A quick look at who does what on and off the stage

My last column about an actress who had overstepped ethical boundaries by disrespecting the authority of backstage colleagues brought some interesting mail. The writers, who wanted to know more about backstage ethics, didn't know much about theater, which made their correspondence even more intriguing. Maybe it's time for a brief look at who does what (and not).

• The playwright obviously supplies the words. According to the Dramatists Guild, no one may change any dialogue without the author's permission. Stage directions, locales, acting notes are almost always discretionary. (Directors often set a playwright's story in a different era.) It's amazing how many local actors think it's OK to approximate phrases. Good playwrights spend a lot of time trying to find just the right expressions, the right rhythms, and an actor should honor that.

(Interesting, though, that the writer's place is considerably less exalted in the motion picture industry. There, the producers have the right to do whatever they please with the material they've bought.)

• The producer supplies the money (and often stage space) and often will prowl around making sure certain standards are being met. But if he's a good person, he'll hide a lot.

• The director brings to life his own vision of what the writer's written. He's in charge (unless the star's wife is sleeping with the producer.) How nuts is Hamlet? Do the couples in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" really love one another? Is the play at heart a comedy or drama? The tough question here for the audience member is often, is the director trying to "steal" the play by inserting needless razzle-dazzle, or is he attempting a legitimate and perhaps new spin on an old tale?

• The actor uses his body to humanize the story. Since no two actors are exactly alike, the performer puts a unique stamp on the material. Hopefully, he's being true to the playwright's vision as seen through the director's eyes.

• The costumer is one of several technical crew heads who have to perform a tough balancing act. He needs to help create the director's world, be true to his own instincts, and help the actor be comfortable. This last requirement might be most neglected in academic theater, where the costumer is often a faculty member, and the actor is a lowly student. But with everything an actor has on his mind, why torture him further by forcing him to wear inappropriately uncomfortable clothes, just because the designer happens to like the shade?

This list is, of course, extremely edited, but I hope it suggests the dangers of being dictatorial and the benefits of give and take. The one exception might be when dealing with the genius who can do it all himself. I suspect, though, that we have far fewer geniuses than the arts community believes.

Anthony Del Valle can be reached at DelValle@aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.