The Director's Craft: A Handbook for the Theatre

The Director's Craft is a unique and completely indispensable step-by-step guide to directing for the stage. Written by one of the most adventurous and respected directors working today, this book will be an essential item in every student and practitioner's kitbag. It provides detailed assistance with each aspect of the varied challenges facing all theatre directors, and does so with startling clarity. It will inspire everyone, from the beginner just starting out to the experienced practitioner looking to reinvigorate their practice. Katie Mitchell shares and explains the key practical tools she uses to approach her work with both actors, production teams, and the text itself. She addresses topics such as: the ideas that underpin a play's text preparing improvizations Twelve Golden Rules for working with actors managing the transition from rehearsal room to theatre analyzing your work after a run has ended. Each chapter concludes with a summary of its critical points, making this an ideal reference work for both directors and actors at any stage of their development.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Part One: Preparing for Rehearsals 1. Organising your early responses to the text 2. Organising information about each scene 3. Investigating the big ideas of the play 4. Analysing the action of the play 5. Deepening work on character 6. Building relationships with your production team 7. Selecting actors and testing starting points for rehearsals 8. Preparing the rehearsal environment Part Two: Rehearsals 9. The initial few days of rehearsals 10. Building the world of the play 11. Working on the scenes of the play Part Three: Getting into the Theatre and the Public Performances 12. Technical and dress rehearsals 13. The public performances Part Four: Context and Sources 14. How I learnt the skills the book describes

About the Author :
Katie Mitchell has directed plays for the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Royal National Theatre, The Royal Court, The Young Vic, and The Donmar Warehouse. Outside the UK she has directed at The Royal Dramatic Theatre in Sweden, the Koln Schauspielhaus in Cologne and the Piccolo Theatre in Milan. Her opera work includes productions for Welsh National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera and English National Opera. She has received two Time Out Awards and one Evening Standard Award for Best Director.

Review :

'As an introduction to Stanislavski, and a demystification of the director's role, this is a comprehensive read.' - Total Theatre

'This is particularly useful for A level students... The book has a clear, matter-of-fact style throughout... A useful resource to staff and A level students alike.' - Teaching Drama