Director's Goals

• provide central interpretation of text: production concept
• coordinate and unify work of all other artists
• editorial vs. creative directing

• director's work only indirectly in a performance; unique feature
• play text, with research, literary analysis, and imagination applied
• other artists and their artistic products
• management skills

• play selection
• text analysis
• first production meeting
• casting; monologues, cold and prepared readings, improvisation, call-backs
• subsequent production meetings; schedule, approve final designs, approve press releases and other publicity, keep communication about rehearsal developments open
• rehearsals
• read-throughs
• blocking rehearsal
• character rehearsal
• refining rehearsal
• technical rehearsal
• dress rehearsal
• previews and opening night
• Paper tech, set cues before technical rehearsals

• Modernist, late 19th century, desire for unity creates the job as we know it today
• ealier handled by lead actor, actor/manager, or playwright as minimal requirements arose
• Goethe: (turn 19th century) extends rehearsals, coaches actors, composes stage pictures for beauty and meaning
• (Late 19th century) Wagner's gesamtkunstwerke or assembled art work; he's composer, librettist, all designers, architect, and director rolled into one. Quintessence of unity and dictator.
• Saxe Meiningen; historical accuracy taken to limits, acting ensembles fill stage and spill off, all in character and responding
• (Turn 20th century) Auteur-directors like Craig: direct and design, rework or discard playwright's text, actors' role devalued -- Ubermarionettes or superpuppets
• Reinhardt: select the right theatre space for each play, or go out of theatres and transform a space for your own purpose (found space)
• (1920's on) Proliferation of styles due to writer and director experimentation: Expressionism, Epic Theatre, Absurdism, Poor Theatre
• Since 1960's, rejection of autocratic role of director in favor of greater collaboration

• coach singers for musical style and dramatic intent
• accompany in rehearsals or hire accompanist
• rehearse and direct pit orchestra or hire conductor

• either dance choreography, or, for many straight plays, a movement coach
• choreograph and teach dance or movement
• consider styles and dramatic intent for all dance

• stage hand-to-hand combat, period weapons fights, or contemporary weapons fights
• compose and rehearse it like a dance