Directors, Keep it Simple with the Notes in Programs
by Rachel Wagner
For many theatregoers, the program is a throw-away item that they don’t give much thought to, but for a few of us weirdos, it is an essential part of our enjoyment of the night. I previously wrote about my sadness at the loss of paper programs in the digital era, and I stand behind that. Perhaps it’s the fidgeter in me, but I like having a paper guide to reference throughout the night. I also enjoy looking at the program for information about the cast, crew, and the company in question. Although it is sometimes forgotten in the age of digital programs, I even love reading the director's notes in the program.
Receiving some insight into the choices made by the director can be such a fun and enlightening way to add more nuance and texture to the theatre. That said, I would like to challenge directors to have a little more freedom in their director’s notes. Sometimes it feels like the directors almost want their play or musical to matter more than it necessarily needs to. Not every theatrical experience needs to be life-changing or cause deep pondering. I would love it if the director’s notes sometimes shared a goofy story of what happened in rehearsals, or talked about the challenges of making the particular sets, or how one ensemble member struggled with choreography. Details like that could add a nice layer to the play or musical we are enjoying. No larger social or political messaging needed!
What got me thinking about this is that the other day I was at a performance of Cats, and the director’s notes were quite lengthy about Cats and the importance of community. While I’m not saying this isn’t a valid take-away from this musical, it did feel like a bit of a reach for a singing and dancing feline show. I read it and thought, ‘can’t it just be about cats?’ I would have loved to have gotten some insight into the very creative set they designed or the costumes. It just doesn’t always have to be a profound life lesson to be valuable.
This is especially true if it is a show we all know and love. I don’t need to be told by the director that The Music Man is about love and redemption or that Into the Woods is about our stories not turning out the way they are supposed to. We all know. Tell us something unique about this production. Something that might surprise us or some new insight the director gleaned from this particular cast. Such feedback might also help us put any foibles we see in the production into context. For instance, if we read that a young cast really struggled with accents, we might be more forgiving if they aren’t perfect, making the overall production better.
I would also like to encourage companies to let others in the production contribute notes to the program (again, I know I am more interested in programs than the average gal, but it can add to the experience!) If the choreography was especially challenging for the cast, have a couple of paragraphs from the choreographer about the experience. If the costume designer went to extra lengths to make the outfits historically accurate, let them tell us about it. Especially with digital programs, there is no need to keep programs brief. Why not make it as detailed as possible? It adds to the immersion of the theatrical experience to know these details.
I’m sure that in the many months spent working on a project, a director thinks about the deeper themes and ideas behind projects and wants to share those thoughts with the audience, but it’s also okay to use the director’s notes to make us smile and give us a feel for what the experience has been like on and behind the stage.
What do you think of the director’s notes, and what are your favorite details in a program?