Tips for Directing Little Mermaid
Make it Sparkle Video with David Peterson
Theatre Director & Teacher
4:00 (runtime)
Director’s Notes
The first point stressed by Theatre Director and Teacher David Peterson is to plan transitions before even starting to block scenes or deciding the design elements. Understanding how to smoothly move from one point to another guides the staging of actors and sets.
David suggests designing versatile set pieces and preparing for quick crossfades to avoid long blackouts. He makes the point that in today's fast-paced media environment, audiences disengage quickly during lengthy pauses.
With the intention of retaining audience engagement, David emphasizes the importance of swift scene transitions. He cites an example from his production of "The Fastest Woman Alive", where he ensured the show moved quickly with no blackouts except for intermission.
David proposes a strategy of placing scenes strategically on stage, for example, one scene stage right, the next scene stage left, or just off-center. This technique enables the audience to follow the narrative more effortlessly as the scene fades and the lights come up on the other side.
He equates directing a theater production to directing a film, wherein the camera follows an extra to reveal the main scene. Similar camera work can be applied to the stage, taking advantage of depth and height, and not just right or left. David also suggests using curtains to set up scenes in the background.
To keep the audience engaged in transitions, Peterson provides the example of how, in a 'Little Mermaid' production, he extended the stage to incorporate a catwalk and made use of grand curtains. As characters moved across the stage, behind-the-scenes changes were being made, and by the time the characters reached the other side, the new scene was ready to be revealed.
About David Peterson
David Peterson has been doing theatre since the age of 9. A student of a creative and performing arts magnet school from the 4-12 grade and a graduate of Ball State University, Mr. Peterson loves doing all aspects theatre. He also holds a Master's degree form Lesley University. As an actor, designer, technician, or as a director, he loves seeing the art form come to life.
He currently serves as the director of theater and technical theatre at Chaparral High School in Parker, Colorado, an Outstanding Theatre School as named by Education Theatre Association. The Denver Center awarded him with the Outstanding Director Bobby G Award. Colorado State Thespians honored him as the 2014-15 high school teacher of the year. He was the proud director of Chaparral High School's main stage performances at the Colorado State Thespian Conferences with their production of Go Back for Murder and Cash on Delivery. He directed the Chaparral production of Puck's Potion, a main stage selection at the International Thespian Conference.
He also directed several National Performing Arts Festival Showcase Winners in Orlando, Florida. He has had the honor and privilege of presenting workshops and serving on panels at USITT, AATE, Thespian and ACT conferences. He was an Apple Award finalist for Douglas County School District in 2015. He served as the treasurer for the Alliance for Colorado Theatre for 14 years. He currently serves as the performing arts department chair at Chaparral High School.