Trying to convey what I see in my mind, having no understanding of what you see in yours is what we do everyday. Sure, we may have agreed upon understanding & a common language. We may both recognize the color blue as 'blue', but everything is subjective. It happens a lot in my day job that I assume a client knows what I'm talking about, simply because I know what I'm talking about. (Bad assumption most of the time!)
With a theatrical production we have more tools at our disposal than just the words - the way light shines on a set and the color of costumes, the swell of music or the absolute silence save the ticking of a clock can convey ideas that words simply don't have the power for. Imagine watching your favorite movie - now imagine watching it without the musical score guiding you along the emotional path the filmmakers want you to take.
As always, it's a two-way street (one-way communication is antithetical) so the intended message and the received message are rarely 100% the same; but the general idea is there. And that's a start.
Getting to that 'start' still involves a lot of trust, patience, and empathy. In rehearsals right now for The Lark, I'm really digging everyone's enthusiasm to try things, to play, to experiment, and to discover what meshes (and what maybe doesn't!) with what's happening in our director's mind and with the other actors on stage & the vibe of the production as a whole. Back to that theme of team-work I'm somewhat obsessed with - we are all working together to create something brand new, to say something that's never been said in quite this way before.
Hope you'll join us for the conversation!