Synopses & Reviews
Characterized by its compact form and readable style, THE DIRECTOR'S COMPANION pays particular attention to the language of a play and the importance of the director's dialogue. A director cannot direct successfully without a firm grasp of the author's intent.
Synopsis
Characterized by its compact form and readable style, THE DIRECTOR'S COMPANION pays particular attention to the language of a play and the importance of the director's dialogue. A director cannot direct successfully without a firm grasp of the author's intent.
About the Author
Mel Shapiro is a director, playwright, and a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.. His directing credits include Broadway production of Two Gentleman of Verona (winner of a Tony and NY Drama Critics Award for Best Musical) original off-Broadway production of The House of Blue Leaves (winner of the NY Drama Critics Award for Best American Play), and Vaclav Havel's The Increased Difficulty of Concentration for Lincoln Center Repertory (winner of an Obie for Best Foreign Play). His recent work includes direction of John Guare's Marco Polo Sings a Solo at the Signature Theater and Taming of the Shrew for the New York Shakespeare Festival.
Table of Contents
Introduction. Part I: The Director as Storyteller. 1. Instincts and Story Telling. 2. Sustaining Dramatic Tension and Guidelines on Critiquing. 3. Extending our Story Range and Finding Visual Images. Part II: The Director as Interpreter. 4. Reading the Text. 5. Language. Part III: The Director as Collaborator. 6. The Team. 7. Working With Actors. Part IV: The Director as Stager. 8. Groundplans. 9. Staging. 10. Staging (continued). 11. Concepts. Part V: A Symposium.