“Thinking Like a Director” Takeaways (p. 69 -94)

• A resonant approach conveys, whether overtly or subtly, why the play is being produced at that time (p. 70); it must take into account the play’s central conflict and have a point of view about its world (p. 72)
• Every production of a play is different because it is directed by a different person (p. 71)
• Production history can often be a guide to those elements of a play that are most malleable... pinpointing them is a way of reminding yourself of where you need to make dynamic choices (p. 74)
• Changing the setting tends to be more difficult in more realistic plays (p. 76)
• Recognizing conventions doesn’t require a director to follow all of them (p. 79)
• No one design can encompass all the ideas and environmental possibilities that a play suggests... overdesigning usually occurs when director and designer don’t trust the play (p. 84)
• Without the juxtaposition of some dissimilar elements, designs can become status and overbearing, confusing the story and encumbering the play with a single time (p. 85)
• Directing is often about sweating the details (p. 88), and the director continues to learn about a play as the production proceeds (p. 90)
• Light creates focus, movement, mood, and variety (p. 93)