BRINGING A NEW PLAY TO LIFE, BY JEANNINE GASKIN
Directing the first reading of a new play is less about staging and more about creating a safe container for discovery. My first priority in working on THE WITCHING HOUR was casting; I chose actors I could trust, people who not only understood the demands of bringing a new text to life, but who also had a personal familiarity with the playwright. Some of the cast have either been on stage with India, performed in prior work by India, or have seen her work. This was important to me because I needed people who could enter the room with insight into her voice, rhythms, and themes. That familiarity created a foundation of care and trust which I think is essential when a script is still fragile and finding its shape.
Before rehearsals, I asked the playwright key questions: What do you most want to hear in this first reading? Are you listening for story clarity, character voices, pacing, or all of the above? This helped me set goals for the rehearsal room. I also asked if there were areas of the script the playwright was uncertain about, so I could be sure the reading gave attention to those places. One thing India was passionate about was having the actors focus on the language, specifically the dialect. This play is not written in what you would call “grammatically correct English” but rather in ebonics and regional dialects.
In any rehearsal, my job is to support the actors in making bold but clean choices. For this staged reading I think an additional duty is to provide just enough guidance to illuminate the text without over-layering. During the online rehearsal, which was also the first read-thru, the playwright was present and available for questions. How many times have you read a script and wondered what the playwright was thinking or why they made certain choices? It was a treat not to have to wonder or make up a back story. She answered all the questions actors had. India was also able to provide clarity on each character’s cadence. This personal feedback fueled the actors, allowing them to dig deeper and study before our second in-person rehearsal.
Since there is no blocking or design, this Friday I will focus on text, voice, and relationships. We will lean into rhythm, emotional stakes, and character arcs in preparation for the playwright and audience to hear how the story breathes. While questions from actors are allowed in the rehearsal room, I will not let the dialog drift away from the playwright’s intention or turn into our own personal workshop.
To make sure the story lands without technical elements, I will work on flow and clarity. Where do we pause to let the audience catch up? Where do we drive momentum? I will emphasize vocal variety, pace, and listening between actors. This is no different from what I do for a regular show.
Ultimately, my guiding principle for this staged reading is trust: trust in the text, trust in the actors, and trust in the playwright’s vision. My role is to hold space, to make the words shine clearly on their own, and to ensure the playwright leaves with a deeper understanding of how their story resonates in the room.
Come witness this story's first steps! This masterpiece blends Southern Gothic drama with African spiritual traditions to tell a story of mothers, daughters, and the gifts they inherit.
Join us for the reading of THE WITCHING HOUR: a gripping story of survival, ancestry, and resilience.
THIS SATURDAY 9/20 in Akron at 1:30p at Akron Christian Reformed Church
OR
in Cleveland at 7:30p at Franklin Circle Christian Church!
