Well we open tonight, and I made a mistake last night. The cast had a terrible time struggling to make the show work because one actor doesn't know his lines and doesn't follow his blocking, and makes long self indulgent pauses....and starts every line with another character's name because while he tries to remember what he is supposed to say.
SO - after trying to deal with him privately, I felt I had to talk to the group as a group and called him out on his NOT LEARNING HIS LINES the way he promised he would, NOT following the blocking - I told him I was the director and he was to do it the way I told him, not the way he wanted to, that he left too many people standing around waiting for him to talk...they gave him time....but he never picked up the lines.
It was a terrible way to end the rehearsal period, and go into the opening, and now I am sorry I did it....
So there you are. I don't know what will happen. He got up and ran out the back door after the notes....didn't speak to anyone. And I have heard nothing from anyone this morning....although most of us talked briefly before breaking up.....
Terrible situation. Directors, if you think you should can someone during rehearsals - do it. Don't wait....do it. Otherwise these are your shoes, and they are very uncomfortable.
