What is a “Dictator Director”?

• Madie Ashleigh

You will eventually run into someone in the theater world that you can’t get along with. Many are probably picturing that girl who watched too many episodes of Glee and thinks they are Rachel Berry. However, sometimes it can be the exact person that is in charge of the show. You may possibly be dealing with a “Dictator Director” and you don’t even know it.  You might even be asking yourself, what is that, to begin with?

DICTATOR DIRECTOR (NOUN)

a director who exercises absolute power over the cast and crew in result of being granted authority to do so.

I’ve personally dealt with a “Dictator Director” in my past and I can’t begin to describe the experience I went through. The audition process was fairly normal.

I walked in, read lines, sang a song, and I went home. I got a role and started rehearsals a couple of weeks later. The director started showing his true colors throughout the rehearsal process and I felt like I was a target. I didn’t understand why this was happening. I felt so alone until I started hearing fellow actors’ stories. I’ve decided to use those experiences to create a list of signs that you have a dictating director.

Sign One: They Tell You How To Act

It’s impossible to not feel robotic when a director is telling you how to say your lines and in what tone. A good, well-instructed director will more likely tell you to visualize what your character is feeling if they feel you’re not truly in tune with the character. They won’t pinpoint words in your character’s dialogue or teach you how to phrase things to get your point across.

Sign Two: Constant Changes

It’s often that directors need to make changes to the script. There are many cases where not as many people auditioned or an actor feels uncomfortable performing a stunt. Depending on the rights of the script, a director might want to add their own unique flair.

However, a director who is more reputable often will have their vision in mind by the start of rehearsals. A director who constantly changes stuff (stage directions, lines, props, etc) after a while in rehearsals is only making the process confusing for both actors and crew.

Sign Three: Interactions with the Cast/Crew

An issue that many actors run into while dealing with a dictating director is bad communication. Communication is a necessary skill in order to effectively bring your production to life and build a relationship with your cast & crew. One way to spot the difference between a good and dictating director is how they offer feedback. A good director will often make suggestions for your character and give constructive criticism while also giving positive feedback on things you did well. A dictating director will do the exact opposite vocalizing their feedback in a way that seems condescending. If you receive any type of positive feedback, it’s very minimal.

There are more things that happen on a case to case basis but these are the most common signs to those of us who have personally been victimized by a dictating director. My best advice when being in a production that runs unprofessionally, is to lean on your fellow actors as they might be going through the same thoughts and feelings you are. Many of them might have even experienced this before and can be a helpful resource to you.