Untangling Direction vs Acting

Something I am often unsure about is how can we distinguish the contribution of an actor and director to a performance from the perspective of an audience member?

For example, Bernadette's performance in FOLLIES was/is sometimes criticised for crying during "Losing My Mind". But how do we know if Bernadette or the director made this decision? I suppose Bernadette would have a lot more power over directors than most, so perhaps her performance could be more a product of her own vision than a directors (though this may not be true at all). But still.

The whole CSC Mother Courage incident highlights how much control a director can apparently have over a creative performance.

Similarly, I managed to get through a lot of the London GYPSY broadcast. She plays the role VERY unsympathetically, "psychotic" is a good word to describe it. However, I look at her Rose's Turn and think she is a very good actress - but maybe the vision of the character and the choices made during her performance (including Rose's Turn) aren't the greatest (I still haven't made my mind up yet). In this case, is it her fault or the directors?

Updated On: 12/30/15 at 07:11 PM

A good director would probably never say to an actress... "I want you to cry during this song".... Crying is an end result, it's not a direction. You would direct the song methodically and if the actress ended up crying organically then that is a different story.

I would say you should blame the director for the overall concept and shape of the production. Blaming the director for individual performances can be trickier. I have had some actors take my direction and make it look a THOUSAND times better than what I had given them.... and I got credit for it! I have directed actors who would never do the same thing the same twice. They were not able to be directed. So, yes, the director is to blame to some extent, but I find directors take much more credit for what actors do on their own, than the opposite.

Updated On: 12/30/15 at 10:31 PM

You can't blame the director of Follies for Bernadette's crying too much. Bernadette has been crying too much during songs FOR THE LAST FIFTEEN YEARS.

HEY, BERNIE---STOP CRYING SO GODDAMN MUCH!

It makes you look like you're not as good an actress as you used to be. You used to make US cry. Now you make us watch YOU cry.

And while you're at it, try picking up the tempo.

Yr pal, Joey

Updated On: 12/30/15 at 11:04 PM

Never. And the topic isn't even about that, so calm down :P.

Updated On: 12/30/15 at 11:37 PM

PalJoey said: "

You can't blame the director of Follies for Bernadette's crying too much. Bernadette has been crying too much during songs FOR THE LAST FIFTEEN YEARS.

HEY, BERNIE---STOP CRYING SO GODDAMN MUCH!

It makes you look like you're not as good an actress as you used to be. You used to make US cry. Now you make us watch YOU cry.

And while you're at it, try picking up the tempo.

Yr pal, Joey"

15 years? SCTV made fun of it back in 1983! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQKWn6oPj-c

Her crying during "Send in the Clowns" in the recent NIGHT MUSIC revival was wonderful :P.