The empathetic director as a catalyst for a resonant devising practise

Theatre-making processes require symbiotic relationships to be built between the creative role players involved. This symbiosis is most relevant with regards to the director and actors as they spend the most conceptual time together in determining the narrative storytelling. The director assumes the role of a leader and should be encouraging and supportive of the actors’ uninhibited participation as actor-creators. It is the director’s leadership role that forms the focus for this study, where leadership research has revealed that being empathetic will result in stimulating resonance as a strategy for positive outcomes. This article is based on a case study undertaken through participatory-action research strategies to determine the impact empathy has on the devising process. The interactive relationship between the director and actors was analysed by studying the components of empathy: emotional contagion, cognitive empathy, and emotional disconnect. Further, this study served to establish how an empathetic director stimulates resonance during the devising process. Empathy stimulates resonance which subsequently implies that an impactful empathetic director would be able to validate resonance within the devising process. Experiencing resonance provides the actors with the necessary faith and trust in the creative collaboration and the director’s facilitation of the devising process. Establishing a resonant devising practice will encourage the performers to both participate and collaborate to the best of their ability and consequently stimulate a positive and constructive creative process. This article offers the outcomes of a case study that presents devising through an awareness of the three components of empathy towards generating and sustaining a resonant devising practice.