Maintaining Thematic Integrity Amidst Production Chaos

Hey fellow scribes, Nina Kowalski here. I'm currently wrestling with a historical drama, trying to hammer home the theme of 'the illusion of control.' The script feels tight, every scene theoretically serves that core idea. But I'm looking ahead to production and can already envision the inevitable chaos: last-minute script tweaks, actors bringing unexpected interpretations, maybe a key location falling through. How do you guys manage to keep your thematic North Star illuminated when everything around it is shifting? Have you ever had to seriously compromise on a theme mid-shoot? If so, what was the pivot? I’m trying to pre-emptively figure out strategies to keep the story cohesive even if the execution gets... bumpy. Any practical advice or war stories would be immensely helpful.