Direction: Readings in Theatre Practice "Shepherd, Simon"

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Is directing an art? Do directors need to be trained? What do directors actually do? These questions and more are answered in this accessibly written survey of the art of theatre direction. Its broad scope ranges across the theatres of both America and Europe, looking at practices from Stanislavski up to the present day.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Acknowledgements (p. vi)
• Series Preface (p. viii)
• Part I Introductions (p. 1)
• Preface: This Book and the Others (p. 3)
• 1 Finding a Name for It (p. 9)
• Part II Being a Director (p. 17)
• 2 What is it Directors Do? (p. 19)
• 3 Methods of Direction (p. 36)
• An Interview with Ralf Richardt Strøbech (p. 69)
• Part III Histories of Direction (p. 75)
• 4 The Beginning of Direction, and its Possible End: A Brief History (p. 77)
• 5 The Pre-history of Directors (p. 106)
• 6 Christophe Alix: A Brief History of the Publicly Funded Director in France (p. 125)
• 7 How Shakespeare Shaped Direction (p. 134)
• Part IV Directors as Authors (p. 151)
• 8 Authoring Authority (p. 153)
• 9 James Reynolds: Robert Lepage and Authorial Process (p. 177)
• An Interview with Michael Grandage (p. 187)
• Part V Directors as Organisers (p. 195)
• 10 The Art of Organisation (p. 197)
• References (p. 221)
• References: Chapter 6 (p. 227)
• References: Chapter 9 (p. 228)
• Index (p. 230)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Shepherd (Central School of Speech and Drama, Univ. of London, UK) has put together a most refreshing look at the directorial process as it relates to modern theater practice. The aims of the book are to describe the range of practice now associated with directing and to analyze the emergence of the director, the issues that directors face in the rehearsal process, and the relationship between organization and creation. The book's 10 chapters begin with what directors do, and offer an overview of the history of directing as well as the art of organization. Direction is more along the lines of Toby Cole and Helen Chinoy's Directors on Directing (1963; 2nd rev. ed., 1986) than the new how-to books used in collegiate directing classes. The strength of the book is its fresh look at the wide variety of directorial practices from the past to those currently in vogue. From the innovations of the Russian theater, to Bertolt Brecht and epic theater, to the current work of Anne Bogart, the book covers a wide spectrum of directorial approaches. Shepard's work is a welcome addition to current theatrical scholarship and a useful addition to library shelves and the classroom. Summing Up: Recommended. All students, teachers, and general readers. M. D. Whitlatch Buena Vista University