Coaching for Directors
What is the Best Way to Direct a Play?
Over the course of my career, I’ve directed over 130 plays, including 20 of my own, and in a mad 31-month stretch 2017 - 2019, I directed 60 plays, 20 full-length and 40 short plays, as part of our Play Production Program at Manhattan Rep.
I’ve done everything from Civil War dramas to absurdist dreamscapes to a lesbian love storiy with an empassioned 90-second coffee table kiss. And through it all, one truth has held strong: Directing is not about deciding how the scene wil work. It’s about discovering how the scene works.
One of the biggest mistakes directors make? They start with a fixed idea of what the play “should” be.
The best moments come from collaboration, when you're present with your cast and open to discovering “magic” in real time.
Walk into rehearsal with a beginner’s mind. Come from curiosity, and not knowing. The lines ultimately mean nothing. It’s the live emotional event you’re creating with your actors that is important. It is all about the EXPERIENCE you are creating.
Be the director who listens intently and trusts the actors talents. A director who builds a rehearsal room of curiosity, commitment, and connection.
Cast actors who are passionate about theater, not just “talented,” but actors who are ALL IN. Hire a team that shares your energy and passion. Set clear expectations, and always, always lead with respect, for the work, the team, and the process.
I’ve developed a system over 35 years of directing that covers everything from rehearsal scheduling to audition strategy, from casting for passion to navigating producer dynamics. And the biggest takeaway I can give you? Trust. Trust your actors. Trust the playwright. Trust your gut. And most importantly, trust the process, and this live emotional event called a play will manifest in ways you never believed possible.
If you are new to directing and you need some help, or if you are a seasoned director but you are up against something NEW and you need some help, book a Coaching for Directors session with me, and I will help you withever you need know.
Get the help you need to excel!
COACHING FOR DIRECTORS is $150.00 an hour on Zoom.
To purchase click on the button below:
Please know that once booked, you will receive an email confirmation, and then, within 24 hours, you will receive a personal email from me so that we can set up our first session. There is 24 hour cancellation policy for a booked session.
Please know that once paid, Coaching for Directors is Non-Refundable.
