Director-Actor Relationship in Theater and the Concept of 'Superior Puppet'

Abstract

Theater, as an integrated art form, is formed by the combination of various elements. The aesthetic value at this point is created by the ability of these elements to work in harmony with each other; in other words, the artistic product or the theatrical element, ready to be received by the audience, emerges as a result of the harmonious alignment of different disciplines. To achieve this, different areas of expertise must come together. Theater is essentially the process of transforming the two-dimensional world of literature into a physical, three-dimensional space. Although the mentioned literary space may wander through the creative atmosphere of an imaginary world, the process of converting it into the tangible will result in a new design that is visible to the eye and appears the same to everyone who views it. At this point, the question of whose creation the new design will be brings the director's role into focus. The creative team, including the decor designer, costume designer, makeup artist, lighting designer, etc., comes together under a single perspective, making the director the primary designer. The creators from various artistic fields are guided by the director, combining their expertise into a single artistic piece. The work of these artists consists of tangible designs that can be meticulously examined beforehand, allowing the director to intervene easily if needed, before the process even begins. However, despite serving the director's main design, there is one artist whose work is less tangible than the others and where the opportunity for direct external intervention is more limited: the actor. Although the actor, as the one who brings the written text to life, physically occupies the stage, the tools of creation and expression—such as emotion, personalization, inner reaction, etc.—place the actor in a more abstract and less-intervenable realm compared to the others. Additionally, as the person responsible for conveying the core meaning, the actor occupies the center of all design; in a way, becoming the primary element of this art form. This situation presents two fundamental elements: the director and the actor. This study will examine the artistic context between the director and actor, as well as their methods of collaboration in becoming the primary creators of theater.