Stage Directing: A Director's Itinerary

by Michael Wainstein

Overview

In Stage Directing: A Director's Itinerary, the student of theatrical directing will find a step-by-step guide to directing a production, from choosing a play to opening night. Unlike other directing textbooks, it provides practical advice on organizing tasks throughout the directorial process, including budgeting, writing casting notices, and auditioning. It moreover includes an abundance of helpful examples and tried-and-true exercises, as well as information on how to organize a director’s documents into a production notebook.

The second edition builds on the strengths of the first edition by elaborating on key analytical, organizational, and strategic steps in a successful director’s itinerary, with special attention to the direction of musicals.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781585109470
Publisher:	Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.
Publication date:	10/15/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	22 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Michael Wainstein is Director of the University of Central Florida School of Performing Arts.

Read an Excerpt

In this book, I have endeavored to create a step-by-step guide for the student director. There are already many books that offer an experienced director’s point of view on the art of dramatic interpretation or the craft of working with actors. Although these perspectives can be valuable, they are secondary. For what use is a groundbreaking dramatic interpretation if a faulty rehearsal schedule, poor casting notice, or mismanaged budget sinks the production before the curtains ever even open?

Everything a director needs to know about successfully navigating these practical concerns is provided in this book. Because of the great responsibility that comes with being a director—from upholding the playwright’s work, to ensuring the actors deliver convincing performances, to satisfying an audience and guaranteeing a profitable production—being detailed and organized are essential. For this reason, keeping a director’s production notebook is important for the student director. It allows the director to organize his or her notes, budgets, analysis, research, schedules, designs, cast information, blocking, etc. in one, easy-to-reference place.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments and Photo Credits

Preface

PART I: First Things First

Chapter 1: A brief history of directing

Chapter 2: Choosing a play and securing a performance license

Chapter 3: Budgeting

Chapter 4: Reading the play

Chapter 5: Interpreting the Script

Chapter 6: Research

Chapter 7: Concept

PART II: Written word to three-dimensional world

Chapter 8: The Visual Collaboration

Chapter 9: Casting

PART III: Rehearsals

Chapter 10: Preparing for Rehearsals

Chapter 11: The First Rehearsal and Table Work

Chapter 12: Staging Rehearsals

Chapter 13: Blocking in different stage configurations

PART IV: Rehearsing a Musical

Chapter 14: Initial Rehearsals of a Musical

Chapter 15: Staging Musical Scenes

PART V: Rehearsals Continue

Chapter 16: Listen to your Inner Voice and Directing the Moments

Chapter 17: Working with actors

Chapter 18: Solving Problems

Chapter 19: Stumble-throughs, Work-throughs, and Run-throughs

Chapter 20: Technical Rehearsals and Adding Elements

PART VI: Opening the Show

Chapter 21: Final Dress to Opening Night

Appendix 1: Genre and Playing Style

Appendix 2: Script Analysis Case Study—The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

Appendix 3: Sample Rehearsal Schedules

Appendix 4: Master Schedule of Production Deadlines

Appendix 5: Contracts

Glossary

Interviews

This is the book I needed as a young director with lots of vision but no technique. The purpose is to provide directors with step-by-step guidance through the process of putting on a production. It combines both practical steps to follow and helpful advice along the way.

Editorial Reviews

Acclaim for the First Edition: "Finally! A directing guidebook that takes the student through the craft of directing in an easy-to-process fashion." —Beate Pettigrew, Johnson County Community College

Acclaim for the First Edition: "This is the most comprehensive, common sense, step-by-step textbook on directing I have seen. Reading it is like having your master-director dad sitting next to you—guiding you as you work." —Bruce Miller, University of Miami

Acclaim for the First Edition: "Mr. Wainstein's book is ideal for the beginning director because it offers practical and workable advice for both understanding the play and getting the play on its feet. Chapters on running rehearsals and those about staging both a straight play and a musical are especially valuable for directors with minimal experience or training. Think of it as a training manual in the best sense of the term and keep it as handy as your prompt book as you go from choosing the play to the opening night cast party.” —David Rush, Playwright

From the Publisher