Character Inspiration: Theatre Director
Photo credit: Jaime Vedres
Gail Hanrahan is a professional actor and director based in Alberta, Canada. She worked as a professor for over 30 years at the University of Calgary and the University of Lethbridge.
WBS: Can you give a bit of background as to what got you interested in theatre? How did you first start out?
Gail: I think I always wanted to be an actress. When I was a kid, I would do certain “characters” for family or friends. What I was most interested in and still am, is humans’ emotions. I thought about going into psychology too.
I did a couple of plays in school but there wasn’t much going on in our school. Then in CEGEP (college bridge in Quebec between high school and university) I was in an improv club. I remember being a cook for a weekend with a friend for some kind of scout camp and we just improved as different characters together all weekend. I think it just came naturally.
I then did my undergraduate in the English department (Drama program) at McGill. And that was it!
In 1988 I moved to Calgary to do an MFA in Directing at the U of C. Then I freelanced in theatre and film and taught part-time at the U of C, until I came to the U of L in 2005.
WBS: As a director, how far in advance do you start working on a show before the actors show up? Can you share what sort of things you would do to prepare for rehearsals?
Gail: Good question but it really depends on who I am directing for and design deadlines, casting deadlines, etc.
For example, at the U of L it might be six months because preliminary set and costume designs are due in the summertime, even for spring shows. Of course, to be able to discuss design ideas with designers you need to know the play super well already.
In the professional world, you have less early design deadlines, but you must cast quite early if you want the best actors. Usually by summer months the company’s whole season can be cast. Again, you need to know the characters’ arcs quite well to cast. You have to know the relationships that the audience needs to understand visually sometimes, and whether a character is a higher or lower status character, who wins in the end, etc.
My preference is probably somewhere in the three months zone.
For rehearsals I would want to know everything about the context of the play—when it was written, what was happening in the country it was written in at that time, the time of year, the time of day of each scene, the level of tension, not to mention what kind of comedy it is, or what type of drama if it’s a drama. Connotation and denotation of each word, phrase, etc. There is so much it is impossible to list everything here, but these are some examples.
Depending on the phase of rehearsal, what I would prepare is different. The beginning is a lot more work! Blocking to tell the story visually and relationally takes the most time. And of course, you have to marry what you’ve prepared with what the actors bring to rehearsal. The more experienced professional actors need much less input, and you need a sharpened gaze to make sure from the outside that they are telling the right story.
WBS: In general, what are you looking for from actors during auditions? Are there ever any red flags that would cause you to pass over an otherwise promising actor?
Gail: I look for compatibility between actors and characters to a certain extent, but mostly I look for the best overall actors. Or the funniest if it’s a comedy. The vulnerability the actor is willing to show, the openness. And whether they can be directed by me, whether they are willing to be directed by me.
Red flags are hard. I’ve missed a few. I guess the most important for me would be if I can feel reluctance to try things. Or the ability to try different things if they’re a student or very emerging actor.
WBS: Could you break down what a day in the life would look like as a director during rehearsals?
Gail: In the professional theatre world, rehearsals are 10-6 everyday for 6 days a week! Production meetings would be weekly, usually after or before rehearsals. Meetings with designers as well. At night I would be working on blocking, reflecting on anything that didn’t work during rehearsal, listening to music provided by the sound designer or composer, etc. It is more than a full-time job. I would say often 12 hours a day all in all. Tech rehearsals are called 10-out-of-12s meaning usually 10–10 for everyone involved.
WBS: Leading up to a show, who are some of the key people you would be collaborating with on a daily or weekly basis?
Gail: I’ve spoken about designers already. Then maybe a meeting or two with the Artistic Director of the company. At least a couple of production meetings which include everyone I’ve already mentioned plus production managers, technical directors, media liaisons, and specialty artists depending on what the production requires like fight directors, choreographers, musical directors, projection designers, etc. All of the creative artists except actors would require meetings throughout the process.
WBS: What is your favourite part of being a director? Or if it's too hard to narrow down, a few of your favourite parts?
Gail: Probably my favourite place to be in the world is a rehearsal room. I love tech rehearsals, sitting in the dark, watching lighting cues being built.
I love rehearsal with great actors—creating together. Sometimes you’re watching something hilarious, sometimes being really touched. I like the minutia of the last rehearsals, how a turn of the head or some specific gestures at exactly the right place can say so much.
I like the non-verbal.
WBS: What is your least favourite part?
Gail: Writing director’s notes for the program!
Difficult relationships with actors…
The frailty of some actors, especially younger ones who have evolved in careful training.
I love the fact that you are in a room everyday with people of most ages, but the clash of generations is sometimes difficult.
WBS: What would you say are the key skills or traits that a successful director should have?
Gail: Being a good communicator is probably the most important. Communication is so much more than words and directors need other “‘languages.” And an interest in communicating in other ways.
Having the interest and ability to dissect minute parts of text, to mine plays and dig deep.
Curiosity.
WBS: What is a favourite show you've worked on? What made it so special?
Gail: Oh wow. That is impossible to answer!
Different ones for different reasons. I’ve greatly enjoyed probably 80% of them, truly.
WBS: What would you say is the most important thing that directing has taught you about life?
Gail: That humans are very complex, and they often don’t know why they say and do things. Is it biology, is it psychology? When I’m directing an actor as a character, I am studying both at the same time. Not to mention the playwright and myself all in the context of humanity as a whole!
Thank you so much, Gail!