Directing vs Conducting

Last night, watching my friend Jeremy Legault (above right) conduct an ensemble he'd pieced together for a 2-night multi-disciplinary performance, I was struck by the similarities between our jobs. We'd already discussed what it feels like to rehearse - the limitations of what we can do and offer to the artists. But also the thrill when it all comes together - this thing we imagined comes to life through the talents and contribution of others.

But it's the personal effort that goes into independent artistic productions that makes the "job" so different than arriving on set/stage and doing your thing. Both of us have had to call people personally to cajole them into participating, but both of us have also been amazed at the generosity of people who give their time and energy to collaborate with us (that's soloist Dave Camwell above, who made a road trip in to perform). J lugged photocopied programs from Staples to the performance last night - I'm off to pick up the rental van and load gear. No glamour, no pay (in fact we're putting in our own money), but you better believe this is what we want to be doing or we wouldn't be doing it.

One major difference is that conductors get the gratification of an audience at the moment of performance. Directors have to wait for film festivals and premieres, and for mass-market films, aren't there when the audience is taking it in. Our satisfaction has to be at the end of the editing process - that we have created the best version of what we intended.

Jeremy's production is great by the way - highly recommend it! Music + Dance + Film. It's on tonight as almost a Fringe of the Fringe kind of thing - 8 p.m. at the RWB - and it's pay-what-you-can!

Speaking of Fringe, I should plug my actor Lisa's show, Shock Corridor. Directed by George Tolles, it sounds hilarious. Lisa's a trooper, shooting the film and performing on the same weekend!