[NEohioPAL] Code of Ethics

[msep at juno.com]

I notice that the code of ethics is primarily centered on how the performers should behave, addressing them as children.  A couple of entires are general, but I think it would be fair to add a few for other theater professionals, especially those, like directors, who usually get paid for their time trouble.

To be fair, nearly all of the directors I've worked for have adhered to these rules of decorum, but I have heard enough horror stories from other actors that I think these bear mentioning.


For directors:

1) I shall not berate performers or throw temper tantrums to terrorize actors into obedience.  In short, I shall speak to actors the way I would hope to be spoken to.

2) I shall not place my artistic vision of the show before the physical safety and/or emotional well-being of the performers.

3) I shall distribute notes evenly among the company so that all actors may receive feedback, even if the comments are simply positive affirmations of a job well done.

4) I will not confuse actors with vague or conflicting directions.  Nor will I mount so many suggestions on to an actor that he or she could not possibly discern what it is I'm asking for.

5) I shall not leave the most difficult and/or technically complicated of the show's demands up to fate, or wait until the last minute to choreograph fight scenes with bladed weapons.

6) I will approach the script creatively, and be open to suggestions from my creative team when confronted by difficult bits of business in a show, not simply throw my hands up and jettison everything that seems hard to pull off.

7) Unless the script is more than a century old, I will direct the play that I have, not edit it to be the show I would like.

8) I will work with the playwright, not around him or her.

For critics:

1) I will not give a bad review simply because I've thought of a witty way to hate something.

2) I will remember that those involved in a show are human beings worthy of respect and dignity, and my desire to be amusing should not violate the tenets of basic decency.

3) I will not review actors' appearances and/or physical shortcomings.  Nor will I slavishly admire those whom I find attractive.

4) I will remember that this production is its own entity and review it on its own merits, not those of other productions I would like it (or not like it) to be.

5) I will take under consideration who the audience for a show might be, even if I am not a member of that group.

6) I will apply standards of excellence relative to the company's means.  In other words, I will not judge small local companies by the same standards that I use for large Broadway touring shows.

7) I will leave my own preferences for plays and playwrights outside the theater doors before I enter.

 

Mike Sepesy