As a director, I would strive to find multidisciplinary examples and resources for designers…

to inspire their journey in each department of the production. These multidisciplinarity examples proved to be useful to designers time and time again, so I wondered if this same practice could be shared in the rehearsal room. In creating my Exploring Character Through Artwork for University Theatre’s production of The Moors, I worked to give actors prompts unique to their production that would help guide their character exploration in a non-traditional exercise.

By assigning actors this project at the start of the rehearsal process, they are tasked to have their project completed by one of the first rehearsals. Once complete, I hold an independent meeting with each actor to discuss their projection, going prompt by prompt, asking them to explain their finding and connect my analysis of the play to their artwork. Through this, a character-centered conversation is started. Actors are challenged to view their character and their circumstance through an alternative lens. While making it more of a challenge, it opens actors’ eyes to new approaches of analysis.

To ensure these findings are not lost, each actor’s project is then printed and posted on a bulletin board collage that lives in the rehearsal space from blocking the first page to last dress. Showing the value of independent character exploration and the hard work of actors.

Blank PDF Templates From Past Production:

Exploring Character Through Artwork - Ava Coffman Luckcuck (Bernadette, Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons):

Exploring Character Through Artwork - Ivy Shankle (Marjory/ Mallory, The Moors):