ABSTRACT
For collaborative work to be truly effective, actors and the director should each work alone on the text before trying out a scene together. Their preparatory work will overlap, creating checks and balances in which action, motivations, and meanings come under multiple examinations. This helps avoid omissions and draws usefully partisan perceptions from the actors. Their viewpoints may not all be compatible with yours or each other’s because each sees the world of the text more from their own character’s perspective. The director leads the process of coordinating and reconciling these viewpoints, making it a creative dialogue rather than a battle of wills. For this the director should be evenhanded, holistic, and speaking for the needs of a general audience.
