal was stood up for lunch. He liked the guy very much and was hurt by the no-show, no-cal. She was discussing this with her friend and both decided he had better be dead. Just then he walked in and said that he was sorry about not being at lunch but he was almost killed by a car. We didn't have such as extreme case and don't ever want it, however one of our performers didn't show up and we were deciding how to handle it, what with all the problems we were having.  We, finally, got a phone call towards the end of rehearsal from the actor saying she had been in an accident, totaled her car and was sorry about not being there. She is alright and will be at rehearsal tonight.
I am too aggressive about directing. I expect the actors to be off book and perfect in following my infallible and brilliant stage directions! Well, upon reflection, they are not so infallible and not nearly as brilliant, once I look at them again. AND... it takes time to get all the parts, script, action, personalities melded together. We have time. I must have patience.

January 14, 2000
Oh Happy days!!!! We just had a rehearsal where all the ladies were present. They are committed and doing fine work. We have a meeting next Monday with several gentlemen that have a genuine interest in doing the show, script unseen!
The last couple of days have been tough. Both myself and the cast have wondered when we will call off the play and do something else or get the personnel to get "Charley's Aunt" up.  You could see in my attitude and the casts that we wanted to do it but didn't know if we were working for nothing. Last night it came together. Hurray!!!!!

January 19, 2000
Several rehearsals into the play and we have blocked most of the men's parts. I had scheduled the ladies to come in next week just to give the guys time to get acquainted with their roles. It seems they are working harder than i thought. We may need the ladies sooner. This is a good thing!
We have about 4 weeks before we go up. We must rehearse out of the building on Thursdays because the Mainstage production needs all the room. They have Dress Rehearsal the 20th and no rehearsals or other activities can interfere with Dress or performance.
We begin set construction and properties accumulation this Saturday. This is thrilling!!!!!

January 27, 2000

We have had rehearsals and rehearsals. We have, also, had people miss for various reasons. It is hard to keep the consistancy when we can't have everybody at rehearsal! One of the players is out with strep. We asked her not to return til she is well. We don't need strep in the cast. When you get to three  weeks you want the play to look polished and wonderful. It never is but you always hope. I know it will get better so I am pushing the cast to get off book and start to act. we'll get there!

January 28, 2000

Last night we talked about character. I asked each actor what he/she thought about her/his character. Where did they come from? Are they angry, dumb, naive? For those that were there, it felt like a good experience. We found some things that helped answer some questions in the actors minds of why they were doing a move or action. Unfortunately, not all could be there early. When I put the question to the late arrivals, the energy of the moment was lost. Though helpful, it did not have the same impact. We progress none the less!

February 1, 2000

We meet tonight for the first time with the entire cast. We are two weeks out and need to work hard!
'Couple of nights ago I was accosted by one of the performers and made aware that I should direct more! I replied that the person should be off book before I can "direct" more. I understand the point. I do guide how the performers think on stage. I have the responsibility to form them into one working unit. My point is that I can't memorize lines for them and I can't generate the internal energy for them. If they bring it, I can use it. We'll see tonight if we get some progress on the book business.
All the performers have good stage sense, even the new performers. They don't realize how hard this really is.
Gotta learn sometime.

February 7, 2000

I see light at the end of the tunnel! We have a week and two days, as of this writing , before we go up. I thought, last night, I saw a play peeking out. That must mean the light is not another train.
We have had good attendance at rehearsals though they don't show on time. Most are off book for part of the play. That is a worry since we have such a short time left. When the performers drop their books the play picks up. Some don't realize that they hurt the entire play when they hang onto the book. If the play is better without the book think of what it can be when you get off early and practice with the other actors off book! We are an avocation and as such life must take precedence. I don't have any lines to memorize so I can talk at length about getting off book. 

February 8, 2000

Last night we set up the audience risers and set chairs. Now, when the performers come in they will see how close it is to opening,(music up: another opening, another show,la ,la ,la: fade music). When we run this show it looks alright. how can it look great when we're not off book?  Tonight we run the play without one of the key players. He has a paying gig that i can't deny him. That means i read the lines and can't give full attention to the play and notes. maybe a good thing!

February 9, 2000

Hold you left hand in front of you such that you fore arm is parallel with the ground. Hold your right hand such that it is level with your shoulder.  The space between your hands is similar to the experience level of community theater players. Some have none or very little, some have years. There are disparities between similar levels of experience as well. Call it talent.
Our play has new theater people and experienced theater people. A director has to educate the new people and provide a challenge for the experienced people. This is not the only task for a director but, in community theater, one of the most challenging.
How do you measure the directors success? Watch the show then ask the actors.

February 10, 2000

Last night I had to get tough with my cast. We were progressing so well that it just had to let down sometime. Last night was it. We had lost a member of the cast to the flu so I read for him. Naturally I gave the blocking so I didn't know any of it. I moved pretty near what they expected but not quite. Other things, also, intruded to give us a disasterous rehearsal. Tonight we regroup. I will not let us fail from my side. I will tell them they can't fail from their side. They have to climb every hurdle presented. The promise of an audience and the applause given will be worth it!

February 11, 2000

Peace! Two days to straighten my head out so that I can do what i have to do. Last night we had the entire cast present,  finally. Some came late but all were there. The rehearsal was better than the night before but still depressing to watch. They can do better.
The blocking, i thought we agreed upon, changes before my very eyes. I have actors not off book thinking about improving the set! In short, community theater.
The play will entertain the audience. As a director I want it better than that. The frustration I feel, and I believe most directors feel, stems from seeing something and never quite achieveing it. Like any artist, you can never truly succeed. The piece will have to do until the next one. I have to control my frustration so that I don't take it out on the actors who have worked very hard under difficult circumstances.
Wait until I get cast. Let some one else get frustrated!

February 13, 2000

I write this, uncharacteristically, before the rehearsal today. I look forward to this day of challenge. This is tech Sunday, the Sunday before our opening performance. Today we should be putting everything together, the lights, the costumes, and more. Talk about confusion.
I have railed on my cast to get off book and think about blocking because any new item introduced into the play now will add confusion. Tech Sunday will add that confusion and test the cast's knowledge and patience.
Last rehearsal (or was it the one before that?) I told them about the work they should do to perform. If they weren't sweating when they got off stage they didn't work hard enough. If they didn't worry night after night how their part was going, they weren't working hard enough. It may look easy to memorize lines and stand on stage and deliver but when it looks easy and the audience believes it, the performer has worked and sweated to be at ease on stage. Today I want to mop the floor after our rehearsal.

February 14, 2000

Whew, got through Tech Sunday without much pain. We ran the play once, then ate pizza and ran several scenes after that. It is a play. Still some work to do. We have some lines to learn still. The blocking could be better. Some spaces in the dialog could use tightening up. But, like most plays just prior to opening, we need an audience to give us the final pump of adrenalin.
When learning lines and blocking the actor can only go so far before it isn't fresh and vibrant. When an audience, even one person, is present the actors get both fear of forgetting lines and excitement at making the audience believe. this energy brings some intangible that sparks the play. Wednesday night we get our first audience. Call the fire department!

February 16, 2000 (Dress Rehearsal)

This is it! Tonight the books stay backstage no matter what. The lines have to be there. We have an audience. This is Dress Rehearsal. The Monday night rehearsal showed actors where they needed help. Boy did it ever. some found out they had to look at their scripts more, they weren't off book! Some found nuances when they couldn't fall back on the book. All in all a good rehearsal.
Tonight we play to a real audience. If the cast hasn't bonded yet, they will tonight. A play is a team event. You depend on your fellow actors to be there with lines and action or the play doesn't work. When that happens you feel embarrassed because you didn't give the audience what you wanted to give. You didn't entertain. When an actor forgets a line(goes up), or skips lines or pages of script(jumps), the on-stage actors must know when to stay with the actor or help bring the actor back to the proper place in the script. Very difficult work! The dependency developed by actors on stage for one another is palpable. Then we go drink!!!

February 18, 2000

We opened last night and I said good-bye to the cast last night. I feel that I can only direct until the opening night then the cast and stage manager must hold the course through the run. Last night, I told the cast that I would talk theater with them till sunrise but the play was theirs and no matter what I agreed or disagreed with, I would not direct them on this play again. They fly on their own.
When you come to see "Charley's Aunt" you will see a cast that came together under very difficult circumstances. We didn't have the "normal" rehearsal schedule. We didn't have the "normal" community theater experience. Maybe for these reasons, the cast formed a bond that caused our play to come alive last night. Lines were missed, blocking not quite there, in short a community thearter show. Yet, through all that, the cast picked each other up, kept to the script and presented the audience with a show that you would like to come back to see again and again.
If you see the show, we would like you comments. Please feel free to e-mail(Don Kuehlhorn) your thoughts and, if any, criticisms of our play. We have thick skins and learn from others because we know you only want to help. I will post them here for all to see.
This is my last entry for this production. I am pushing furniture now, longing to get back into a play either on stage or directing. As I watch my cast I am jealous that they get to have all the fun now... but very very happy and honored to have worked with them.

d