interview with director – tanya goldberg
I think theatre is an invitation to participation not exploitation. Good theatre should leave you choosing to participate in the questions it poses, it shouldn‟t let you sit back and then wonder what you‟re going to eat for dinner. That can happen in lots of different ways. If an audience is valued, that is, the piece has been made explicitly to share with them, then participation can flourish.
We’re thrilled that you’ve been available to direct The One Sure Thing at atyp. Could you tell me how this has been different to some of the other shows you’ve directed? A show of monologues has a whole different set of challenges from a standard play. The through-line of the whole needs to be constructed/imposed, rather than mined from the text, since there isn‟t just one text. Each piece needs to be interrogated and explored, with each actor, but every actor also needs to inhabit the world of the ensemble. So there are two different areas of focus: the individual pieces, and the greater piece that together they create. What do you look for when auditioning young actors? The same things I look for in any actor: their natural instincts and tendencies, their ability to be agile with choices, any ticks and habits that get in the way, how thoughts and body and voice come together to communicate ideas. The theme of the show, first experiences of death, could provoke quite strong responses in your audience. How do you ensure that you don’t exploit that response (or do you)?
How do you direct essentially quite individual pieces and give them a sense of cohesion? See the first answer! Also, a unifying design helps keep disparate pieces in the same visual world, and the way the ensemble travels from one piece to the next helps the audience make that journey too. Finally, I don‟t think that difference and contradiction per se is a problem – after all, we humans never behave consistently. We change our minds constantly, yet we are still the same person… I like that potential for contradiction, it allows for richness and complexity. What have been the challenges in directing 10 individual performances? Dealing with different actors, different levels of experience and understanding, and dealing with very different pieces, some of which are simple, others which would challenge even the most accomplished of performers. Flexibility and patience are essential! What advice would you give to aspiring young directors? Read: books, plays, magazines. See: theatre, movies, art. Hear: all different kinds of music. Live in the world. Eat good food. Get clear on your passions. Follow them. Don‟t ignore the details.