On the need for actors and directors to collaborate on failure on the road to success
Renowned playwright Romulus Linney once visited Baylor University for a festival in his honor, at which he got to sit in on a dress rehearsal of one of his plays by professional actors. After the run-through, it was apparent that the actors had been working hard to impress him. This troubled him and afterwards during notes he exclaimed “F[orget] me, play the action!”
One of my first realizations as a director, is that some actors (especially young actors, though more experienced actors are not immune, as the above example illustrates) are desperate to not only succeed artistically, but to please the director. While this can be flattering, and send some directors (or the playwright, in Linney’s case) on a short-lived ego trip, the truth is that this second source of motivation – to please the director – can actually stifle creativity and end up hampering the actors’ – and the production’s – success.
Actors cannot be expected to deliver the appropriate results if their creativity is misguided or squelched by a fear of displeasing a person in a position of authority. In order to ensure a successful production, therefore, the primary job of an effective director (or teacher or coach, for that matter) is to create and foster an atmosphere in which the actors can thrive and do their best work.
Since directors – by the very nature of the title – are in a position of authority, the risk is to use that authority to dictate how something must be done, not just what must ultimately be accomplished. There needs to be an attempt to free the actors to be true artistic collaborators, and leverage their unique skillset to propel the production further than what would be possible if one of the actors’ objectives was simply to please the director.
This is what led me to develop my “philosophy of failure.”
The Philosophy of Failure.
One method for enabling actors to succeed is to enable them to fail without fear of reproach (whether spoken or insinuated). At the beginning of rehearsal for every new production, I tell the actors, “I expect you to fail.” I sometimes get puzzled looks when an actor hears me say that, but then I explain that I expect them to always be trying new things and bringing new ideas to the table. Of course when an actor, or anyone for that matter, is constantly trying to find new and better ways to do things, they are bound to find several things that do not work. I tell them that I would love to see each actor “fail” at least three times in every rehearsal. If I do not see an actor failing – in other words, occasionally making a bold choice that simply does not work – then they are not trying hard enough. Laying down the idea that I expect them to “fail” frees up the actor to explore their character without fear. They can make bolder choices without worrying about being shot down or belittled if the choice did not work.
As an added bonus, the subject of failure often becomes an opportunity to lighten the mood during rehearsals. For example, in one instance, when an actor made an obviously inappropriate character choice, he said, “There’s one failure; only two more to go!” The ability to laugh at oneself and along with (and not at) other’s failures can make the process enjoyable.
Of course, the only true failure is the failure to “try, try again,” and if an actor is unable to fail their way to a successful outcome, then it is not ultimately the actor’s failure, but the director’s – for failing to enable the actor’s success.
Under this “philosophy of failure,” actors take ownership of their choices and play them more strongly than they might otherwise. Though it seems somewhat counterintuitive, readily accepting input from the actors makes them more readily accept direction, because they know that they can trust the director to act in the best interests of the production.
Failure in Practice
Once the director has laid out a clear vision of what the production is meant to look and feel like, including initial commentary on the characters and themes of the story, it is important to engage in “the philosophy of failure.”
When an actor said something like, “I do not think my character would do this, I think he would do that,” the director should respond as often as possible with “Try it.” After trying the new idea, the follow-up question should be a neutral, “How did it feel?” or “How did it work for you?” The actors seem instinctively to know when a choice made the scene stronger or weaker. The things that worked, you keep. I am always grateful to have actors bold enough to bring their ideas forward. When things don’t work, we keep exploring new ways to accomplish what we need to do.
Giving the actors enough space to try different things, even when you are not convinced that the choice is appropriate can actually speed up the character creation process. How? Ironically, when an actor is able to come to his or her own conclusion about a character, they are more quick to own it and build on it, as opposed to having character choices dictated to them, which they then have to try to reconcile with their own ideas throughout the process. When you tell an actor how to do something once, chances are you’ll keep having to do it again and again because you have shut down their creativity.
For young or emerging actors, accepting that “failure” is just as much – if not more – a part of the artistic process as “nailing it” the first time, is an essential part of their growth as professionals. The earlier and more often they can embrace “the philosophy of failure” means they can fail faster, and more rapidly become the kind of actor who “nails it” quickly and consistently.
For directors, learning to accept that bold failures on the part of actors can be a surefire – and ultimately faster – way to move a production from inception to aesthetically successful realization, can be a powerful tool in their toolkit.
How About You?
What are some creative ways you’ve been able to leverage “failure” into success, as an actor, director, teacher? Click the button to leave a comment!