After a whirlwind few weeks at Cannes, a lot of travel, and a head cold that decided to follow me home, I’m finally getting caught up with all of you. If you’ve been waiting for a reply from me in your inbox or DMs, thank you for your patience. I’m working my way through everything now and should be fully caught up by next week.
One of the things I missed most while I was away was hearing the incredible stories that always pop up in this lounge. So let’s jump back in with a fun one.
If you’ve been acting long enough, you’ve probably received a piece of direction that made absolutely no sense at first.
I’ve heard actors talk about getting notes like: “I need less confidence but more certainty.” or "Be more purple."
The creative process can be wonderfully strange, and directors, acting coaches, and casting professionals often use unusual language to help actors unlock something unexpected in a performance.
What’s the weirdest piece of feedback or direction you’ve ever received?
Did it help? Did it completely confuse you? Did it become one of those notes you’ll never forget?
And for the directors in the room, what’s the strangest note you’ve ever given that somehow got exactly the result you were looking for?
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I remember doing a Shakespeare scene, and the director gave me and my scene partner a bit of direction, which we incorporated. The next day, she gave us completely contradictory notes to what she told us the previous day. We incorporated that...then were given the notes from the first day...which contradicted the notes from the day before... Suffice it to say, that was a difficult minefield to navigate. My scene partner and I were at least able to pull off the scene (which did elicit some really cool reactions from the audience).
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That sounds like THE COMEDY OF ERRORS Doug Kayne Curious if you pointed this out to the director.
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Oh, we pointed it out on the second round of contradictions, Suzanne Bronson. The director was…unburdened with wanting to clear it up for us. At some point, we just decided to go with the flow and not enter into any conflict, as she was pretty high-ranking in the theater company. My scene partner was an absolute rock star and great actress, so at least I had fun breaking down the scene and rehearsing with her. Plus, she helped make me better, so I feel like I still came out on top.
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Doug Kayne What impresses me most about your story isn’t the contradictory direction. It’s that you and your scene partner stayed flexible enough to navigate it together and still deliver a performance that connected with the audience. I think adaptability is one of the most underrated skills in this industry. We spend so much time talking about talent, but the ability to adjust, collaborate, take notes, pivot, and keep moving forward when things get messy is invaluable.
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My years of improv and children's theater has definitely helped my on-stage flexibility, Ashley Renée Smith. After all, anything can (and will!) happen onstage...